Hindus celebrate Navratri and Durga Puja festival

Agencies Published September 25, 2014

Folk dancers perform Dandiya, a traditional dance, during a rehearsal ahead of Navratri festival in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad September 24, 2014. Navratri, held in honour of Hindu Goddess Durga, is celebrated over a period of nine days where thousands of youths dance the night away in traditional costumes. Navratri starts on September 25. — Photo by Reuters

Indian Hindu devotees offer prayers as a part of a ritual to pay obedience to one's forefathers on the last day when prayers are offered to ancestors, known as "Pitrupaksh", in Mumbai on September 24, 2014. In Hindu mythology this day is also called 'Mahalaya' and describes the day when the gods created the ten armed goddess Durga to destroy the demon king Asura who plotted to drive out the gods from their kingdom. — Photo by AFP

Devotee performs 'Tarpan', a ritual to pay obeisance to one's forefathers, on the last day of 'Pitrupaksh' - days for offering prayers to ancestors - on the banks of the river Mahananda in Siliguri on September 23, 2014. — Photo by AFP

Devotees perform 'Tarpan', a ritual to pay obeisance to one's forefathers, on the last day of 'Pitrupaksh' - days for offering prayers to ancestors - on the banks of the river Mahananda in Siliguri on September 23, 2014. — Photo by AFP

Boys arrive to fly a kite, a popular sport during the "Dashain", Hinduism's biggest religious festival, along the bank of Bagmati River in Kathmandu September 24, 2014. Hindus in Nepal celebrate victory over evil during the festival by flying kites, feasting, playing swings, sacrificing animals and worshipping the Goddess Durga as well as other god and goddess as part of celebrations held throughout the country. — Photo by Reuters

A man works on a pandal, a temporary platform, being built for the Durga Puja festival in Kolkata September 25, 2014. The Durga Puja festival will be celebrated from September 30 to October 3, and is the biggest religious event for Bengali Hindus. Hindus believe that the goddess Durga symbolises power and the triumph of good over evil.— Photo by Reuters

Devotees perform 'Tarpan' rituals to pay obeisance to their forefathers on the last day of "Pitrupaksh", or days for offering prayers to ancestors, on the banks of the River Ganges in Kolkata on September 23, 2014. — Photo by AFP

A Sadhu (holy man) uses his mobile phone to photograph Hindu devotees performing 'Tarpan', a ritual to pay obeisance to one's forefathers, on the last day of 'Pitrupaksh' - days for offering prayers to ancestors - on the banks of the river Mahananda in Siliguri on September 23, 2014. — Photo by AFP

Hindu devotees perform 'Tarpan', a ritual to pay obeisance to one's forefathers, on the last day of 'Pitrupaksh' - days for offering prayers to ancestors - on the banks of the river Mahananda in Siliguri on September 23, 2014. — Photo by AFP

Indian devotees offer prayers as a part of a ritual to pay obedience to one's forefathers on the last day when prayers are offered to ancestors, known as "Pitrupaksh", in Mumbai on September 24, 2014. — Photo by AFP

Indian Hindu devotees read the 'Durga Stuati' text during prayers for the Navratri Festival at the Mata Longa Wali Devi temple in Amritsar on September 25, 2014. Navratri is celebrated twice a year during the spring and autumn seasons and symbolises the triumph of good over evil.— Photo by AFP

Indian Hindu devotees perform 'Tarpan' rituals to pay obeisance to their forefathers on the last day of "Pitrupaksh", or days for offering prayers to ancestors, on the banks of the River Ganges in Kolkata on September 23, 2014.— Photo by AFP

An Indian artist works on an idol of Hindu goddess Durga, at a workshop in Allahabad, India, Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2014. The festival of Durga will be celebrated from Sept. 30 until Oct. 3. — Photo by AP

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Navratri, held annually in honour of Hindu Goddess Durga, is celebrated over a period of nine days where thousands of youth dance the night away in traditional costumes. Navratri starts on September 25 and will be celebrated until October 3.

In many parts of the country it is marked by celebrations involving prayer, fasting, music and dance among men and women.

