KARACHI: Protesters belonging to the Hindu community raised slogans outside the Karachi Press Club on Saturday in the hope of bringing attention to their cause of saving the Sita Mandir located at the Karachi Zoological Gardens and letting devotees worship there without fear.
“We are a handful of peaceful people who have had to form the Sita Mandir Bachao Committee after being threatened with dire consequences if we carry on religious activities at our mandir,” committee convener and temple maharaj Hira Lal told Dawn.
“The tiny Sita Mandir that also houses a footprint of Kali Mata was set up over 60 years ago in one of the zoo quarters — quarter No C-7. My mother, who is almost 60 now, was born here and grew up here. We the pujaris of this mandir have always lived here, taking good care of the religious place,” he said.
The protesters holding placards demanded safeguarding the temple as they appealed to the governor of Sindh, the chief minister and the administrator of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation to help them.
According to them, earlier this month, at around 5.30pm on January 21, the temple was stormed during Durga pooja by three armed men in shalwar kameez who ordered them to stop the pooja. They also beat up a few devotees.http://www.dawn.com/news/1236397/protest-over-threat-to-temple
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