01Samba’s temple
The Samba Purana and the Bhavishya Purana tell that Samba, son of Shri Krishna and Jambavati, was struck with leprosy by a curse and was cured by worshipping Surya at Mitravana on the Chandrabhaga, the Chenab. In thanks he raised a temple to the Sun there and brought Maga Brahmins from Shakadvipa to serve it. Mulasthana, the ‘original place’, became Multan. When Xuanzang came in 641 he found a temple of great splendour with an image of Surya cast in gold and set with jewels, and pilgrims from every kingdom of Bharat; there was a rest-house where the poor and sick were fed.
02The temple held hostage
Muhammad bin Qasim took Multan in 713. The Chachnama says he seized the temple’s great treasure but left the image in place. The Arab geographers of the 10th century, al-Istakhri and Ibn Hawqal among them, describe what followed: the temple’s offerings were a main income of the Arab amirs, and whenever a Hindu king marched on Multan they threatened to break the image, and the army turned back. Al-Biruni writes that when the Ismaili Qarmatians seized Multan, their ruler Jalam ibn Shayban broke the idol, killed its priests and built a mosque on the site. Mahmud of Ghazni drove out the Ismailis in 1010. The Prahladpuri temple of Narasimha in the Multan fort survived longer, until it was pulled down in December 1992.
The life of this place
- 641 CEXuanzang sees the golden image of Surya and the pilgrims at Multan.
- 713 CEMuhammad bin Qasim takes Multan and the temple treasure, leaving the image (Chachnama).
- 10th centuryArab geographers record the temple used as a hostage against Hindu kings.
- late 10th centuryThe Ismaili ruler Jalam ibn Shayban breaks the image and builds a mosque on the site (al-Biruni).
- December 1992The Prahladpuri temple in Multan fort is demolished.
