Ratneshwar Mahadev Temple is a historic underground Hindu temple in

Karachi Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former ...

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

. It is located near the Clifton Beach in

Clifton Clifton may refer to: People *Clifton (surname) *Clifton (given name) Places Australia *Clifton, Queensland, a town **Shire of Clifton * Clifton, New South Wales, a suburb of Wollongong * Clifton, Western Australia Canada * Clifton, Nova Scot ...

. The temple is famous for its annual

Shivratri Maha Shivaratri ( IAST: Mahāśivarātri) is a Hindu festival celebrated annually in honour of the god Shiva. The name also refers to the night when Shiva performs the heavenly dance called Tandava. In every month of the luni-solar Hindu ...

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 ( ur, ) is a promenade built on land donated by Seth Jehangir Hormusji Kothari to the city of Karachi in 1919. It is situated on a hilltop on the Arabian Sea, in the Clifton Beach area of Karachi. Jehangir Kothari ...

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. 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 (Urdu:پاکستان ہندو پنچایت ) (PHP) is the leading socio-political representative organization of the Hindu community in Pakistan. Hindus of Pakistan Hindus in Pakistan nowadays make 2% of the tota ...

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 (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hind ...

used to live in this cave, and also that

Guru Nanak Gurū Nānak (15 April 1469 – 22 September 1539; Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ; pronunciation: , ), also referred to as ('father Nānak'), was the founder of Sikhism and is the first of the ten Sikh Gurus. His birth is celebrated ...

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 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 river to which India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China are the riparian states." is ...

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

Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hin ...

Puja Puja or Pooja may refer to: Religion *Puja (Hinduism), a ritual to host, honor or of devotional worship, or one to celebrate an event * Puja (Buddhism), expressions of honour, worship and devotional attention * Puja, a wooden stick, sometimes lea ...

is performed until 5 am, when an

aarti ''Arti'' (Sanskrit: Ārātrika, Hindi: Ārtī) is a Hindu ritual employed in worship, often part of '' puja'', in which light (usually from a flame) is offered to one or more deities. ''Arti(s)'' also refers to the songs sung in praise of the ...

is then done. Devotees then walk barefoot with women carrying a

pooja thali A puja thali () is a tray or large container on which puja materials are accumulated and decorated. On Hindu religious occasions, festivals, traditions and rituals, the puja thali maintains an auspicious role. A puja thali may be made of steel, g ...

containing flowers, incense sticks, rice, coconut and a

diya Diya may refer to: * ''Diya (film)'', 2018 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 ceremo ...

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

Reference

{{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

Reference