Overview
A site of five sacred water pools at Hashtnagri in Peshawar, from which it takes its name, Panj Tirath, the five tirthas, together with two temple structures. It was declared a protected heritage site by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government in 2019.
History
Sources describe it as more than a thousand years old. Treat that figure as traditional rather than established: it is widely repeated but is not tied in any source consulted to an excavation or an inscription. The site fell into disrepair after 1947.
Spiritual Significance
Peshawar's Hindu past is mostly buried under the modern city, and Panj Tirath is one of the few places where it is still legible on the ground. Local and museum accounts connect the five pools to the Mahabharata, and the site is described as one of the oldest Hindu religious sites in the city.
Prayers at Panj Tirath
ॐ जय शिव ओंकारा, स्वामी जय शिव ओंकारा
जय गणेश गिरिजा सुवन, मंगल मूल सुजान। कहत अयोध्यादास तुम, देहु अभय वरदान॥
जटाटवीगलज्जलप्रवाहपावितस्थले गलेऽवलम्ब्य लम्बितां भुजंगतुंगमालिकाम्।
नमामीशमीशान निर्वाणरूपं विभुं व्यापकं ब्रह्मवेदस्वरूपम्।
ब्रह्ममुरारिसुरार्चितलिङ्गं निर्मलभासितशोभितलिङ्गम्।
नागेन्द्रहाराय त्रिलोचनाय भस्माङ्गरागाय महेश्वराय।
Pilgrimage Information
Current status: Neglected but formally protected. Heritage protection was granted in 2019 and a land dispute over the site was resolved in 2023. Anyone planning to travel should check entry requirements and local conditions independently and close to the date. Indian passport holders face visa restrictions for Pakistan that change with the political weather, and access to several of these sites has historically depended on organised pilgrim groups rather than individual travel.
Sources
- Panj Tirath other
About this page
Researched and written by YatraBeyond from published sources, and not yet confirmed by the temple. Facts here are cross-checked against at least two independent sources, never written from memory, and every source is listed above.
Last reviewed by us: 2026-09-17. Timings, entry rules and access can change without notice; treat anything time-sensitive as a starting point and confirm before you travel.
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