Lava Temple of Lahore
A view of the temple’s dome from the walls of the Lahore Fort
Religion
AffiliationHinduism
DeityLava (Ramayana)
Governing bodyPakistan Hindu Council
Location
LocationLahore, Punjab Pakistan Pakistan
Lava Temple is located in Pakistan
Lava Temple
Shown within Pakistan
Geographic coordinates31°35′18″N 74°18′46.4″E / 31.58833°N 74.312889°E / 31.58833; 74.312889
Architecture
TypeHindu temple
Temple(s)1
Website
Pakistan Hindu Council[usurped]

Lava Temple (Urdu: لو مندر) is a Hindu place of worship dedicated to the Hindu deity Lava, the son of Rama. It is in Lahore Fort, Lahore, Pakistan, and dates to the Sikh period.[1] According to a Hindu legend,[2] Lahore is named after him.[3]

Etymology

Temple of Loh in Lahore.

In the Deshwa Bhaga, Lahore is called 'Lavpor', which points to its origin from Lav, the son of Rama. In the ancient annals of Rajputana, the name given is 'Loh Kot', meaning “the fort of Loh” which, again, has reference to its founder, Rama's son.[4]

History

A legend based on oral traditions holds that 'Lahore', known in ancient times as 'Lavapuri' (City of Lava in Sanskrit),[5] was founded by Prince Lava,[6] the son of Sita and Rama. Kasur was founded by his twin brother Prince Kusha.[7]

To this day, Lahore Fort has a vacant temple dedicated to Lava (also pronounced Loh, hence Loh-awar or "The Fort of Loh").[8]

Management

Currently this temple is under the control of Pakistan Government and is managed by the Pakistan Hindu Council.

See also

References

  1. ^ Zamir, Sufia (2018-01-14). "HERITAGE: THE LONELY LITTLE TEMPLE". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2020-04-27.
  2. ^ Khalid, Haroon (2018-12-31). "How old is Lahore? The clues lie in a blend of historical fact and expedient legend". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2020-01-11.
  3. ^ Annual Bibliography of Indian History and Indology. 1946.
  4. ^ History of Lahore
  5. ^ Bombay Historical Society (1946). Annual bibliography of Indian history and Indology, Volume 4. p. 257. Retrieved 2009-05-29.
  6. ^ Baqir, Muhammad (1985). Lahore, past and present. B.R. Pub. Corp. pp. 19–20. Retrieved 2009-05-29.
  7. ^ Nadiem, Ihsan N (2005). Punjab: land, history, people. Al-Faisal Nashran. p. 111. ISBN 9789695034347. Retrieved 2009-05-29.
  8. ^ Naqoosh, Lahore Number 1976
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