There's a Hindu Island in...

I found a Hindu temple island in Pakistan with nine temples hidden on it. Sadhu Bela sits in the middle of the Indus River near Sukkur, Sindh, and has been an important Hindu pilgrimage site for generations. Getting there meant crossing the river by boat, and exploring this incredible, little-known piece of Hindu heritage in Pakistan was an experience I’ll never forget. More about Sadhu Bela: Sadhu Bela, also known as Sadh Belo, is a Hindu temple complex built on an island in the Indus River near Sukkur, Sindh. The island was once known as Menak Parbat, a forested and largely uninhabited place. In 1823, an Udasi ascetic named Baba Bankhandi Maharaj settled here and established a spiritual centre. The name Sadhu Bela is generally understood to mean “woods of the sage.” Over the following decades, the small retreat developed into a major religious complex. The site became associated with the Udasi tradition, a religious movement historically connected with Sikhism but incorporating Hindu devotional practices. The complex contains temples dedicated to deities including Shiva, Hanuman, Ganesh and Annapurna. Many of the impressive buildings seen today date from the late 19th century. A major temple was constructed in 1899 by Sant Harnam Das, one of Baba Bankhandi Maharaj’s successors. The complex eventually expanded to include temples, gardens, a library, dining areas and accommodation for pilgrims. Sadhu Bela remained an important pilgrimage centre through the British colonial period and after the creation of Pakistan in 1947. Despite the migration of many Sindhi Hindus to India after Partition, the shrine continued to attract Hindu pilgrims. Today, it remains a remarkable example of the Hindu and Udasi heritage of Sindh, located in the middle of the Indus River near Sukkur.