The spectacular Salt Range has many historical sites. Still, many are not as well known as the Katas Raj, Malot Fort, Nandna Fort, and Rohtas Fort.
One such site is Malkana Temples, located on a hardly traveled road. Unlike the Kussak or Nandna forts, the place is comparatively easier to reach.
Malkana was once a settlement, and the majority of its residents consisted of Hindus who moved to India after the partition.
Due to requirements, a few Muslim families who resided in the village also moved to other, larger villages. Its Hindu residents ran all the small businesses. There are only two houses in the locality now.
If you are more of a visual person, then please watch the following video, which summarizes my trip to malkana temples:
There are two Shiv Ganga temples in Malkana, three peepal trees, a banyan, a date tree, and many others. A rivulet of fresh water, complete with a waterfall and a small cave. There are two dried-up ponds in this now-ignored village and a well where the Hindu inhabitants would bathe.
The ponds are now filled up with soil and are covered in weeds. The decaying temples are some 100 years old, as are the trees and cave. Unfortunately, the two temples are not visible from a distance as the disheveled trees cover them.
According to locals, one of the temples was for the use of men, and the other was for women. Locals live in one of the houses left behind by an affluent Hindu family. The temples of malkana are a gem of Kashmiri architecture.
The temples are known to be built by Buddhists and later used by Hindu Shahiya. Travelers usually do not write about malkana, as the Katas Raj temples have continuously held their minds.
A garden with black grape trees, loquats, and pomegranates also existed in the village. So the site can still be preserved, and the barren garden can be revived to attract more tourists.
How to reach Malkana Temples
A link road from the Kallar Kahar-Choa Saidan Shah leads to Dalwal village. From there, a link road leads to Malkana. This road also leads to the Malot Fort, which is some six kilometers from Malkana.
Hopefully, this blog will inspire you to visit these temples. Also, if you have any questions on Punjab or my experience traveling on a bicycle/motorbike, please comment below or email me. I’ll try to reply to you as soon as possible.
