Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Karachi

The Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Karachi is a Hindu temple that belongs to the NarNarayan Dev Gadi of the Swaminarayan Sampraday and is the only Swaminarayan temple in Pakistan. The temple is notable for its size and frontage, over 32306sqyd on the M. A. Jinnah Road in Karachi city. The temple celebrated its anniversary of 150 years in April 2004. It is believed that not only Hindus but also adherents of Islam visit the temple, which adds to its notability. There is a sacred cowshed within the premises of this temple. The temple is located at the centre of a Hindu neighborhood in Karachi. The building that housed a dharmshala (guest house) for visiting devotees has now been converted to the office of the City District Government. The idols of Harikrishna Maharaj and Radha Krishna Dev were installed by Acharya Keshav Prasadji Maharaj. He ordered all devotees of the Sampraday to donate metal relics used by Lord Swaminarayan himself. These metal relics were used to make the idols. Koshalendra Prasadji, the current heir of the Nad-Narayan Dev Gadi plans to shift the holy idols to Pennsylvania. This project is known as Devasya.