View source for Kafir Kot

{{Infobox ancient site
| name           = Sindhu/Indus River Temple <br>{{nq|دریائے سندھو مندر}}
| native_name    =
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| image          = File:Bilot Fort Temple - Panorama 2.jpg
| alt   = 
| caption        = A view of the ruins at Sindhu Temple
| map_type       = Pakistan
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| relief         = yes
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| location       = [[Dera Ismail Khan District]], [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]]
| region         = 
| type           = Hindu Monastery
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| built          = 7th century [[Common era|CE]]
| abandoned      = 1947
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| cultures       = [[HinduShahi]]
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}}

'''Indus/Sindhu River temple (Sindhu Temple)''' ({{Lang-ur|دریائے سندھو مندر}}; [[Pashto]]: د سیندهو سیند معبد;   [[संस्कृत]]: सिंधू नदी मंदिरम् ; also spelt ('''Sindhu Temple''') are ancient ruins of 2000-year old Hindu temples located in [[Dera Ismail Khan District]], [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]], near the cities of [[Mianwali]] and [[Kundian]] in [[Punjab, Pakistan]]. There are also the ruins of a large fort protecting the site. Sindhu River Temple is often referred to as "Northern Sindhu Temple," with the "Southern Sindhu Temple" located in the city of [[Bilot]], 35 kilometres to the south.

Sindhu site consists of the ruins of five temples now, after one temple collapsed 1992. The remaining five are also damaged. These six temple dedicated to the Sindhu (Indus) River, the Vitastara (Jhelum) River, the Irawati (Ravi) River, the Shatadru (Sutlej) River and the Saraswati (Ghaggar) River. 

Architects, historians and & Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists and Jains all over the world have requested of the Pakistani archeological department and Federal government that the temples be restored and renovated, but this is still pending.

According to the district Gazetteer of Mianwali of 1915 the remains of Sindhu Temple (and the nearby ruin of Mari) "are indication of the existence of a Hindu civilization of considerable importance and antiquity".<ref name="Mian1915">[http://www.thepakistan.info/get/pakistani-cities-and-places/mianwali.htm District Gazetteer of Mianwali 1915] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081120121658/http://www.thepakistan.info/get/pakistani-cities-and-places/mianwali.htm |date=2008-11-20 }}</ref> It is located at 32°30'0N 71°19'60E<ref>[http://www.fallingrain.com/world/PK/3/Kafir_Kot.html Location of Kafir Kot - Falling Rain Genomics]</ref>

==Description==
The ruin consists of two forts in the northwest of the district on small hills attached to the lower spurs of the Khasor Range and overlooking the [[Indus River]] near the [[Chashma Barrage]]. One lies a few miles south of Kundal and the other near [[Bilot]].<ref name="Mian1915"/>

According to the District Gazetteer of Mianwali:

{{cquote|These forts are of great antiquity and interest. Their main features are an outer defensive wall, consisting of rough blocks of stone, some of great size, and various groups of buildings resembling small Hindu temples and more or less carved. These are built of a curiously honey-combed drab-coloured stone not to be found in the adjacent hills, which is said to have been brought by river all the way from [[Khushalgarh]]. The area of the forts is considerable and they could have held a fairly large garrison. The only legends attached to them relate that they were occupied by the last of the Hindu Rajas, Til and Bil; but all traces of rulers and ruled are now lost.<ref name="Mian1915"/>|}}

==Location==
Bilot Fort is the second fort situated next to the town of Bilot Sharif and about 55&nbsp;km north of Dera Ismail Khan in Pakistan. It was an ancient Hindu Fort with a famous temple inside its walls. The fort has disintegrated over time but the temple still stands.

==Museum collections==
Sculptures and architectural components from the site have been dispersed to museums across Pakistan and the rest of the world. One of the largest collections from Kafir Kot outside Pakistan is in the [[British Museum]].<ref>[https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/search.aspx?place=40214&plaA=40214-3-2 British Museum Collection]</ref>

{{Gallery
|title=Images of Bilot Fort and the standing temple
|width=240
|height=200
|lines=2
|File:Bilot Fort Temple - Panorama 2.jpg|View of the Hindu Temples
|File:Bilot Fort Temple - Closeup of Temple 1.jpg|Closeup view of a temple
|File:Bilot Fort Temple - Closeup of Temple 2.jpg | Some amount of restoration work has been done on the temple
|File:Bilot Fort Temple - Stone work 1.jpg | The walls of the temple are made of porous rock
|File:Bilot Fort Temple - Stone work 2.jpg | Fine work on the walls and ceilings
|File:Bilot Fort Temple - Upper Floor 1.jpg| Stairs up the temple lead to an opening 
|File:Bilot Fort Temple - Upper Floor 2.jpg | View from the upper floor of a temple
|File:Bilot Fort Temple - Temple.JPB.jpg | One of the well preserved temple rooms
}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20071228093956/http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/arth/meister/kk/site1.html Site map of ruins - University of Pennsylvania.]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110702211248/http://www.wasaib.com/temples-along-the-indus.html Temples Along the Indus.]

{{Cultural heritage sites in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa |state=expanded}}
{{Hindu temples in Pakistan}} 

{{coord|32|30|0|N|71|20|0|E|region:PK_type:city|display=title}}

[[Category:Dera Ismail Khan District]]
[[Category:Archaeological sites in Pakistan]]
[[Category:Archaeological sites in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]]
[[Category:Hindu temples in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]]

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