Shawala Teja Singh Temple, Sialkot, Pakistan

However, the millennium old Hindu temple currently making headlines is the Shawala Teja Singh Temple in Pakistan. The temple is an epitome of both tragic & serene incidents. For the past 72 years this temple was closed off for all and even faced hooliganism due to the cross border tension between India & Pakistan. But this year with the Kartarpur Corridor reconciliation, the government of Pakistan with the preservation drive of the nation’s ETPB (Evacuee Trust Property Board) opened the doors of Shawala Teja Singh Temple to all the Hindu pilgrims in Pakistan, India & abroad.

Shawala Teja Singh Temple finds its mention in the Puranas but according to history it was built around 11th century CE in the Sialkot region by some regent. The temple is a classical Saivite stone carved temple with a long spire over the sanctorum and an aesthetically inscribed courtyard. The architectural marvels on the walls tell the tale of the Destroyer Lord Shiva. The temple also holds the idols of the other members of the holy trinity. Visiting this religious & historic Shawala Teja Singh Temple will give everyone a sense of entirety amidst imperfection.