The Hindu sacred place “Katas” is located in the salt range at a distance of 18 miles in the south of Chakwal. The mention of Katas is found in “Maha Bharat” which was written in 300 BC. The etymology of this place as narrated in the old edition of “Tarikh-e-Jhelum” is that according to Brahaman’s belief, Shiv Devta wept so profusely on the death of his beloved wife Satti that two holy ponds one at Pushkar of Ajmair and other at Katak Shell came into being with his tears. In Sanskrit, the word “Katak Shell” means chain of tears, which later on was pronounced as “Katas”.It is said that Al-Bairuni also spent some period at Katas to learn Sanskrit in a linguistic university, which, at that time, was established here. During his stay at Katas and Nandana Fort, Al-Bairuni wrote a famous book “Kitab-ul-Hind” which depicted the religion, scientific knowledge, and social customs of Hindus. Al-Bairuni during his stay at Katas not only learned Sanskrit but also performed various geographic experiments and eventually succeeded in discovering the radius of the earth. The Pandavas, it is believed, constructed these temples. Efforts are being made to restore and renovate these temples. There are also cave-type structures near the temples that, it is believed, were used for meditation purposes. At a short distance from the temple, there is also the haveli of Hari Singh Nalwa, who used to be a General in the Army of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The place is mentioned in Maha Bharat and according to Hindu religious belief; both Katas and the Paskar (
