Pakistan has reopened the Loh Temple, dedicated to Lava, one of Lord Ram’s sons, at the historic Lahore Fort in Punjab province after full restoration.
The Walled City Lahore Authority (WCLA) said the conservation work, completed in collaboration with the Aga Khan Cultural Service-Pakistan, also covered two other monuments: the Sikh-era Hammam and the Athdara Pavilion of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
The temple, an open-to-sky memorial shrine, is part of a cluster of interconnected chambers within the fort. The site had previously undergone partial restoration in 2018.
“The restoration initiative aims to celebrate Lahore Fort’s rich cross-cultural heritage, reflected in its Sikh and Hindu temples, Mughal mosques, and structures from the British period,” WCLA spokesperson Tania Qureshi said.
WCLA engaged US-based Sikh researcher Dr Tarunjit Singh Butalia to author a guidebook detailing the fort’s historical significance during the Sikh Empire (1799-1849). “The Lahore Fort, a sentimental monument deeply ingrained in the Sikh psyche, served as the seat of power for the Sikh Empire for nearly half a century,” Butalia said.
The reopening was funded by the U.S. Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation, the authorities added.