Ayodhya burns on the morning of Sunday December 6th 1992. In a lighting hostage-taking event across the border, rioters in the city of Lahore descend on the aging mandirs sitting dotted across the urban landscape.
On the right: Rioters on top of an unidentified mandir in Lahore, Pakistan on December 6th, 1992.
After 1992, the turret of Jain Mandir remained on its side at the same location for nearly 30 years. Using a framework of urban ruin theory, I situate the ruins of Jain Mandir within the various interpretations they occupy.
On the left: Ruins of Jain Mandir as it lied on its side in 2017
In 2021, the Supreme Court of Pakistan ordered that the historic site of Jain Mandir be recovered and rebuilt. What follows is a translucent process that sought to arrest decay and create a monument through the ruins.
On the right: Jain Mandir as it stands today (2024). The entrance of the Anarkali Metro Station can be seen in the background.
Jain MANDIR
The Death of Jain Mandir 