Although its boundary walls have partially collapsed, the ancient Katas Raj, one of the holiest sites of the Hindus, stood intact against the flash flooding that struck it on July 16 and 17 in the wake of unprecedented rain, which caused widespread destruction in Chakwal.

After news started circulating on social media and TV channels on July 17 that the deluge had damaged the structure of the ancient site and its temples, officials in Chakwal said no damage was done to the temples. This correspondent visited the site on Sunday and found that the boundary walls, which are six hundred feet away from the temple complex, had collapsed at three different spots. No doubt the torrent played a major role in the collapse of the walls, but official negligence could not be overlooked.

The fabled pond at the historic Katas Raj is located amidst the natural watercourse. All the water coming from nearby villages, a cement factory, and mountains drains into this pond. In the past, the water from the pond used to flow down to Gandhala Valley whenever it was filled. But as the pond turned dry a few years ago and the Supreme Court took suo motu notice, the authorities concerned, with the help of a cement factory, discovered a novel way to keep the pond filled with water. They installed a turbine near the pond to fill it and blocked the drain at its exit so that the pond water could not flow out. As the drain was blocked, the pond overflowed and the deluge inundated its lawn, damaging the entrance walls and the main gate.

When asked why the drain was not unblocked, an official of the Evacuee Trust Property Board said that they were not expecting such flooding. Ironically, the famous pond that overflowed on July 17 had little water on July 20.

As the pond overflowed on Thursday, its videos started circulating on social media and some TV channels, claiming that the temples were damaged. Federal Minister for National Heritage and Culture Aurangzeb Khan Khichi was quick to take notice of this fake news. According to a press release issued by his ministry, the minister directed the Evacuee Trust Property Board and other concerned departments to submit a comprehensive report about the current situation of the temples.

However, talking to Dawn, Additional Secretary ETPB Dr Saifullah Khokhar and Additional Deputy Commissioner General Chakwal Bilal Bin Abdul Hafeez termed the news claiming damage to the temples as fake.

“We have got it checked. Assistant Commissioner Choa Saidan Shah also visited the site. There is no damage done to the temples,” the ADCG maintained.

“Only the boundary wall built a few years ago was demolished by the gushing water. The wall is six hundred feet away from the temples, which are located at a height,” Dr Saifullah Khokhar added.

Although the deluge failed to cause any damage to this masterpiece of architecture, the ancient site is yearning for immediate attention.

Although Katas Raj is mentioned in the epic Mahabharata, written in 300 BC, its current temples were raised between the 7th and 10th centuries. The complex houses Satgraha, a compound of seven temples, which, according to veteran travel writer Salman Rashid, are wrongly attributed to the Pandava brothers.

Besides these seven temples, the hallmarks of Katas Raj are the Ramchandra Temple and the three-storeyed compound, which is the most imposing building overlooking the sacred pond. At its rear stands the Hari Singh Nalwa Haveli, belonging to the ablest general of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

There are also the Hanuman Temple, Shiva Temple, a Baradari, remains of a Buddhist stupa, and an ancient Sanskrit university where Alberuni is said to have authored his famous book Kitabul Hind. At the top of the Shiva Temple, the abandoned building of a British-era police station overlooks the pond.

Currently, the ceiling of the Hari Singh Nalwa Haveli needs urgent preservation, while the major temples also cry for immediate attention, as the tiles installed on them are showing cracks.

Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif inaugurated a water filtration plant at Katas Raj in January 2017. The plant has been lying non-functional for many years.

There are no signboards describing the details of the temples, leaving tourists guessing.

Published in Dawn, July 21st, 2025