KATAS; the undiscovered glory of the past

Text and photography: Zubia Leghari

Love is lasting; but true love is everlasting.
That’s the thought that churned in my mind as I read the story of how Lord Shiva cried so much and so long on the death of his beloved wife Satti that his unending tears created two holy ponds. One located in Pushkara in Ajmer (India) and the other at Ketaksha, which literally means “raining eyes” in Sanskrit. Standing amidst those ruins I could almost “feel” the “purity of that love”; it was as if the very air all around had somehow trapped those feelings of Lord Shiva for his wife, and those feelings could be sensed even today nearly a thousand years later. It was eerie; yet it was beautiful.

Katas, as it is called today is nestled between Lahore and Islamabad off the M2 Motorway. And is not a heavily visited place, except by those who know of it. And seek it. Driving up to it one cannot but be drawn towards its ageless magnificence. Settled on a small hill and overlooking an endless plain, the site is a treasure trove to the adventurer.