It is famous for being high-spirited and Christians and Muslims are known to take part. They also take part in the Holi Hindu spring festival.

Meanwhile, the five-day Durga Puja festival will be celebrated from September 30 to October 3, and is the biggest religious event for Bengali Hindus.

Durga is attributed as the destroyer of evil and Hindus believe that the goddess symbolises power and the triumph of good over evil.

A man decorates an idol of the Hindu goddess Durga at a pandal, a temporary platform, ahead of the Durga Puja festival in Kolkata September 25, 2014. — Photo by Reuters

A man works on a pandal, a temporary platform, as it is built for the Durga Puja festival, in Kolkata September 25, 2014. — Photo by Reuters

Women dressed in traditional attires balance pitchers on their heads as they take part in rehearsals for the "garba" dance ahead of Navratri festival in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad September 24, 2014. — Photo by Reuters

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Comments (77) Closed

Sep 25, 2014 10:19pm

Awesome images :))

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susanta majumdar

Sep 25, 2014 11:11pm

What a fantastic collection of photographs

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Asif A. Shah

Sep 26, 2014 12:01am

Dawn deserves congratulations for providing proper coverage to the Hindues's festivals. The other media outlets should also pay deserved attentions to this matter. The people in general and the media in particular should make efforts to make Hindues feel a part and parcel of Pakistani society. Tolerance, mutual respect among the various religious identities must be promoted and celebrated by the media. Such efforts do have positive ripple effects beyond immediate surroundings. Good job! By the way, the photos are great.

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Far sight

Sep 26, 2014 01:16am

I will be glad to see such images of the festival across Pakistan esp. the pandals there. :)

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budhoo

Sep 26, 2014 01:18am

Good ok.

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waqas

Sep 26, 2014 01:51am

Awesome work. Great culture, great civilization

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Neeraj

Sep 26, 2014 02:32am

Good work DAWN

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M. Emad

Sep 26, 2014 07:33am

Happy festival . . .

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Sachin Dhawan

Sep 26, 2014 08:29am

Pakistan, dont kill your Hindus and preserve this community there. Because they are the original owners of the oldest civilization their...

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k srinivasan

Sep 26, 2014 09:10am

well as an Indian I am very very happy to see such Hindu festivals photos in a Pakistani newspaper. I appreciate. it is a good gesture. pl keep it up - srinivasan

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Ahmad

Sep 26, 2014 09:20am

This was there in Pakistan before Turkish/Afghani rulers Ghaznavi and Mohammad Ghor(from Ghor in Afhanistan) attacked Pakistan and killed people.

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mission control

Sep 26, 2014 09:23am

@Far sight These are not images from Pakistan as Hindus are afraid to celebrate anything outside for fear of life , these are images from India.

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mission control

Sep 26, 2014 09:25am

@Sachin Dhawan You said it , how to occupy property , by killing or making the original owners flee across the border.

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Mani Mohan

Sep 26, 2014 09:43am

Definitely it is very good initiative taken by the Dawn to publish such excellent articles with marvelous photos . We hope the Dawn will do I. Future as well ,it creates love and affection for each other.

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roger_davis

Sep 26, 2014 10:10am

Who cares.

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Shyam Kokku

Sep 26, 2014 10:26am

Great coverage - Happy Dussera to all Pakistani brothers and sisters!

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Sanjeev Yadav

Sep 26, 2014 10:42am

Beautiful pictures.

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MBALU

Sep 26, 2014 01:10pm

I congratulate DAWN's efforts for this publishing this huge Collections. I am sharing our festival celebrations with our all Pakistani Brothers. Unity is strength

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Ajay Ladkani

Sep 26, 2014 01:16pm

I wish 3000000 Hindus could have celebrated the festival with same ease in PAKISTAN

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kumar

Sep 26, 2014 01:32pm

Wonderful story of a culture in Pictures. Living in USA for more than 30 years I feel like I missed out on something simply human and something simply divine. Thanks to DAWN for making me feel guilty.

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Saqib

Sep 26, 2014 03:40pm

Would have preferred to see my Hindu brothers and sisters in Pakistan. May god bless you all.

