Shri Varun Dev Mandir, Karachi

Shri Varun Dev Mandir is a Hindu temple located in Manora Island in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. The temple is devoted to Varuna, the god of the oceans in Hindu mythology. The exact year of the temple's construction or foundation is not known (it may be thousands of years old) but it is widely believed that the current structure was built in around 1917–18. Today, the temple is in a dilapidated state as humid winds are eating into the structure and the rich carvings on the walls of the temple are slowly eroding. At present, the building is not used for worship and the last ritual was held in the 1950s.

Currently, This temple belongs to the Hindu Council of Pakistan. According to a legend, it was around 16th century when a wealthy sailor by the name of Bhojomal Nancy Bhattia bought Manora Island from the Khan of Kalat, who owned most of the land along the coastline at that time and then his family commissioned a temple on the lay terrain.

"Manora Beach, Karachi, Pakistan" by Faisal Saeed. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

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Shri Laxmi Narayan Mandir, Karachi

Shri Laxmi Narayan Mandir in Karachi
"Shri Laxmi Narayan Mandir" by Saadullah Bhatti - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Shri Laxmi Narayan Mandir is a Hindu temple located in Karachi, Pakistan. According to the Pakistan Hindu Council, the temple was constructed around 200 years agoand is an important worshiping site for the Hindus of the local community. The Mandir is one of the oldest operating temples and the only one situated at the banks of a creek in Karachi.

Narayan Mandir is located under the Native Jetty Bridge, a landmark in Karachi, in the Sindh province of Pakistan. The temple overlooks the Arabian Sea which is an important place for many Hindu rituals.

The temple is primarily devoted to the Hindu goddess Lakshmi; however, it is also home to statues of Hanuman and Sai Baba of Shirdi. Main festivals celebrated in the temple are Ganesh Chaturthi, the birthday of Ganesha, and Raksha Bandhan. Hindus come to the temple to make offerings to the gods and to perform death rituals of Karni. The temple is a sacred place for offering Shraddha and placing murtis of Goddess Durga (after performing garba for nine days) and idols of Ganesha in the sea at the end of festivals of Nao Ratree and Ganesh Chaturthi respectively. Hindus dip and take baths in the waters of the Arabian sea for ritual purification. During monsoon season, Hindu women come to the temple for fasting and to pray for the well-being of their husbands.

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