A Hindu temple, believed to have been constructed over 1,300 years ago, has been discovered in northwest Pakistan’s Swat district.
Announcing the discovery on Thursday, Fazle Khaliq of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Department of Archaeology said that the temple discovered is of Lord Vishnu. It was built by the Hindus 1,300 years ago during the Hindu Shahi period, he said.
The Hindu Shahi (850 1026 CE) was a Hindu dynasty that ruled the Kabul Valley (eastern Afghanistan), Gandhara (modern-day Pakistan-Afghanistan), and present-day northwestern India.
During their excavation, the archaeologists also found traces of cantonment and watchtowers near the temple site. They also discovered a water tank near the temple site which they believe was used for bathing before worship. Khaliq said that Swat district is home to 1,000-year-old archaeological sites and the traces of the Hindu Shahi period have been found for the first time in the area.
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