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Nabeel S (Sialkot)

Sep 26, 2014 04:48pm

Untill dawn started publishing these photos, earlier Holi and now Durga Puja, I feel Hindu festivals are very colourful.... and would like to see them once in my life.... Happy durga puja to my hindu freinds...

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Rahul

Sep 26, 2014 05:07pm

Seriously?There's no Hindus left in pakistan?

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Sumit Mazumdar

Sep 26, 2014 06:26pm

Durga Puja is celebrated also by Bangladeshi Hindus, though on a much smaller scale. Some of these Pujas, like the one in Ramna Kali Mandir are quite famous.

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Dr.Cajetan Coelho

Sep 26, 2014 06:40pm

Happy Navratri and Durga Puja festivities.

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M. Emad

Sep 26, 2014 07:04pm

@Sumit Mazumdar : You are almost right. However, Durga Puja is not a 'much smaller scale' --- it is a big event in big cities of Bangladesh. Ramna Kali Mandir (can be seen in Sheikh Mujib's historic 7th March Race Course speech photo) was completely destroyed by Pakistani forces on 27th March 1971. It is very 'interesting' that despite fierce resistance by the Bengali common people-youths / Bengali para military (EPR) and military (EBR) all over East Pakistan immediately after 25 March night crackdown, (West-) Pakistan military spare time and energy in the demolition of Ramna Kali Mandir during that uncertain period. Few years ago the Mandir was rebuilt.

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krishna prasad Toronto

Sep 26, 2014 08:11pm

It is time to celebrate the festive spirit now. Why not all Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Jains, Sikhs join together in the celebrations and make it part of their culture as well and get the best of both cultures - distribute sweets, eat together, dance together and pray together (let it be in your own way as per customs). The biggest advantage Pakistan and India have is to enjoy all the festivals and make the most in terms of happiness, peace and joy and spread it across to make a better living. I read recently that the largest "Laddu" (Mithai) at Ganapati festival was auctioned and bought by a muslim in Hyderabad (India) and the proceeds go to charity to develop better benefits for the village/local community there.

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Ram

Sep 26, 2014 08:12pm

@Asif A. Shah - Thank you Dawn. Thank you again.

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SAY

Sep 26, 2014 10:14pm

@M. Emad What else can be expected brother? The ones who did not spare their own blood for power, barbarism in blood will reflect in their every deeds. Interesting these very same people will lecture others on divinity of a religion and forgets respecting other views.....

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Vikas Rehman

Sep 26, 2014 10:27pm

I hope the Hindu minority in Pakistan enjoys the celebrations.

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Ali

Sep 27, 2014 12:11am

@Sachin Dhawan , Nice Joke.... No one owner of this world and by the way original owners of the oldest civilization are Muslims on this World.Hindus are killing Muslims in India what about that ?????? Its shameful

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Far sight

Sep 27, 2014 12:15am

@mission control You mean there is no Dugra Puja celebration in Pakistan? I will be shocked to hear that. Lahore is named after Lav-the son of Ram and Dussehra is its commemoration. Ironical how the city has forgot its founder. Atleast the heritage should be respected if not religion.

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Aviator1994

Sep 27, 2014 01:50am

Excellent pics, I wish there were some Pakistan too

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Seedoo

Sep 27, 2014 02:02am

I hope publishing pictures like these will help develop understanding and appreciation of other cultures among Pakistanis, and helping Pakistan once again become a tolerant society.

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Rahim Imtiaz Gill

Sep 27, 2014 07:52am

We Punjabis call it Nav ratan or nine nights. It is a celebratiion of good over evil and we Punjabis celebrate it peacefully too.

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Rahim Imtiaz Gill

Sep 27, 2014 08:30am

@Far sight Navaratri is celebrated in a peaceful manner by Punjabis. It is in memory of Lord Ram Chander and his consort Sita and their many adventures. Mainly in Punjab and Kashmir, quiet fasting is done on Milk and water with badaam or almonds for the first seven nights. Then on the eight or ninth nights Punjabis take time to pamper their younger daughters or granddaughters with yummy food and new clothes and offer thanksgiving prayers.

