Rights body flags decay of Karachi’s oldest Hindu temple as ‘national shame’

A minority rights group has raised concern over the deteriorating condition and alleged encroachment of the historic Ramchandra Mandir in Karachi, calling the situation a “national shame”.

According to the Voice of Pakistan Minority (VOPM), the temple — located on Ratan Talao Street near Preedy Police Station — is now enclosed by cement walls and iron gates bearing Islamic inscriptions, obscuring much of the structure from public view.

The organisation said the site, once a symbol of religious coexistence, has been reduced to a neglected and partially hidden relic. “What remains is a dome barely visible behind blank walls,” it noted, describing the barriers as “symbols of erasure” that conceal a significant part of the city’s plural heritage.

The VOPM also criticised the Evacuee Trust Property Board, which is responsible for maintaining abandoned religious properties, accusing it of inaction. It further alleged that the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony has failed to intervene as the site continues to deteriorate.

Questioning how such changes could occur near a police station without accountability, the group termed the situation indicative of broader institutional failure.

The rights body said the condition of Ramchandra Mandir reflects not just local neglect but a wider disregard for minority heritage, urging authorities to act to preserve the site as part of Pakistan’s historical and cultural legacy.

With IANS inputs