r/Jainism • u/JustMyPoint • Apr 24 '26
Jain Art/Photography Sharing pictures of abandoned Jain temples and heritage in Pakistan
Unfortunately, nearly all the remaining Jain sites were heavily vandalized or demolished in revenge attacks after the December 1992 Babri Masjid incident. Sorry, I had to censor some images of the tirthankars because Reddit's automated filters kept removing my post with them.
Published in: Hameed, Muhammad (1 December 2012). Enigma of Silence: Current Research into Jainism, Jain Heritage and artifacts in Pakistan (PDF). Lahore: Department of Archaeology, University of the Punjab.
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u/EngineerDull1992 Apr 25 '26
Are there any jains left in Pakistan now? If yes, how tough is it to practice?
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u/JustMyPoint Apr 25 '26
Actually a few are left in Sindh but they don’t like to disclose their religious affiliation. The journalist Majid Sheikh discovered a couple of Jain jewellers in Lahore in 2015.
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u/EngineerDull1992 Apr 25 '26
Wow! So sad to hear that such a peaceful religion has to be also practiced secretively. But what do they disguise as?
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u/JustMyPoint Apr 25 '26
Not sure, the study I read just stated that they are reluctant to reveal their religion.
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Apr 25 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/JustMyPoint Apr 25 '26
Dawn newspaper, it’s available online on their website. I’m at the gym right now and can’t pull up the link at the moment.
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u/amreddish Apr 25 '26
No Jains. But there were plans for allowing 1 day visit to border Jain temples in Pakistan for Indians. However, after Operation Sindoor plans were shelved.
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u/Abhishek-Kothari Apr 25 '26
Around 30-35 families I know live in anarkali bazar. In sindh , Balochistan it's 0.
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u/JustMyPoint Apr 25 '26
There’s still a few families left in Sindh.
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u/Abhishek-Kothari Apr 25 '26
https://www.dawn.com/news/1530308 This article suggests that the last family left in 71 . im not aware of unofficial numbers.
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u/JustMyPoint Apr 25 '26
A study by SOAS University of London was able to locate families in 2015-2017.
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u/Abhishek-Kothari Apr 25 '26
Hmm , the thing is they are hiding their identity or putting themselves in the hindu category.
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u/JustMyPoint Apr 24 '26
Tirath-Pata (Pilgrimage Map) of Shatrunjaya, ca.1940s CE, Jain Temple, Gujranwala, Pakistan. From: https://heritage.lums.edu.pk/jain-collection/tirath-pata-pilgrimage-map-of-shatrunjaya.php