Hindu Temples in Pakistan You Can Visit

The Hindu temples in Pakistan that visitors can most easily see are Katas Raj in the Salt Range of Punjab, the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir and other working temples in Karachi, and the Shiv Mandir at Umerkot in Sindh. Hinglaj Mata, the most important Hindu pilgrimage site in the country, is a cave shrine in Balochistan's Hingol National Park that draws hundreds of thousands of pilgrims each April. Most living temples are in Sindh, where most of Pakistan's Hindus live; the famous ruins are in Punjab.

This guide picks out the temples worth travelling for, explains who can go in, when the festivals are, and how to behave as a guest. For more detail by province, see our guides to Hindu temples in Sindh and Hindu temples in Punjab.

Katas Raj Temples, Chakwal

Katas Raj is a complex of temples around a sacred pond in the Salt Range near Choa Saidan Shah, at about 2,000 feet on the Potohar plateau. Hindu tradition holds that the pond formed from Shiva's tears after the death of his wife Sati. The oldest remains date from the late 6th century CE, and the group known as the Satghara, the seven temples, is generally dated to the Hindu Shahi period.

Pakistan began cleaning and restoring the site in 2006, and the Supreme Court later intervened when nearby cement factories were drawing down the groundwater that feeds the pond. Indian Hindu pilgrims come on visas for Maha Shivratri; in 2025 Pakistan issued visas to 154 of them.

It is two to three hours by car from Islamabad and three to four from Lahore, leaving the M2 at Kallar Kahar. Pair it with the Khewra salt mine for a full day. Our Katas Raj guide covers the temples one by one.

Hinglaj Mata, Hingol National Park

Hinglaj Mata is a cave shrine to the goddess in the Hingol valley of Balochistan, about 250 km west of Karachi along the Makran Coastal Highway. It is the most important Hindu pilgrimage site in Pakistan. In April 2026 the three-day festival drew around 300,000 pilgrims, with over 1,100 army, Frontier Corps, police and Levies personnel deployed for security (Dawn). Pilgrims bathe in the Hingol river, climb the Chandragup mud volcano to make offerings, and then visit the cave. Some walk for weeks from Tharparkar, Umerkot and Sanghar.

Is it safe? The UK government advises against all travel to Balochistan (September 2026). Pakistani pilgrims do travel in large numbers, especially during the festival, when security is heaviest. If you go, travel by day, go in a group, check local news and police advice before leaving Karachi, and carry water and fuel, because services on the coastal highway are sparse. Overseas visitors should know that going against their own government's advice can void travel insurance. Our Hinglaj Mata temple guide has the practical details.

Shiv Mandir, Umerkot

The Shiv Mandir at Umerkot is one of the most sacred, and probably one of the oldest, Hindu places of worship in Sindh. Its Shiva lingam is the subject of a well-known local legend about a cow that kept returning to the spot. The present building is about a century old and is said to have been built with help from a Muslim benefactor.

Its three-day Maha Shivratri mela, usually in February or March, draws around 250,000 pilgrims from across Sindh, making it one of the largest religious gatherings in the country. Outside the festival it is a quiet, working temple. Umerkot is roughly five to six hours from Karachi via Hyderabad and Mirpur Khas, and the town's fort, where the Mughal emperor Akbar was born, makes a second reason to go.

Karachi's working temples

Karachi is the easiest place in Pakistan to visit a living temple, because there are many of them and they are used every day.

• Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, M.A. Jinnah Road. The only surviving Swaminarayan temple in Pakistan, on a large compound in the old city. Its founding date is disputed between sources, but it was certainly in use before Partition, when it served as a refugee camp in 1947. It is busy at Diwali and Holi.
• Shri Ratneshwar Mahadev, Clifton. A cave temple to Shiva below the seafront near Jahangir Kothari Parade.
• Panchmukhi Hanuman Mandir, Soldier Bazaar. An old temple to Hanuman, much visited by Karachi's Hindu community.

Our guide to Hindu temples in Karachi has access notes and timings for each.

Sadhu Bela, Sukkur

Sadhu Bela is a temple complex on an island in the Indus at Sukkur, reached by boat. It grew from 1823, when the ascetic Baba Bankhandi Maharaj settled there, and the present temples date from the late 19th century onwards. Its annual festival for Baba Bankhandi draws thousands, with free food and lodging for pilgrims.

Security is tight, and visitors generally need permission from the Pakistan Hindu Panchayat; non-Hindus find it harder to get in. Sukkur lies in Sindh north of Nawabshah, where the UK advises against all but essential travel (September 2026).

Ruined temples and Lahore's two working temples

Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa hold many temple ruins with no regular worship: the Hindu Shahi temples at Amb Sharif in the Soon valley, the forts of Kafir Kot near the Indus, and the Prahladpuri temple in Multan's old fort, destroyed in 1992. These are heritage visits rather than pilgrimages.

Lahore has two working temples, the Krishna Mandir on Ravi Road and the Valmiki Mandir near Anarkali. Both are small community temples rather than sights, so go with respect and ideally with someone from the community.

Temple etiquette for visitors

Visitors who come respectfully are generally welcome, but these are places of worship first, and the same courtesies you would show in a mosque or gurdwara apply.

• Shoes off at the entrance; marble floors can be hot by midday.
• Dress modestly. Long sleeves and covered legs for everyone. Women in Pakistan usually cover their heads in temples; carry a scarf.
• Leave leather, meat and tobacco outside; some temples ask that leather belts and wallets not be carried in.
• Don't touch idols or step into the inner sanctum unless invited.
• Ask before photographing worshippers, priests or the deity. Some temples don't allow photos inside.
• Offerings are welcome but never required. If you are offered prasad, accept it with your right hand.
• During festivals, follow the crowd's rhythm and the volunteers' directions, and expect security checks.

Which temple should you visit?

• From Islamabad or Lahore: Katas Raj. It is the most rewarding to look at, easy by motorway, and suits families.
• From Karachi: start with the Swaminarayan Mandir and Ratneshwar Mahadev in a single afternoon.
• For a pilgrimage: Hinglaj in April or Umerkot at Shivratri, accepting crowds and the security picture.
• Skip Sadhu Bela unless you have permission arranged.

Temples fit well into a wider heritage trip; our experiences page has more ideas.

Frequently asked questions