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MBALU india

Sep 27, 2014 09:48am

I want to wish Durga Festival Celebrations to All Pakisthan Muslim & Hundu Brothers and Sisters. Earlier we are in same country & our elders are real Brothers, Sisters. But we are fighting with between us by our Politicians. We are attacking between ourselves and wounding between ourselves. Why this culture is till going on?. When will we shake hands freely?. Both Government should open borders and allow all citizens to go any where freely in both countries as their home country. The youth generation should understand. When the day will come?. I & many Indians are expecting as like as lakhs and lakhs of Pakistan's Citizens.

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Akhilesh Kumar

Sep 27, 2014 10:40am

@M. Emad Great comments

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Akhilesh Kumar

Sep 27, 2014 10:42am

@Asif A. Shah Mr. Asif we welcome your views & God bless you

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Ajay Ladkani

Sep 27, 2014 12:45pm

I like the way DAWN covers news from India. Kudos to you for colourful pictures of navaratri & shradh rituals. I am happy to see that Dawn has good number of Indian readers who figure dominantly in readers corner. I must say that after Times of India dawn is my next preference to update myself.

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An Indian Perspective

Sep 27, 2014 04:15pm

@Rahim Imtiaz Gill That is not the way to celebrate it certainly. There is much more to Durga Puja than fasting and pampering children (I believe you are referring to Eid) and eating good food. :)

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Suyogee

Sep 27, 2014 05:16pm

Beautiful picture, colorful and vivid... so is DAWNs gesture to publish them - keep up the good work

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Tamilslevan

Sep 27, 2014 05:50pm

Thank you Dawn for the pictures. We don't see pictures like these in Indian Newspapers either.

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ideacrux

Sep 27, 2014 08:42pm

Great work by Dawn on the coverage...

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Sachin

Sep 27, 2014 10:42pm

@Ali : Even before Islam came some 1400 yrs ago? Wow your idea and depth of history amazes me. Which school did you go to? Try speaking to a non Asian on this idea of yours and see what you get to hear.

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Zainab

Sep 28, 2014 03:34am

Great collection of information. This is a part of our subcontinent culture, just like our muslim religious occasions are. These scenes can be a great source of understanding between followers of different faiths in the subcontinent, provided we look at these events with an open mind. Thank you for refreshing my memories of my childhood days in India and Pakistan.

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Zainab

Sep 28, 2014 03:40am

@Ahmad Apparently you did not get the meaning of these events, and still harping about the past. How about looking forward to future and view these as part of our heritage and make efforts to promote understanding among various faiths that now exits in the subcontinent..

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Zainab

Sep 28, 2014 03:45am

@Shyam Kokku Thank you Shyam. I hope a day will come when we will celebrate festivals of all faiths together, regardless of our faiths. Would't that be fun?

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Zainab

Sep 28, 2014 03:56am

@Ali Always negative. Why could you not look at these images as part of our Indian subcontinent culture. Please look forward in a positive way as this is the only way true harmony and understanding among different faiths can be established.

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Jatinder

Sep 28, 2014 04:42am

Great pictures, like being in reality. Thanks Dawn

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Anis

Sep 28, 2014 04:48am

These photoes do convey DAWN stands in a different league of International Pulishing houses. It is good to see that Dawn help to spread fraternity & awareness about Hinduism being originating from a Muslim country. We love to see such images coming out of Pak too no matter those of Muslims or Hindus or any other sect. Life is all about living peacefully, respecting each others sentiments to make a better world for the generations to come.

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Pardesi

Sep 28, 2014 10:48am

How come no celebrations in Pak?

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Nihal

Sep 28, 2014 02:49pm

Big salute to DAWN. Thank you so much. I wonder whether we see this much coverage even in Indian newspapers. The subcontinental culture is perhaps one of the oldest.

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Pankaj

Sep 28, 2014 03:17pm

Accept and respect everyone's view. Happy to see many good and mature comments. But one thing I must say, the Allahabad bridge (up) made on national highway is picturized very well and so the Hawrah bridge... Good to see these pics.

