<span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>Festival fever grips Afghanistan's historic temples</span>
http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1...470002.htm
October 2005
With the onset of the nine-day Hindu festival period of Navratra, Kabul's ancient Hindu temples, steeped in fascinating folklore, are buzzing with a record number of devotees of all faiths.
The focal attraction is Asamai temple at the foothills of Koh-i-Asamai, the central hill feature around which the Afghan capital sprawls. Hundreds of Afghanistan's Hindus and Sikhs as well as Indians employed in reconstruction projects pay their obeisance there every day.
The hill is named Asamai after Asha, the goddess of hope said to be residing on the hilltop since time immemorial. Legend goes that the Akhand Jyoti or continuous fire there has been burning uninterrupted for over 4,000 years.
Amazingly, both the temple and the jyoti have survived numerous bloody wars for supremacy over Kabul and are haunting reminders of a time when the entire population of Afghanistan followed Hinduism.
The Asamai temple complex also houses a centuries old Panjshir Ka Jogi stone, named after a Hindu ascetic who, according to legend, was then meditating in the picturesque Panjshir valley.
Irked by the harassment of hostile locals, the good man magically turned himself into a stone one night. Taken aback, the terrified populace approached the Hindus and Sikhs of Kabul who installed the stone in the Asamai temple where it is now worshipped as a sacred wish stone.
Interestingly, it is believed that early hymns of the oldest Hindu scripture, the Rig Veda, were composed in the Herat area of Afghanistan. Herat derives its name from Hari Rud (Hari Rudra) that separates Afghanistan from Turkmenistan and Iran.
Two large halls with a capacity of about 1,000 persons form part of the Asamai complex, commonly used for religious congregations on festivals like Navratra and Diwali.
Kabul boasts another ancient temple complex - Harshri Nath - with temples devoted to Hindu deities Shiva, Saraswati and Ganesha.
Tucked away in the depths of the old quarters of the city, the Harshri Nath temple attracts several Hindu families who returned to Kabul over the past four years. In a shining example of communal amity, several Sikh families also faithfully visit the temple every week to pray alongside the Hindus.
Kabul's third temple is located in the Shor Bazaar area once the hub of the trade in clothes, currency and dry fruits that is dominated by Hindus and Sikhs. Dedicated to Hindu god Shiva, the small temple miraculously survived severe shelling during the Civil War, even as the entire Shor Bazaar was reduced to rubble.
Though the local Hindu and Sikh population has dropped to about 5,000 from close to 20,000, the temple is a favourite with scores of Indians currently engaged in reconstruction work, from health and transport to telecommunication and IT.
Thanks to the large numbers of Indians in Kabul, the Sikh festival of Gurpurub was also a colourful affair last year.
Kabul's majority Muslims led by Culture and Information Minister Makhdoom Rahin participated in the festival at Karte Parwan Gurdwara. Likewise, Diwali and the Muslim festival of Eid were celebrated with equal fervour by all communities.
This year, representatives of the Hindu and Sikh communities expect an even larger turnout. One of them enthused: "This will boost our efforts to restore the Hindu and Sikh shrines to their original glory."
http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1...470002.htm
October 2005
With the onset of the nine-day Hindu festival period of Navratra, Kabul's ancient Hindu temples, steeped in fascinating folklore, are buzzing with a record number of devotees of all faiths.
The focal attraction is Asamai temple at the foothills of Koh-i-Asamai, the central hill feature around which the Afghan capital sprawls. Hundreds of Afghanistan's Hindus and Sikhs as well as Indians employed in reconstruction projects pay their obeisance there every day.
The hill is named Asamai after Asha, the goddess of hope said to be residing on the hilltop since time immemorial. Legend goes that the Akhand Jyoti or continuous fire there has been burning uninterrupted for over 4,000 years.
Amazingly, both the temple and the jyoti have survived numerous bloody wars for supremacy over Kabul and are haunting reminders of a time when the entire population of Afghanistan followed Hinduism.
The Asamai temple complex also houses a centuries old Panjshir Ka Jogi stone, named after a Hindu ascetic who, according to legend, was then meditating in the picturesque Panjshir valley.
Irked by the harassment of hostile locals, the good man magically turned himself into a stone one night. Taken aback, the terrified populace approached the Hindus and Sikhs of Kabul who installed the stone in the Asamai temple where it is now worshipped as a sacred wish stone.
Interestingly, it is believed that early hymns of the oldest Hindu scripture, the Rig Veda, were composed in the Herat area of Afghanistan. Herat derives its name from Hari Rud (Hari Rudra) that separates Afghanistan from Turkmenistan and Iran.
Two large halls with a capacity of about 1,000 persons form part of the Asamai complex, commonly used for religious congregations on festivals like Navratra and Diwali.
Kabul boasts another ancient temple complex - Harshri Nath - with temples devoted to Hindu deities Shiva, Saraswati and Ganesha.
Tucked away in the depths of the old quarters of the city, the Harshri Nath temple attracts several Hindu families who returned to Kabul over the past four years. In a shining example of communal amity, several Sikh families also faithfully visit the temple every week to pray alongside the Hindus.
Kabul's third temple is located in the Shor Bazaar area once the hub of the trade in clothes, currency and dry fruits that is dominated by Hindus and Sikhs. Dedicated to Hindu god Shiva, the small temple miraculously survived severe shelling during the Civil War, even as the entire Shor Bazaar was reduced to rubble.
Though the local Hindu and Sikh population has dropped to about 5,000 from close to 20,000, the temple is a favourite with scores of Indians currently engaged in reconstruction work, from health and transport to telecommunication and IT.
Thanks to the large numbers of Indians in Kabul, the Sikh festival of Gurpurub was also a colourful affair last year.
Kabul's majority Muslims led by Culture and Information Minister Makhdoom Rahin participated in the festival at Karte Parwan Gurdwara. Likewise, Diwali and the Muslim festival of Eid were celebrated with equal fervour by all communities.
This year, representatives of the Hindu and Sikh communities expect an even larger turnout. One of them enthused: "This will boost our efforts to restore the Hindu and Sikh shrines to their original glory."