Ahmedabad: This Ambaji temple is a Pakistan outpost

AHMEDABAD: Near Border Pillar Number 960, on the Pakistani side, one is amazed at a little white temple on a rocky mound which also doubles up as a outpost for the Pakistan Rangers.

BSF personnel deployed at the International Border said that the temple is on a hilltop on Karoonjhar Pahadi — ranges of the Karoonjhar hill — in Bodesar village on the Pakistani side.

However, the Indian side also has an advantage to see activities in Pakistan from Nadabet in Banaskantha.

Villagers of Jaloya on the Indian side claim that they sometimes see people visiting the temple to offer prayers.

“We know that it is a temple of Goddess Ambaji. We have seen villagers of Bodesar and Badtalav —another village on Pakistan side — visiting the temple. The other side of the fence also has a large Hindu population who might be visiting the temple,” said Thanaji Dodiya , sarpanch of Jaloya village near Nadabet in Suigam taluka of Banaskantha.

A resident near Nadabet, Bhalji Pandya, said that the hilltop had an ancient temple of Goddess where people from Bodesar and Badtalav in Nagarparkar district in Sindh province of Pakistan used to visit.

“In the past few days, we have been witnessing hectic movement by Pakistan Rangers at this outpost. I have also seen a helicopter of Pakistan hovering around Kalo Dungar (black mountain) of Karoonjhar Pahadi recently,” said Pandya, a retired schoolteacher.

“Nagarparkar, due to a large Hindu population, had many ancient religious places, including Mata Rani Bhatiyani temple, Sachya Mataji temple, an old Jain temple and Lakhan Bharti Ashram. This white temple of Goddess was one of them and now it has been mostly used and occupied by Pakistan Rangers,” said a resident of Jaloya, who used to live in Nagarparkar before 1971 Indo-Pak war.