Shri Varun Dev Mandir

Manora Island Beach, with Varun Dev Mandir visible in the top right corner

Shri Varun Dev Mandir is a Hindu temple located in Manora Island in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. The temple is devoted to Varuna, the god of the oceans in Hindu mythology.[1] The exact year of the temple's construction or foundation is not known (it may be thousands of years old)[2] but it is widely believed that the current structure was built in around 1917–18.[3] Today, the temple is in a dilapidated state as humid winds are eating into the structure and the rich carvings on the walls of the temple are slowly eroding. At present, the building is not used for worship and the last ritual was held in the 1950s.[4]

Currently, This temple belongs to the Hindu Council of Pakistan. According to a legend, it was around 16th century when a wealthy sailor by the name of Bhojomal Nancy Bhattia bought Manora Island from the Khan of Kalat, who owned most of the land along the coastline at that time and then his family commissioned a temple on the lay terrain.[5]

References

  1. ↑ Daily Times article on Varun Dev Temple
  2. ↑ Daily Times article on Varun Dev Temple
  3. ↑ Bukhaari on Flickr
  4. ↑ Varun Dev Temple
  5. ↑ The Express Tribune - Shri Varun Dev Mandir By Maha Malik, Published: March 1, 2012

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