The temple of Sheranwali Mata in Havelian, dating back to the 18th century, has been protected from being demolished after the Peshawar High Court Abbottabad bench granted a stay order against changes in its structure on Thursday.“There are some Hindu families in the district who do not have a place of worship,” Sham Lal, the petitioner who is a retired Pakistan Army employee, told The Express Tribune. Sham’s family has been living in the area since before 1947. He added that the temple should be handed over to the Hindus of the area so that they can repair and renovate it.The Evacuee Trust Property Board, with the consent of the district administration, had rented the temple out to a retired employee of the revenue department who reportedly wanted to demolish the structure and construct a commercial plaza in its place. The bench comprising Justice Qalandar Ali Khan and Justice Lal Jan Khattak issued the stay order against the demolition or changes in the present structure of the temple. It must be acknowledged that no entity or individual should be allowed to overrun places of worship and our cultural heritage due to commercial interests. Respect for places of worship for all religions needs to be taught to and practised by many among our ranks. In a land torn apart by actions of terrorists and where hatred and bigotry run rampant, this is something of utmost importance. The authorities can send out the right message by providing financial support for the upkeep and renovation of these historical treasures. There are other temples in Haripur, Abbottabad and Mansehra that are either worn down or have been converted into business centres. Places of worship of various faiths are not only important for the followers of those faiths, they are also valuable to all citizens as they have centuries-old secrets and magical tales to tell, reminding us of the rich histories of our ancestors. While it is important to create incentives to foster economic activity, it is also vital that this is achieved in tandem with respecting our rich history, architecture, and the historical houses of worship our land possesses.
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