Currently, there are no Hindu temples in Narowal district, which leads to members of the Hindu community performing religious rituals at home or they travel to temples in Sialkot and Lahore. Ratan Lal Arya, former president of the Pak Dharamsthan Committee, said that the ETPB’s control over the Baoli Sahib temple rendered it non-functional and the Hindu community, which numbers over 1,453 in Narowal, lacked a dedicated place for worship.
After the establishment of Pakistan, the Narowal district had 45 Hindu temples but all of them have over time fallen into disrepair. For the past 20 years, the Pak Dharamsthan Committee advocated for the restoration of Baoli Sahib temple, Arya said. Now, the government has taken steps to restore the temple to address demands of the Hindu community, he said.
The ETPB is overseeing the construction at the four kanals of land where the boundary wall is the priority. Once completed, the temple will be handed over to the Pak Dharamsthan Committee.
Shoaib Siddal, chairman of the One-man Commission of the Supreme Court, and Manzoor Masih, member of the National Commission of Human Rights, have played vital roles in the restoration of the temple.
Sawan Chand, president of the Pak Dharamsthan Committee, said that the restoration of Baoli Sahib temple would allow Hindus to perform religious rituals at the site. Hindus form the biggest minority community in Pakistan. According to official estimates, 75 lakh Hindus live in Pakistan. However, according to the community, over 90 lakh Hindus live in the country. Majority of Pakistan’s Hindu population is settled in Sindh province where they share culture, traditions, and language with their Muslim fellows.
