Ratneshwar Mahadev Temple is a historic underground Hindu temple in

Karachi Karachi is the capital city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Sindh, Pakistan. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, largest city in Pakistan and 12th List of largest cities, largest in the world, with a popul ...

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

. It is located near the Clifton Beach in Clifton. The temple is famous for its annual

Shivratri Maha Shivaratri is a Hindu festival celebrated annually to worship the deity Shiva, between February and March. According to the Hindu calendar, the festival is observed on the fourteenth day of the first half (night start with darkness - ...

celebration, and during religious celebrations, around 25,000 pilgrims visit the temple.

Architecture

Shree Ratneshwar Mahadev Temple is an underground temple with six levels. There are two staircases near

Jehangir Kothari Parade Jehangir Kothari Parade () is a promenade in Karachi, Pakistan, built on land donated by Parsi businessman and philanthropist Jehangir Hormasji Kothari to the city of Karachi in 1919. It is situated on a hilltop on the Arabian Sea, in the Cl ...

that leads to the underground levels. The fourth underground level is a courtyard floor made of marble. The fifth level has a tunnel which is believed to lead to the

Mohatta Palace The Mohatta Palace () is a museum located in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. Designed by Ahmed Hussain Agha, the palace was built in 1927 in the posh seaside locale of Clifton as the summer home of Shivratan Mohatta, a Hindu Marwari businessman from ...

. There is also a fresh water spring inside the Cave. In 2014, under Clifton traffic improvement project the construction of two underpasses and a flyover were started near the temple due to which cracks started appearing in the cave. The

Pakistan Hindu Panchayat The Pakistan Hindu Panchayat (abbreviated as ) is the leading socio-political representative organization of the Hindu community in Pakistan. Hindus of Pakistan Hindus in Pakistan nowadays make 2% of the total population, roughly 4 million pe ...

filed a case in Supreme Court against this, and the Court ordered restoration of the temple.

Religious significance

Hindus in Karachi believe that the third eye of the Shiva watches the Sea and prevents the Sea disasters like floods from happening. It is believed that

Lord Shiva Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hinduism. Shiva is known as ''The Destroyer' ...

used to live in this cave, and also that

Guru Nanak Gurū Nānak (15 April 1469 – 22 September 1539; Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ; pronunciation: , ), also known as ('Father Nanak'), was an Indian spiritual teacher, mystic and poet, who is regarded as the founder of Sikhism and is t ...

used to meditate in this cave.

Shivratri Celebration

On the

night, Hindus in Karachi fast and visit the temple. Later, devotees from the

Chanesar Goth Chanesar Town () is a neighborhood in Karachi East district of Karachi, Pakistan. It is represented in the provincial legislature by Saeed Ghani. The neighbourhood was previously administered as part of Jamshed Town, which was disbanded in 2011. ...

come to the temple carrying water from the

Ganges The Ganges ( ; in India: Ganga, ; in Bangladesh: Padma, ). "The Ganges Basin, known in India as the Ganga and in Bangladesh as the Padma, is an international which goes through India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China." is a trans-boundary rive ...

, which Hindus generally consider to be sacred, in order to bathe the idol of

Shiva Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions w ...

. Puja is performed until 5 am, when an

aarti ''Arti'' () or ''Aarati'' () is a Hindu ritual employed in worship, part of a ''Puja (Hinduism), puja'', in which light from a flame (fuelled by camphor, ghee, or oil) is ritually waved to venerate Hindu deities, deities. ''Arti'' also refers t ...

is then done. Devotees then walk barefoot with women carrying a pooja thali containing flowers, incense sticks, rice, coconut and a

diya Diya may refer to: * ''Diya (film)'', 2018 Indian Tamil- and Telugu-language film * Diya (Islam), Islamic term for monetary compensation for bodily harm or property damage * Diya (lamp), ghee- or oil-based candle often used in South Asian religious ...

to the sea after which they are free to break their fast. Later they eat food prepared in the temple kitchen for breakfast.

References

{{Hindu temples in Pakistan Hindu temples in Sindh Hindu temples in Karachi Shiva temples Buildings and structures in Karachi Heritage sites in Karachi

Architecture

Religious significance

Shivratri Celebration

See also

References