Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Karachi
Encyclopedia
The Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Karachi
(Devnagari: श्री स्वामीनारायण मन्दिर, कराची, Nastaliq: ) is a Hindu temple
that belongs to the NarNarayan Dev Gadi
of the Swaminarayan Sampraday
and is the only Swaminarayan temple in Pakistan
. The temple is notable for its size and frontage, over 32306 square yards (27,011.9 m²) on the M. A. Jinnah Road in Karachi
city. The temple celebrated its anniversary of 150 years in April 2004. It is believed that not only Hindus
but also adherents of Islam
visit the temple, which adds to its notability. There is a sacred cowshed within the premises of this temple. The temple is located at the centre of a Hindu enclave in a Muslim dominated city and country. The building that housed a dharmshala (Guest house) for visiting devotees has now been converted to the office of the City District Government.
during the turbulent times of partition
. One murti
that was originally at this temple is now located in Khan Village, Rajasthan
. People who wished to settle in India from all over Sindh
(other than Muslims) awaited their departure to India by ship at this temple. The temple was visited by Muhammad Ali Jinnah
, the founder of Pakistan during this period. In 1989, for the first time since the period of partition, a group of sadhu
s from the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Ahmedabad visited the temple. Since then, small groups from the Ahmedabad
temple pay this temple a visit every few years in a pilgrimage.
, Ram Navami, Janmastami, Dussehra
, Diwali
and almost all of the main religious festivals are celebrated by Hindus in this temple. Holi is celebrated with the holi bonfire lit at the centre of the temple grounds, followed by the play with colours. Janmashtami is celebrated with singing bhajan
s and sermons on Krishna
, whiles on Diwali, devotees light lamps and candles to welcome Rama
from his fourteen year exile, at the end of which he defeated Ravana
and young men burst crackers at the temple on the occasion. The Holi
festival celebrations that take place at this temple are the biggest in Karachi.
The temple also doubles up as a marriage venue. In 2008, a mass wedding arrangement was made for 20 poor couples.
, Pakistan
where a small Hindu
community lives, a Gurdwara
has been created for the small Sikh
community.
The Gurdwara Sahib houses three sets of Sri Guru Granth Sahib
Ji in the Palki Sahib. There are pictures of the Gurus and a small shrine devoted to Guru Nanak Dev Ji. There is a Hindu bell in the Gurdwara Sahib as well.
The whole compound is protected by a security guard to protect the small Hindu families.
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
(Devnagari: श्री स्वामीनारायण मन्दिर, कराची, Nastaliq: ) is a Hindu temple
Hindu temple
A Mandir, Devalayam, Devasthanam, or a Hindu temple is a place of worship for followers of Hinduism...
that belongs to the NarNarayan Dev Gadi
NarNarayan Dev Gadi
The Naranarāyan Dēv Gadī , named after NarNarayan Dev, is one of the two Gadis that together form the Swaminarayan Sampraday. It is headquartered at the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Ahmedabad and controls the Uttar Vibhag....
of the Swaminarayan Sampraday
Swaminarayan Sampraday
Swaminarayan Sampraday , known previously as the Uddhav Sampraday, is a Hindu sect established by Swaminarayan...
and is the only Swaminarayan temple in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. The temple is notable for its size and frontage, over 32306 square yards (27,011.9 m²) on the M. A. Jinnah Road in Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
city. The temple celebrated its anniversary of 150 years in April 2004. It is believed that not only Hindus
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
but also adherents of Islam
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
visit the temple, which adds to its notability. There is a sacred cowshed within the premises of this temple. The temple is located at the centre of a Hindu enclave in a Muslim dominated city and country. The building that housed a dharmshala (Guest house) for visiting devotees has now been converted to the office of the City District Government.
Partition of India and after
The temple became a refugee camp in 1948. The original images of Lord Swaminarayan were removed and taken to IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
during the turbulent times of partition
Partition of India
The Partition of India was the partition of British India on the basis of religious demographics that led to the creation of the sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India on 14 and 15...
. One murti
Murti
In Hinduism, a murti , or murthi, or vigraha or pratima typically refers to an image which expresses a Divine Spirit . Meaning literally "embodiment", a murti is a representation of a divinity, made usually of stone, wood, or metal, which serves as a means through which a divinity may be worshiped...
that was originally at this temple is now located in Khan Village, Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
. People who wished to settle in India from all over Sindh
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
(other than Muslims) awaited their departure to India by ship at this temple. The temple was visited by Muhammad Ali Jinnah
Muhammad Ali Jinnah
Muhammad Ali Jinnah was a Muslim lawyer, politician, statesman and the founder of Pakistan. He is popularly and officially known in Pakistan as Quaid-e-Azam and Baba-e-Qaum ....
