Architectural heritage: In Pindi’s serpentine streets, remnants of a decaying legacy
The houses and temples reflect architectural characteristics of the city’s early years. Concentrated in serpentine streets, even the regrettable condition of mandirs and gurdwaras cannot hide their magnificent ornamentations.
On a heritage stroll through Rawalpindi, Prof Aziz Khan, a historian who accompanied this scribe, mused, “Dyaar-e-shauk ka abkay safar ajeeb laga, Jo ghar ko laut kay aayay tu ghar ajeeb laga.”
“Along the Leh, there were many shawalas (small temples usually built on the banks of a river for Hindu visitors). Winding through the city, the water of the Leh was once considered fit for human consumption,” recounted Prof. Khan.
“A temple dedicated to Lord Shiva behind Lal Haveli was pulled down and dug up in the hope of finding a buried treasure, said Muzammal, the owner of a general store in Bhabra Bazaar. “The same is the case of a beautiful Hindu residence nearby.”
According to Chaudhary Safdar, a former British Army soldier, Mohan Mandir in Landa Bazaar and a Sikh Gurdwara on the left once formed the heart of the surrounding localities. The head cleric of the gurdwara was a hafiz-e-Quran who used to teach Sikh children from the holy book, he said. “Mohan Mandir was constructed before my eyes.”
Kalyan Das Mandir in Kohati Bazaar has been converted into a school for the blind. “It was said to be financed by both Sikhs and Muslims, said Mubeen Ahmad, a shopkeeper.
Lakshami Narain Mandir in Purana Qila was built more than 150 years ago, said Hamid Mahmood, a trader in Zari Market, “It was attacked in 1992 in retaliation for the razing of Babri Masjid, but was saved by the administration.”
Temples in Gunjmandi and Kashmiri Bazaar have also been converted, while a gurdwara in Kiran Bazaar now accommodates eateries and embroidery shops.
“Sehgal Mandir, the biggest temple in Bhabhra Bazaar, still stands tall, even though its vast premises accommodate many families,” said Khawaja Ghulam Sadiq, a police inspector living near the mandir. The origins of other temples are shrouded in mystery.
Hindu temples everywhere share essential features, according to Prof Khan. One enters through an ornate gateway into a courtyard that leads into the heart of the temple, a smaller dark chamber called a garbhagriha, which contains the chief deity. Since Hindu worship is not fundamentally of a congregational nature, the only essential part of a temple is the shrine proper with its symbol-laden threshold and doorway, normally facing east.
In one of the narrow streets of Bhabra Bazaar stands the abandoned haveli of Rai Bahadur Soojan Singh, which was replete with courtyards. The inscriptions and paintings on the walls have been obliterated. Refugees sheltered in this house had built a wood stove in the vestibule and the smoke disfigured the richly decorated ceiling.
An entrance hall, once decorated with expensive wood, leads to the haveli’s residential quarters. The small reception area beyond it connects it with the haveli’s other sections. The western and eastern halls are distinct in form and adornment from the ceremonial halls and rooms on the first floor.
The building’s interior bore the brunt of the 1947 rampage. Built in 1893, its walls are now cracked. The rear wall has been damaged by a huge banyan tree. It is said an underground tunnel leads to Bagh Sardaran, but this may well be a myth.
Cows graze in the haveli’s garden. According to Aale Nabi Saleem, an elderly local resident, a fountain once flowed into a pool that is now gone. The physical integrity of the property has been compromised and up to 80 per cent of the structures are vulnerable.
The haveli’s decks present a panoramic view of the city. Security guards deployed by Fatima Jinnah Women University said the varsity intended to establish a library in the haveli.
Every street pulsates with a fascinating anthology of stories and nostalgic memories. Today, all these neighbourhoods, which came up during the last century, are tottering under the pressures of population, commercialisation and neglect.
The original inhabitants of the city are long gone, and with them a distinct way of life. Prof Khan, who grew up in the city, misses both but rues the loss of neither. What vexes him is the decay that has beset the city’s architectural heritage. He recited a verse form Jaun Alia, “Shehre-dil mein ajab mohallay thay, Un mein aksar naheen rahay abad.”
