Lahore, Feb 20 (PTI) Thousands of Pakistani Hindus today celebrated Maha Shivratri as a group of Indian pilgrims joined the festivities at the historic Katas Raj temple in Punjab province after a gap of six years. A delegation of 50 Indian yatris or pilgrims arrived in Lahore over the weekend to join the celebrations at the 900-year-old Katas Raj temple at Chakwal, officials said. The delegation visited the temple amidst tight security. The Indian delegation was welcomed at the Wagah land border on Saturday by Asif Hashmi, chairman of the Evacuee Trust Property Board, which is responsible for maintaining the shrines of minority communities. The delegation will return to India on February 23. The last delegation of Hindu yatris visited Katas Raj in 2006. There were no other visits to the shrine in recent years due to concerns about terrorism though Indian Hindus and Sikhs have visited other temples and gurdwaras across Pakistan. The Chakwal region has several old temples but most of them are in a state of disrepair. During 2006-07, Pakistan decided to replace idols of gods at Katas Raj and reopen the temple to Hindu pilgrims. Hindu Welfare Council chairman Shiv Pratap Raj told the Daily Times that Hindu pilgrims were warmly welcomed whenever they come to Pakistan for festivals like Shivratri or Diwali. He thanked Asif Hashmi for making arrangements for the current visit by the pilgrims. Pakistani Hindus visited Katas Raj a day before the Indian delegationÂ's visit due to security reasons. They also held a vigil at the lake within the Katas Raj complex. In Mansehra district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, over 1,500 Hindus from across Pakistan thronged the Shiva temple in Chiti Gati Gandiyan village to celebrate Maha Shivratri, The Express Tribune reported. Authorities beefed up security for the festival. However, temple officials faced congestion, lack of space for setting up lavatories and for preparation of food. According to priest Darshan Lal, a case is pending with a local court over the ownership of a plot of land that was once part of the temple but was illegally sold by authorities 30 years ago. He asked the government to help the Hindu community by providing them enough space to accommodate the pilgrims. PTI MZ RHL
