A Hindu temple that is believed to be 1300 year old has been discovered by Pakistani and Italian archaeological experts at a mountain in northwest Pakistan’s Swat district. It is also believed that the temple belongs to Lord Vishnu. The discovery was made during an excavation at Barikot Ghundai.
Fazle Khaliq of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Department of Archaeology said that the temple discovered is of Lord Vishnu. It is said to belong to the Hindu Shahi also known as Kabul Shahi period. It was a Hindu dynasty from 850–1026 CE, that held control over the Kabul Valley, Gandhara and present-day Northwestern India, during the early medieval period. The region was ruled by Hindu-Buddhist Shahi kings and was center of trade known for its textiles, gems, and perfumes, and other goods that were exported to West and into Central Asia. Coins minted by the Shahis have been found all over South Asia. The Shahis were known for their many Hindu temples.
During the excavation other objects were also discovered like traces of cantonment and watchtowers near the temple site. A water tank was also found near the temple site which they believe was used by the Hindus for bathing before worship. Swat district is home to a thousand-year-old archaeological sites and the traces of the Hindu Shahi period have been found for the first time in the area.
Dr. Luka the head of the Italian archaeological mission, informed that this was the first temple of the Ghandhara civilisation discovered in Swat district. Swat district is among the top 20 sites in Pakistan which is home to every kind of tourism like natural beauty, religious tourism, cultural tourism and archaeological sites. Not just this a number of Buddhist sites have also been found in the area.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa area is rich in such archaeological finds other such areas in this region are Zuro Dheri, Bhamala Stupa site, Mansehra Rock Edicts, Takht-i-Bahi, Saidu stupa etc.
