Kafir Kot


Kafir Kot are ancient ruins of Hindu temples located in Dera Ismail Khan District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, near the cities of Mianwali and Kundian, in Punjab, Pakistan. Kafir Kot consists of the ruins of 5 temples, and the ruins of a large fort protecting the site. Kafir Kot is often referred to as "Northern Kafir Kot," with the "Southern Kafir Kot" located in the city of Bilot, 35 kilometres to the south.
According to the district Gazetteer of Mianwali of 1915 the remains of Kafirkot "are indication of the existence of a Hindu civilization of considerable importance and antiquity". It is located at 32°30'0N 71°19'60E

Description

The ruin consists of two forts in the north-west of the district on small hills attached to the lower spurs of the Khasor Range, and overlooking the Indus River near the Chashma Barrage. One lies a few miles south of Kunda] and the other near Bilot.
According to the District Gazetteer of Mianwali:

Location

Bilot Fort is the second fort situated next to the town of Bilot Sharif and about 55 km north of Dera Ismail Khan in Pakistan. It was an ancient Hindu Fort with a famous temple inside its walls. The fort has disintegrated over time but the temple still stands.

Museum collections

Sculptures and architectural components from the site have been dispersed to museums across Pakistan and the rest of the world. One of the largest collections from Kafir Kot outside Pakistan is in the British Museum.