Ancient Hindu temple destroyed to make way for a shopping centre in Pakistan’s Landi Kotal market

At Pakistan’s famous Landi Kotal Bazaar, a mediaeval Hindu temple is said to have been situated. It has been razed, and work on a commercial complex has begun on the site. The now-demolished “Khyber Temple,” which is supposedly located in the Khyber district’s border town of Landi Kotal Bazaar, has been closed since the original residents fled to India in 1947 after the partition of India and Pakistan.
According to Pakistan’s top tribal journalist, there is a temple.

A prominent tribal journalist from the same area has confirmed that the Hindu temple exists, despite denials from authorities from several administrative offices, according to a local media source.

Leading tribal writer Ibrahim Shinwari said that there was a historical temple in Landi Kotal, citing several accounts from his ancestors to support his claim that there is no reason to question the existence of the “Khyber Temple.”

The Landi Kotal market, which was shut down in 1947 as a result of the local Hindu family migrating to India, was centred on the temple. After the Babri Mosque in Ayodhya, India, was demolished in 1992, some priests and seminarians caused some damage to it, according to the journalist.

“The 2016 antiquity law required the archaeology and museums department, police, culture department, and local government to protect such sites, including places of worship,” he said.

Officials dispute having any knowledge of the Hindu temple’s existence.
In response to a query about the temple’s existence, Assistant Commissioner Landi Kotal, Muhammad Irshad, said that the temple is not included in the Khyber tribal district’s official land registry.

He said, “The entire land in Landi Kotal Bazaar was owned by the state, and a ‘no objection certificate’ has been issued to the builder for the renovation and repair of some old shops in Landi Kotal Bazaar.”

Speaking about the event, a Tehsil Municipal Officer (TMO) said that the local government was only permitted to authorise the maps or designs for any commercial construction in the region after the necessary payments were paid and the structures were licenced for construction.

He did, however, note that the Khyber district’s municipal officials lack accurate and well-organised income records.