Pakistan has reconstructed and renovated the Lahore’s famous Jain Temple (Mandir) in the Punjab capital and it is now going to formally reopen it.
The temple, which stood tall in all its glory at a Lahore’s famous junction in called the Jain Mandir intersection, was partially demolished by an angry mob after the 1992 demolition of the Babri Mosque in India.
Almost 30 Hindu temples were damaged in Pakistan after Hindu fanatics led by right wing parties like the BJP razed the Babri Mosque.
Now, nearly 30 years later, Supreme Court Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed has directed the authorities to examine the sites of the Jain and Neela Gumbad (Blue Tomb) temples and take steps for their restoration. The order said that the work should be done without delay and a preliminary report should be submitted within one month.
Member of National Assembly Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, who is also a member of a commission of the Supreme Court on minority rights, says: “I visited the site on Dec 2 and also appeared in the court in this regard.”
“Pakistan is following its own Constitution in which all religions have the right to practice their faith. I am feeling proud that we are setting examples for others,” he said.
The temple stood tall in all its glory and grandeur at a famous junction in Lahore named the Jain Mandir intersection. After the demolition of the Babri Mosque on Dec. 6, 1992, in India, a mob two days later attacked the temple and damaged the building. More than 150,000 people were present at the temple in Ayodhya to listen to leaders of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), India’s right-wing political party, according to the media reports. After speeches, the crowd stormed the Babri mosque which was built in the 15th century. The huge building was destroyed in a matter of hours. Riots broke out in India afterward with 23 mosques destroyed and almost 2,000 people killed.
