Pakistan's ancient Katas Raj temple complex, being restored jointly by Pakistan and India, will be managed by the Punjab Archaeology Department (PAD).

The Hindu temples, located in Chakwal district of Punjab province, were earlier being managed by the federal government.

The Katas Raj temple, which has fallen into disrepair, had parts of it repaired prior to the Pakistan visit last year by India's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani.

A new administrative body would be set up for the Hindu temple in a month. It would be allocated a budget of Rs.20 million for restoration work, the Daily Times quoted PAD Director General Oriya Maqbool Jan as saying in a report from Lahore.

This is part of the larger process wherein the federal government is transferring the charge of historical sites and monuments, including the Lahore Fort and the mausoleum of 17th century Mughal emperor Jehangir, to the PAD.

One of the temples had even been converted into a library. According to Jan, the PAD had improved the condition of the temples considerably.

The temple complex is located on a hill six kilometres from Choa Saidan Shah in Chakwal district. It finds mention in the Hindu epic Mahabharata.

According to Hindu religious scriptures, both Katas and Pushkar, near Ajmer in Rajasthan, are the eyes of Lord Shiva. After Guru Nanak visited the place, Katas came to be known as Nanaknawas and was a site of contemplation for many groups of mystics and ascetics.

Katas also holds great historical significance. It was the place where Al-beruni, the historian-traveller from Central Asia, attempted to measure the circumference of the earth, studied Sanskrit and wrote his renowned 'Kitab-ul-Hind'.