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Arvind

Sep 28, 2014 04:45pm

God Bless you Dawn

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Debu

Sep 29, 2014 11:26am

Bengali Muslims have a blast during the festivities and participate wholeheartedly. This starts with the purchase of new and distribution of sweets. There is a Muslim majority area called khidderpore in Kolkata. Where they're is one puja organized by Muslims and even has a Muslim priest who chant Sanskrit verses. As a mark of respect to their Hindu brethren, beef shops remain closed during the tenure of the festival. Indian Muslims may have changed their religion, but not their ancient culture.

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depak

Sep 29, 2014 05:32pm

@Ali mr alli, if u see the statistics properly, after 1947 what was the muslims population in India, but see it now it has increased drastically, & what about the hindu population in pakistan during 1947, & what it is now ??, It has decreased drastically allmost nil, now tell me are Muslims being killed in India, or the Hindus in pakistan, think & write

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adam

Sep 30, 2014 12:29am

@roger_davis obviously you since you're commenting lol.

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ExaltedMan

Sep 30, 2014 04:39am

@Asif A. Shah Fully agree with you.

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Vasan

Sep 30, 2014 09:09am

Great photo collection from Dawn.

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Ahmed

Sep 30, 2014 10:07am

@depak If we can think, you dont need to write brother.

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sudharshan

Oct 01, 2014 12:47am

@Sachin yaar for heaven's sake for once lets just stop the rhetoric about who is better and appreciate this initiative by Dawn.. show some respect re baba.. and frankly sab log thakk gayein hain is ladaai se.. petty arguments to satisfy the ego is certainly not the way forward.

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milind

Oct 01, 2014 09:38am

Many many thanks to Dawn for the article and beautiful pictures.I pray to Goddess Durga to make you and the world happier ,prosporous and free from fear.

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Kumar

Oct 01, 2014 01:58pm

I always like the photos in DAWN.

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Ram

Oct 01, 2014 02:59pm

Good work DAWN..

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Kaly

Oct 01, 2014 06:36pm

@Nabeel S (Sialkot) Please visit India during Durga Puja, I am a Bengali...for us this festival is the biggest one... Thanks for your b'ful comments...God bless you dude.. Thanks Dawn...I am regular reader of this paper...Sitting far away in Kolkata/Jamshedpur....

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Diwakaran Jaya Kumar

Oct 02, 2014 12:32am

Such images can seldom be found in Indian newspapers. Dawn constantly keeps on trying to change the image of Pakistan in the positive direction. Love this newspaper.God bless you & Pakistan

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Pakistani

Oct 02, 2014 01:15am

Beautiful picture very lively and colorful and the third one is exceptionally good.

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Pakistani

Oct 02, 2014 01:20am

@milind Amin.

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Oct 02, 2014 09:55am

Extremely good pictures... Dawn has covered it weill

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Shyam Kokku

Oct 02, 2014 10:47am

@Zainab indeed it would not just be fun but a moment of glory and achievement!

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Debajyoti Mohanty

Oct 02, 2014 12:54pm

@Devjyoti, AM pleased to see such a wonderful pictures being published in Pakistani News paper..Awe-some..Good initiative by Pakistani Daily..making it in different league who wants to spread goodness... Thanx & Best of Regards

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Khan Wali

Oct 02, 2014 01:18pm

@Rahul There are over 3 million Hindus in Pakistan!

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Ram Narayanan

Oct 02, 2014 02:05pm

Dawn is the most fair and mature newspaper I've seen. Keep it up, friends!

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Dexter

Oct 02, 2014 03:21pm

Awesome Job Dawn!...

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Dexter

Oct 02, 2014 03:22pm

Awesome

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Iyer

Oct 02, 2014 09:35pm

It is my dream to see a magnificent temple in line with agama and tantra rebuilt at hinglaj in balochistan and sharada peeth in Pakistani Kashmir. But it is heart breaking to know that the future of Hindus and Hinduism in Pakistan is simply doomed. There is no hope to restore these spiritually powerful institutions anymore.

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