Ancient temple where Holi originated
This is the famous "Prahladpuri' temple" of Multan in Pakistan. This is where the Holi festival originated, according to Puranic lore.
According to Puranas, this was the place where Holika was burnt. It was believed by Hindus that this temple was built by Prahalada himself.
Multan was formerly known as Kasyapa-pura (Known to ancient Greeks as kaspapyros) meaning the "city of Kashyapa". According to Puranas, Prahalada was the son of Hiranyakashipu and grandson of Rishi Kashyap.
This Prahladpuri temple once housed devotees and pilgrims from all over Indian subcontinent. It was a very famous pilgrimage site in the Pre Islamic Period.
This temple was first destroyed during invansions by Mahamud of Ghazni 11th century. A subsequent section of the temple was converted into the mosque of Baha’ul Haq Zakariya in 13th century. When Sikhs captured Multan in 19th century, a small temple was rebuilt at the spot. But this temple was also destroyed by Islamist mobs in 1992 in the wake of Babri demolition. A few ruined walls still remain.
Today the site lies in utter ruins.
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