List of Hindu temples in Afghanistan explained
Kabul was the capital of the great Hindu Shahi kings. Afghanistan was a great center of Vedic culture. There were many Hindu temples in Afghanistan. Some temples in Kabul have survived the recent turmoil.
List of Hindu temples in Kabul
In Kabul, there are several Hindu temples:
- Asamai Hindu temple, Old city, Dargaa, Asamayi: The Asamai temple is at the foothills of the central hill Asamayi (Koh-i-Asamayi) 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 reminders of Afghanistan under the Hindu Shahi kings. The Asamai temples of New York, Maryland London, Faridabad, Frankfurt Cologne and Amsterdam Belgium are named after the famous Kabul temple.
- Baba Jothi Sorup Mandir, Darwaza Lahuri
- Bhairo Mandir, Shor Bazaar
- Guru Hari Rai Gurudwara, Shor Bazaar
- Mangalwar Mandir, Shor Bazaar
Hindu temples in Kandahar
In Kandahar, there were Hindu temples in Shikarpuri Bazaar, Kabuli Bazaar and Jhampeer Sahib (near Sarpooza) and Devi-dwara (near Dand).
Hindu temples in other cities of Afghanistan
There have also been Hindu temples and Gurudwaras at Chasma Sahib, Sultanpur, Jalalabad, Ghazni, Helmand (Lashkerga).
Hindus of Afghanistan
The main Hindu residents of Afghanistan have been Mohyals,[1] Khatris and Aroras, some other communities like Bhatias, and Brahmins other than Mohyals have also been present there.
See also
Sources
- Book: Dhavalikar . M. K. . 1991 . Gaņeśa: Myth and Reality . https://books.google.com/books?id=oF-Hqih3pBAC&pg=PA49 . Brown . Robert L. . Ganesh: Studies of an Asian God . . . SUNY Series in Tantric Studies . 49-68 . 978-0-7914-0656-4 . 42855045.
Notes and References
- Hindu Castes and Sects, by Jogendra Nath Bhattacharya, Published by Editors Indian, Calcutta, 1968- page 470.
