MANSEHRA: Hindu devotees on Tuesday thronged the historic Shiva Linga temple in Chitti Ghatti area here to celebrate Shivaratri festival.

The temple situated along the Karakoram Highway in Chitti Ghatti area some 10km from here is named after the white marble linga.

The devotees from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Islamabad and other parts of country took part in the ritual of their god’s marriage at the historic temple, which was reopened 10 years ago to Hindus after remaining occupied by the local population for almost six decades.

The district administration has put in place tight security at and around the temple for the festival.

“I am pleased to be at this historic temple for Shivaratri festival. This nine feet linga is the second biggest in Asia,” said Paritum Dass, a devotee from Islamabad.

He said big lingas were also found in Nepal and Sri Lanka.

“It’s Hindu community of Abbottabad that had got the temple reopened for worship some 10 years ago. Since then, the Shivaratri festival has been taking place here every year,” he said.

Head of the family having charge of the temple Sham Lal said the linga was exotic and that the history’s history went back to over 2000 years.

He said the temple was spread over six kanals of land but majority of the land was occupied by the people.

Sham Lal said the temple’s historic charm was tarnished by the evacuee department few years ago when it instead of preserving the ancient structure, put up a building around it.

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT REJECTED: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl and former MPA Mufti Kifayatullah on Tuesday said the 21st Amendment to the Constitution was an attempt by secular forces to target religious institutions in country and his party would continue opposing it.

“The 21st Amendment is an attempt to target seminaries and other religious institutions. We’ll continue our struggle against that draconian law,” he told a party meeting in Oghi.

The JUI-F leader said the establishment of military courts went against the existing judicial system but even then, parliament approved it.

He said seminaries were the country’s fortresses and were spreading religious education and therefore, the government should avoid taking action against them to please the US.

Kifayatullah said his party was a popular party and would sweep the imminent local body elections in the province.

He said the Muttahida Qaumi Movement should face the court over its alleged role in the Karachi factory fire, which claimed over 250 lives.

JUI-F leaders Moman Khan Usmani, Mufti Asif Shahzad, Hafiz Munir Ahmad and Maulana Hashim Hussain also spoke on the occasion.

Published in Dawn February 18th , 2015

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