Published in The Express Tribune, November 28th, 2012.
COMMENTS (32)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
1725443747-0/Untitled-design-(5)1725443747-0-165x106.webp "article")
We are at the watershed of this Pindi's history. We want to see this city as a modern city but should also want to preserve the best of our heritage. I have no illusions about the challenges we face, but are we ready to learn from our mistakes. Restored buildings will bring in tourists as well as provide a more pleasant environment for locals.
We have not a long and rich tradition of caring for and maintaining historic buildings; the philosophy and technical details of ancient practices are not well documented in ancient texts.
Over several decades, unsustainable tourism, insufficient governance policy, and development pressures have so greatly degraded scores of ancient, medieval, and colonial buildings that much is irreparable. These buildings may not be there tomorrow.
Let us make a case advocating greater proactive legislative efforts by policy gurus to conserve Pindi's architectural heritage. The fate of this heritage, which exemplifies centuries of city history, is facing threat from all directions and if care is not taken at the earliest, they will soon disappear from the map. To conserve these buildings is an immense challenge and I feel, we must accept collective responsibility for the fate of our heritage.
Our architects must document many of the highest-profile buildings in Pindi likely to be razed or redeveloped any time at the whim of the city administration, in a bid to preserve at least their memory. These include the spectacular Haveli Soojan Singh and the old Bagh Sardaran in addition to Fish Market (Kamran Market), once the favourite market of colonial sahibs and memsahibs. In Pakistan, the younger generation now has no idea of how their ancestors lived. We too will be lost, like a man without a face.
Activists fear some of the historic buildings were razed in the rush to capitalize on political ends and the surging economy.
Architecture has always fascinated me. Whenever I visit any city I first hunt out all the architectural treasures and then loiter in the local markets. To me these two give me a intimate flavor of a city and more importantly a glimpse into the cultural heritage and legacy of the communities who lived there once or are living at the moment.
Encroachments threaten to destroy Pindi's rich - yet largely unprotected - architectural heritage. When you live in a monument you have very different priorities. You need to cook there, wash there, and we all know that water and fire are the worst enemies of these ancient structures. If we don't have control of these sites we will loose them forever.
Why can’t we institutionalize the practice of conservation outside the government fold and spread awareness of the need to conserve not only monuments but also other categories of heritage as well, focusing on the significance of their meaning to society.
There were once countless historical structures scattered around Rawalpindi - the remnants of Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus, built over the past 200 years. But as the city's population got swollen in recent decades, so had the chances that these sites would be occupied or bulldozed to make way for a modern housing development. This is what has exactly happened.
These are very lovely and very beautiful buildings. Whether built by the Sikhs or the Hindus, these are part of our history. They belong to us all and we need to save them all.
Gazing at the pics I was deeply moved. I really don't know why. Perhaps something to do with my having Hindu ancestry?
There is no reflection more mortifying to human pride than that which occurs when one witnesses the degradation, ruin, and dispersion of the mighty edifices of ancient days.
Looking forward to more pics and information from you, ET.
Let me praise your photographer’s efforts to capture Pindi’s unique architectural legacy through his camera. As I visited these places and even as I celebrated the achievements of those who worked together to create these items of lasting beauty I also saw the eye of the artist, who captured a moment in time and gave me double joy when I looked at see these pictures in front of me.
Thanks ET, for starting a thread on this subject. Do continue. There were two times in my life that the places ever made me move and sadden my heart, one was Haveli Soojan Singh, and the other was Bagh Sardaran.
Architecture is one of the most original and powerful expressions of our ability to create. Its cultural importance throughout the world is evident and has led to its consideration as a common heritage of humankind, therefore deserving protection and conservation. However, increasingly threatened by natural and human impacts, these structures deserve particular attention in terms of conservation and maintenance.
