Pakistan to restore Multan temple, where Holika Dahan may have started and which was destroyed after Babri demolition

Amritsar: Left in ruins by an angry mob following the demolition of Babri Masjid in India, the Prahaladpuri Temple in Multan, Pakistan — where the tradition of Holika Dahan is said to have started — is currently undergoing repairs and development. It is expected to be ready for the next Holi festival. After the Holi celebration at Lahore's Krishna Temple, Saifullah Khokhar, additional secretary (shrines) of the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), informed that ETPB has initiated a major project for the repair, reconstruction, and development of the Prahaladpuri Temple in Multan. He added that a contract for its repairs and restoration had already been awarded.
When asked about the reopening of the temple, Khokhar said that the temple is currently closed "due to the small Hindu population in the area." However, he said that ETPB would consider making the temple functional if the Hindu community expressed interest in it. Notably, the Prahladpuri Temple is an ancient Hindu temple located in Multan in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is named after Prahlada and is dedicated to the god Narasimha, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.
The temple is also historically significant as the site where the festival of Holika Dahan commenced. Khokhar informed that a large number of Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims, and Christians of Lahore attended the Holi festival at Krishna Temple. A similar function was held in Rawalpindi's Krishna Temple as well. Kashi Ram, the priest of the Krishna Temple in Lahore, confirmed that the tradition of Holika Dahan began at the Prahaladpuri Temple in Multan.
He informed that people from all communities participate in the Holi festival at the Krishna Temple, adding that ETPB made arrangements to celebrate the festival of Holi in all the Hindu temples under its management.
At the same time, Kashi Ram praised the Pakistan Army for providing security, allowing them to sleep peacefully at night. A young Hindu student, Shivam Sharma, who is in the 9th grade, expressed his happiness in celebrating Holi with his Muslim friends, just as he participates in the Eid celebrations with them. Similarly, a Pakistani Muslim woman named Nazia shared her excitement about celebrating the Holi festival at a Hindu temple.
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