KATAS RAJ TEMPLE COMPLEX IN PAKISTAN

3. Plans in the Works for the Restoration of the Katas Raj Temple in Pakistan
epaper.hindustantimes.com

NEW DELHI, INDIA, March 29, 2006: The Katas Raj temple in Chakwal, Pakistan has received the attention of India's government who has offered funding to the tune of US$5.68 million to the Pakistani government so that the temple can be restored and conserved. As pointed out in the news release, highly placed sources told HT that New Delhi sees this as an opportunity to improve relations with Islamabad. The Archaeological Survey of India would be forwarding a conservation plan that can be executed entirely by Pakistani authorities. Also India has offered to train Pakistani conservators in the restoration work specific to temples. The article expounds about the significance of the temple, "It is not just myths that abound in the Katas Raj temple complex. It has yielded a large number of fossils and is geologically significant. It also has a cluster of monuments, including palaces and temples, the oldest of which dates back to the 6th - 7th century A.D. The temple complex is architecturally interesting as it has all the typical features of Hindu temples, including a sanctum sanctorum preceded by an ardhamandapa. These are the key features of 6th-10th century temple architecture. While the older structures are damaged to some extent, the later structures are in fairly good shape."



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