Shri Varun Dev Mandir

Shri Varun Dev Mandir (Sindhi: شري‎ ورن ديو مندر‎, Urdu: ورن دیو مندر‎) is a Hindu temple located in Manora Island in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. The temple is devoted to Varuna, the deity that represents water in Hinduism. [1]

Shri Varun Dev Temple
ورن دیو مندر
Varun Dev Mandir
Religion
AffiliationHinduism
DistrictKarachi
DeityVaruna
Governing bodyPakistan Hindu Council
Location
LocationManora Beach
StateSindh
Country Pakistan
Shown within Sindh
Geographic coordinates24°47′51.3″N 66°58′14.9″E
Architecture
TypeHindu temple
Specifications
Temple(s)1
Monument(s)1
Inscriptions2
Website
http://www.pakistanhinducouncil.org/
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Hinduism

He is the chief governing deity of all the Seas-Oceans and the Sindh river. Sindh river is the only river known to be associated with him; as per the hymns dedicated to him in RigVed. [2]

Construction
The temple was built near the seashore

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.[3]

The exact year of the temple's construction or foundation is not known[1] but it is widely believed that the current structure was renovated in around 1917–18.[4]

Inscription in devnagri script says,[5] Om, Varun Dev temple.

The inscription in Sindhi on front gate says,[5] dedication from sons in the sacred memory of Seth Harchand Mal Dayal Das of Bhriya. Bhriya is a town is a town in Naushahro Feroze District, Sindh, Pakistan

Current status

Currently, this temple belongs to the Pakistan Hindu Council. Evacuee Trust Property Board has done to protect or preserve this ancient heritage.

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. There has been efforts to protect and preserve the structure by the Sindh Exploration and Adventure Society (SEAS) under a US government-funded project.[6]

See also

References
  1. Daily Times article on Varun Dev Temple
  2. [https://www.hinduwebsite.com/sacredscripts/hinduism/rigveda/varuna_1.asp Rig vedic hymns dedicated to Varun Dev ]
  3. The Express Tribune - Shri Varun Dev Mandir By Maha Malik, Published: March 1, 2012
  4. Bukhaari on Flickr
  5. Manora temple
  6. Daily Times - US consul general celebrates successful completion of Varun Dev Temple project
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