The architectural layout of gurdwara in Kiran Bazaar once had its own specific qualities which are significant to Sikhism. One such quality seen was that there were entrances on all four sides, which signified the Sikh belief that all peoples of the world are welcome in any gurdwara in the world, regardless of their sex, caste, creed, or religion. Just as there were four entrances in the gurdwara, so did gurdwara contained a deorhi, or entrance gateway. The deorhi itself was an impressive structure and large in size as it often served as an office or daftar.
Mesmerizing quotes from the famous poets have added additional mystery to the write-up about the golden architectural era of Rawalpindi. Such heritage must be preserved.
Living in the nearby street. I like sitting in the courtyard of Haveli Soojan Singh. Looking out at the exterior, I can feel the peace of the place. The pitter-patter of a few children playing in courtyard just adds more life to the peace and quiet of the place that has seen many a generation grow up.
No renovation has taken place of Haveli Soojan Singh. Though it does show signs of dilapidation, once inside, the wear and tear hardly dents the archaic charm, with the cool and calm ambiance.
One cannot help but marvel at the architectural beauty of these sites -- breathtakingly beautiful structure. The rulers and aristocracy built a vast variety of buildings which included palaces, havelis, administrative buildings, educational buildings, hospitals, bazaars, gurdwaras, mosques, temples etc. Collectively, these buildings represent the style of architecture that flourished during the second half of the nineteenth and the first half of the twentieth century.
Yusuf has quoted his Grandpa correctly that the buildings, well constructed and secluded which provided adequate privacy along the River Leh, had a narrow flight of about slightly winding stone steps falling steeply onto the River Leh straight from the back side. The scenic beauty around the temples was breathtaking with the thick greenery of the surroundings spreading a greenish hue to the crystal-clear water of River Leh.
The bedrooms of Sohan Sigh Palace once had simple solid wooden ceilings and floors. The old style bathrooms on the side had a pillar on one side, concealed the waste pipe inside it. This pillar looked like a showpiece from outside. The central rooms, with its fixed benches, with drawers and ornate floor had a cheerful and airy atmosphere when sunlight was let in through the adjustable wooden planks that served as windows. The early morning sun gave the rooms a misty look whereas the midday sun flooded the rooms with light. In the late evenings, the rooms took on a shadowy look. The verandahs on the front gave an uninterrupted view of any visitor from a distance and let in soft breeze from plantation surrounding the place through the wooden grill that covered its entire length. All of it became the victim of partition days when the palace was set afire by arsonists.
Aziz Khan is right. My Granpa tells that near the temples, the River Leh ( unfortunately a nullah now ) that flowed towards south took a
U' turn to flow northward thus forming a small sandy island in the middle. This phenomenon of the River Leh taking aU' turn without flooding the area in the middle even when it was not high land was considered unique.Let's not mix up decaying legacy with what extremists are doing at the moment instead of blaming it on official negligence. The greater majority of Muslims is not extremists. The brush with the time has not affected this heritage's antique flavour in anyway. Elements at these old houses charm you irresistibly. The beautiful row of ornate pillars and wall craft depicting several pictures, are fascinating. The doors bedecked with motifs and etchings,the floral motifs on the wooden ceilings give the rooms of these heritage buildings a heavily decorated look.
These buildings show the implicit faith the Hindu and Sikh communities had in their workmen, their eye for detail in crafting intricate creations, skill in carving mythological stories on doors and walls in keeping with their traditions. What we are doing to our heritage, blasting out shrines, mosques, Imambargahs and not sparing even our schools.
Those days, when the Hindu Brahmins and Sikhs ruled like kings in Pindi, have come to a pass. An era, often referred to as an age of feudalism, has vanished. Those were days when untouchability existed with sickening effect and so did oppression of the Muslim classes.
Although examples of the aesthetic beauty of primeval architecture, these were simply houses of the privileged class.
Pindi is a place where charming antiquity once resided. Glancing at the regretful state of today, one can only sigh over those bygone days. It all began after the partition.
These attractive buildings, typical example of ancient architecture, are elegant despite the years gone by.