Over 170 Indian pilgrims converged at the ancient Katas Raj temple in Pakistan's Punjab province to participate in prayers on the occasion of Shivratri on Friday.
This is the third year that Shivratri pooja is being held with the participation of Hindu pilgrims from India. Since 2005, the Pakistan government began largescale renovation of the Shiva temple complex where Pandavas were believed to have spent a part of their exile.
The 173 pilgrims, mostly from Indian Punjab and New Delhi, arrived in Lahore from Attari by train and reached the temple in vehicles specially arranged by local authorities who also made elaborate arrangements for their stay.
Besides conducting the pooja on Friday night at the temple, which suffered years of neglect and was damaged during riots, the pilgrims will conduct a 'havan' on Saturday at the place, Indian High Commission officials who were deputed to receive them, said.
The group is headed by Sardari Lal Goswami who said that they were offered 200 visas by the Pakistan government out which they could avail 173.
The Katas site houses the Satgarha, a group of seven ancient temples, remains of a Buddhist stupa, a few medieval temples, havelis and some recently constructed temples, scattered around a pond considered holy by Hindus.
The government has sanctioned Rs 51.06 million for the the renovation of the temple, which was visited by Bharatiya Janata Party leader Lal Kishenchand Advani during his visit to Pakistan in 2005.
Pakistan also invited a team of officials from the Archaeological Survey of India to advise local officials in the renovation programme.
Recently, a team of officials from the archaeology department of Pakistan's Punjab province visited various pilgrim centres in India to study the temple structures and finalise plans to import idols.
External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee was reportedly given a briefing on the renovation plan by the President of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Q during his visit to Islamabad on January 13.
Katas has been mentioned in the Mahabharata. According to the Hindu narration, Katas and Pushkar (Ajmer) are Lord Shiva's eyes. Guru Nanak also visited the place and Katas then came to be known as Nanaknawas.
It is also the place where Alberuni, the Muslim scientist, attempted to measure the circumference of the Earth, studied Sanskrit and wrote his renowned Kitab-ul Hind.