, the founder of Pakistan during this period. In 1989, for the first time since the period of partition, a group of sadhu
Sadhu
In Hinduism, sādhu denotes an ascetic, wandering monk. Although the vast majority of sādhus are yogīs, not all yogīs are sādhus. The sādhu is solely dedicated to achieving mokṣa , the fourth and final aśrama , through meditation and contemplation of brahman...
s from the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Ahmedabad visited the temple. Since then, small groups from the Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad also known as Karnavati is the largest city in Gujarat, India. It is the former capital of Gujarat and is also the judicial capital of Gujarat as the Gujarat High Court has its seat in Ahmedabad...
temple pay this temple a visit every few years in a pilgrimage.
Festivals and events
According to the Pakistan Hindu Council, Swaminarayan JayantiSwaminarayan Jayanti
Swaminarayan was born on 2 April 1781 in Chhapaiya. This day is annually celebrated as Swaminarayan Jayanti by his followers. This coincides with the occasion of Ram Navmi....
, Ram Navami, Janmastami, Dussehra
Vijayadashami
Vijayadashami also known as Dasara, is one of the most important festivals celebrated in various forms, across India, Nepal and Bangladesh...
, Diwali
Diwali
Diwali or DeepavaliThe name of the festival in various regional languages include:, , , , , , , , , , , , , popularly known as the "festival of lights," is a festival celebrated between mid-October and mid-December for different reasons...
and almost all of the main religious festivals are celebrated by Hindus in this temple. Holi is celebrated with the holi bonfire lit at the centre of the temple grounds, followed by the play with colours. Janmashtami is celebrated with singing bhajan
Bhajan
A Bhajan is any type of Indian devotional song. It has no fixed form: it may be as simple as a mantra or kirtan or as sophisticated as the dhrupad or kriti with music based on classical ragas and talas. It is normally lyrical, expressing love for the Divine...
s and sermons on Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
, whiles on Diwali, devotees light lamps and candles to welcome Rama
Rama
Rama or full name Ramachandra is considered to be the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a king of Ayodhya in ancient Indian...
from his fourteen year exile, at the end of which he defeated Ravana
Ravana
' is the primary antagonist character of the Hindu legend, the Ramayana; who is the great king of Lanka. In the classic text, he is mainly depicted negatively, kidnapping Rama's wife Sita, to claim vengeance on Rama and his brother Lakshmana for having cut off the nose of his sister...
and young men burst crackers at the temple on the occasion. The Holi
Holi
Holi , is a religious spring festival celebrated by Hindus. Holi is also known as festival of Colours. It is primarily observed in India, Nepal, Pakistan, and countries with large Indic diaspora populations following Hinduism, such as Suriname, Malaysia, Guyana, South Africa, Trinidad, United...
festival celebrations that take place at this temple are the biggest in Karachi.
The temple also doubles up as a marriage venue. In 2008, a mass wedding arrangement was made for 20 poor couples.
Guru Nanak Temple
According to the Pakistan Hindu Council, there is a Guru Nanak temple within the Swaminarayan Temple complex. Here, every Moon Night and for the birthday of Guru Nanak, Baisakhi is celebrated.Gurdwara
In the Swami Narain Mandir complex in KarachiKarachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
where a small Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
community lives, a Gurdwara
Gurdwara
A Gurdwara , meaning the Gateway to the Guru, is the place of worship for Sikhs, the followers of Sikhism. A Gurdwara can be identified from a distance by tall flagpoles bearing the Nishan Sahib ....
has been created for the small Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
community.
The Gurdwara Sahib houses three sets of Sri Guru Granth Sahib
Guru Granth Sahib
Sri Guru Granth Sahib , or Adi Granth, is the religious text of Sikhism. It is the final and eternal guru of the Sikhs. It is a voluminous text of 1430 angs, compiled and composed during the period of Sikh gurus, from 1469 to 1708...
Ji in the Palki Sahib. There are pictures of the Gurus and a small shrine devoted to Guru Nanak Dev Ji. There is a Hindu bell in the Gurdwara Sahib as well.
The whole compound is protected by a security guard to protect the small Hindu families.