Hindu Temples of Kabul

Kabul was the capital of the great Hindu Shahi kings.

Afghansitan was a great center of Vedic culture.

There were many Hindu temples in Afghanstan. Some temples in Kabul have survived the recent turmoil.

In Kabul, there are several Hindu temples:

* Old city: Dargaa, Asamai
* Shor Bazaar: Bhairo Mandir, Mangalwar Mandir, Guru Hari Rai Gurudwara
* Darwaza Lahuri: Baba Jothi Sorup Mandir

The Asamai temple is at the foothills of the central hill Koh-i-Asamai of the Afghan capital. The hill is named Asamai after Asha, the goddess of hope said to be present on the hilltop since ancient times. The Akhand Jyoti (continuous fire) there has been burning uninterrupted for many centuries. The temple and the jyoti have survived numerous conflicts in Kabul and are haunting reminders of Afghanistan under the Hindu Shahi kings. The Asamai temples of New York, Faridabad, Frankfurt and Amsterdam are named after the famous Kabul temple.

In Kandahar, there were Hindu temples in Shikarpuri Bazaar, Kabuli Bazaar and Jhampeer Sahib (near Sarpooza) and Devi-dwara (near Dand).

There have also been Hindu temples and Gurudwaras at Chasma Sahib, Sultanpur, Jalalabad, Ghazni, Helmand (Lashkerga) and Kunduz.

The main Hindu residents of Afghanistan have been Mohyals [Hindu Castes and Sects, by Jogendra Nath Bhattacharya, Published by Editors Indian, Calcutta, 1968- page 470.] , Khatris and Aroras, some other communities like Bhatias, and Brahmins other than Mohyals have also been present there.

References

ee also

* Hinduism in Afghanistan
* List of Hindu temples all over the world
* [http://www.indians-abroad.com/pls/dir/dir.show?cat_id=1899 Hindu Temples outside of India]

External links

* [http://www.afghanhindu.info/temples.htm List of Hindu/Sikh temples in Afghanistan]
* [http://www.afghanhindu.info/images_kg042005.htm Asamai Temple, Kabul]
* [http://www.hinduismtoday.com/hpi/2005/10/6.shtml/ Navratri in Afghanistan]