Islamabad in Pakistan to get its first Hindu temple; foundation stone laid

Islamabad, the capital city of Pakistan, is all set to get its first Hindu temple. The foundation stone of the temple was laid in the mid of June and the construction has also begun for the Krishna temple. Reportedly, the construction of the temple will cost around INR 10 crore. The temple will cover a huge area of 20000 sq ft in the city’s H-9 sector region and the Islamabad Hindu Panchayat has named it Shri Krishna Mandir.

According to Pir Noorul Haq Qadri, Religious Affairs Minister, the whole cost of the temple’s construction will be borne by the Pakistan government. Parliamentary Secretary on Human Rights Lal Chand Malhi got the opportunity to perform the temple ceremony.
Addressing the gathering during the ceremony, Malhi said the capital of Pakistan, Islamabad has a significant Hindu population, which has only increased in the last 20 years, so it was important to build a temple where the community could worship.

He further said, "The Hindu community in Islamabad has been demanding a temple for a long time now. The population has also increased while many Hindu temple structures in the capital have been abandoned. Besides, there is no crematorium in Islamabad.”

The Capital Development Authority (CDA) had allotted this plot to the Hindu Panchayat in 2017 but temple work could not start because of some formalities issues such as the site map’s approval by the CDA. But now that everything is sorted, the temple’s construction has commenced.

Along with a huge community hall and a parking space, the temple complex will also have a crematorium and accommodation facilities for visitors (spread over an area of 2023 sq m).