Panj Tirath, which obtained its identify from 5 water swimming pools current there, was declared a nationwide heritage by the provincial Khyber Pakhtunkhwa authorities in northwest Pakistan in 2019.
Peshawar,UPDATED: Feb 10, 2023 22:00 IST
A two-member bench of the Peshawar High Court heard the arguments within the case on January 9 and summoned the Deputy Commissioner of Peshawar metropolis. (Representative Image)
By Press Trust of India: A Pakistani courtroom on Friday summoned a prime authorities official after listening to arguments in a land demarcation case involving a household park and the historic Hindu spiritual website of Panj Tirath right here.
Panj Tirath, which obtained its identify from 5 water swimming pools current there, was declared a nationwide heritage by the provincial Khyber Pakhtunkhwa authorities in northwest Pakistan in 2019.
The heritage website, with two temples and a gateway, is in a dilapidated situation and in want of archaeological conservation. Most of its land is owned by the Chacha Younas Family Park, whereas the buildings are getting used as godowns by the park proprietor.
A two-member bench of the Peshawar High Court heard the arguments within the case on Thursday and summoned the Deputy Commissioner of Peshawar metropolis.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Director of Archaeology Abdus Samad Khan, Additional Advocate General Sikandar Hayat Shah and officers of the Auqaf division appeared within the courtroom.
Samad advised the courtroom that his division has held a number of conferences with the division of Auqaf and the administration of the park.
He stated whereas just a few issues referring to the case have been resolved, the land demarcation problem stays unresolved.
According to the federal government’s document, the overall space coated by the Panj Tirath is about 14 kanals (1.75 acres) and 7 marlas (0.04 acre). However, a serious portion is now a part of the Chacha Younas Family Park, given on lease by the district authorities.
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Here, as soon as upon a time, the 5 swimming pools of the spiritual website used to exist.
“The park administration wanted to give only one kanal (0.125 acre) and 11 marlas to the archaeology department whereas our archaeology site consists of 5 kanals (0.625 acre) and 11 marlas (0.06 acre),” Samad advised the courtroom.
The park administration didn’t enable officers to enter the temple by the park, the official stated.
“We need more time to address other problems relating to the land demarcation between the park and archaeological site which also housed Panj Teerath mandir,” stated the official of the Auqaf division.
Panj Tirath was an essential Hindu pilgrimage website in Peshawar earlier than 1947. Archaeologist SM Jaffar in his guide ‘An Introduction to Peshawar’, revealed in 1952, wrote that, “The Panj-Tirath (five tanks) is among the places of interest and antiquity in or around Peshawar, dating back to the Buddhist times. Archaeologists believe Panj Tirath holds marks of the Buddha’s Begging Bowl,” in line with a 2019 report within the Friday Times newspaper.
It is believed that Pandu, a legendary king within the Mahabharata, belonged to this space and Hindus used to return to those swimming pools for bathing throughout the month of Karteek (between October 23 and November 21) and worship for 2 days below the bushes.
The website was broken throughout the reign of the Afghan Durrani dynasty in 1747 and was restored by native Hindus throughout the interval of Sikh rule in 1834 and worship began once more.
The archaeology directorate has requested the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa authorities to clear the location of encroachment and permit archaeologists to hold out much-needed preservation work. It has additionally requested for the development of a boundary wall across the website.
Published On:
Feb 10, 2023