No more ‘mandatory’ holidays for students on Mahashivratri in Chakwal

For decades, students in Chakwal district had to stay home during Mahashivratri, as educational institutions were used to host Indian pilgrims visiting the historic Katasraj temple. This tradition, which began in 1982 when Indian pilgrims first started visiting the temple to celebrate the festival, is now being reconsidered.

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Chakwal, the ancestral home of former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh’s family, became a significant pilgrimage site for Mahashivratri after Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi negotiated with Pakistan to allow 200 Indian pilgrims to visit. The first group of pilgrims to Katasraj was led by Bakshi Ashcharaj Lal Bajaj of Yamuna Nagar in 1982.

A newly developed inn for Indian pilgrims, funded by the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), is now set to change this. Inaugurated recently by Chaudhary Salik Hussain, Federal Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, the two-story building has 36 rooms, a dining hall, a dispensary and other modern amenities. It also features a solar power system, providing an eco-friendly energy solution. A dedicated passage has been constructed for pilgrims to easily access the Amrit Kund (Amar Kund).

ETPB Chairman Dr Sayed Atta Ur Rehman, who welcomed a group of 108 Indian pilgrims this year, expressed his willingness to review the 43-year-old agreement limiting the number of visas to 200. “We want to restore the old (pre-1947) glory of the festival,” he said.

Historically, Indian pilgrims stayed at Government Sir Syed Inter College and later the Punjab School of Mines, which caused students to miss a week of classes during the Mahashivratri celebrations. However, with the new facilities in place, the need for mandatory holidays for students may no longer apply.

This year, despite 169 Indian pilgrims applying for visas, only 152 received them and 108, including 24 women, reached the Atari-Wagah border.