LAHORE: Some 70 Hindu pilgrims who had arrived here from India last week to perform religious rituals at Katas Raj temples in Chakwal returned to India on Wednesday.

The Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) presented special gifts and bouquets to the departing pilgrims at Wagah border.

Before departing, group leader Vijay Kumar Sharma told reporters that they received immense respect and love in Pakistan. `We are thankful to the ETPB chief for ensuring the preservation and renovation of our places of worship. I encourage the global Hindu community to visit Pakistan and witness these sacred sites,` he said. Vivek Pandey, another pilgrim, said the construction of residential complexes has enhanced the beauty of the Katas Raj temples, providing improved facilities for pilgrims. Other Hindu pilgrims accompanying the group also shared their experiences.

`We spent seven days in Pakistan and were met with warmth and respect wherever we went. Lahore is a beautiful city, and visiting our religious sites at Katas Raj and in Lahore brought us immense spiritual peace,` said one of the delegates. During their seven-day visit to Pakistan, the Hindu pilgrims performed religious rituals at the Katas Raj temples and spent three days in Lahore, visiting the Krishna Mandir on Ravi Road and Valmiki Mandir in Anarkali. They also visited the Lahore Fort and enjoyed shopping in Anarkali Bazaar. The ETPB early this month inaugurated a residential complex built for Hindu pilgrims at the Katas Raj temples.