Tariq Amir
Geotagging historically or culturally important places of Pakistan. Publishing their pictures and exact locations, along with some details. And the topics related to the history of Pakistan.
Saturday, 25 June 2022
159. Lockhart Memorial, Rawalpindi.
Tariq Amir
Wednesday, 22 June 2022
158. Forgotten Gurdwaras of Rawalpindi City
Before 1947 Hindus and Sikhs formed a large proportion of the population of Rawalpindi city and owned most of the property in the city. Large Havelis, beautiful houses, and bazaars remind us of their presence in that era. Earlier this year I made several tours of some old parts of Rawalpindi and was amazed to find some masterpieces of old architecture. Lahore is famous for its walled city, but areas around Shah Chan Chiragh have hundreds of houses that are great examples of our rich architectural heritage. I think an organization on the lines of the Walled City of Lahore Authority should be set up to take care of and promote this rich heritage.
During my tours, I was surprised to find a very large number of Hindu Temples which are mostly hidden in narrow lanes and overcrowded houses and encroachments. But that will be the subject of another post. In this post, we shall visit a few gurdwaras which are not quite famous and are almost forgotten. But before going further, I would like you to take a look at the following table to acquaint yourself with the demographics of the city and the surrounding areas before 1947. The figures are taken from the official census report of 1941.
Population |
Rawalpindi |
|||
Division |
District |
Tehsil |
City |
|
Total |
4,700,958 |
785,231 |
380,395 |
185,042 |
Muslims |
4,020,141 |
628,193 |
261,720 |
81,038 |
% |
85.52 |
80.00 |
68.80 |
43.79 |
Hindus |
416,204 |
82,478 |
68,389 |
62,393 |
% |
8.85 |
10.50 |
17.98 |
33.72 |
Sikhs |
234,071 |
64,127 |
40,224 |
32,054 |
% |
4.98 |
8.17 |
10.57 |
17.32 |
Christians |
22,851 |
4,212 |
4,095 |
3,668 |
% |
0.22 |
0.54 |
1.08 |
1.98 |
Rawalpindi region was dominated by the Gakkhar tribe for a long time. Their recorded history starts with the arrival of Sultan Mahmood Ghaznavi and during the many time of many royal dynasties they controlled this area well into the 18th century. In 1765 Gakhar chief Mukarrab Khan was defeated by Sardar Gujar Singh a Sikh Sardar of Bhangi misl. Soon the whole area went under the control of the Sikhs. The Sikh domination lasted until 1849 when the British annexed Punjab. During this time Sikhs settled in this area and had a significant presence until 1947.
I visited a few gurdwaras early this year. Two of them are quite famous and I already have written posts on Gurdwara Singh Sabha and Gurdwara Narankari. In this post, I shall share some information about a few other gurdwaras.
1. Gurdwara Bhai Mani Singh / Damdama Sahib
He is greatly revered by the Sikhs for his services and martyrdom. This huge gurdwara was probably built in his memory during the early decades of the twentieth century. Now dozens of families are residing in this gurdwara complex and seldom allow anyone to enter. Overall the building is in shambles. It is located at 33°37'0.40"N, 73° 3'17.03"E, at the junction of Jamia Masjid Road and Hamilton Road.
2. Gurdwara Baradari
The area around the shrine of Shah Chan Chiragh is probably the oldest locality of Rawalpindi city. The shrine itself is almost 400 years old. A gurdwara is located about fifty meters north of the shrine at 33°37'8.00"N, 73° 3'34.45"E. The current building of the gurdwara seems to be built in the third or fourth decades of the previous century. At present, the building is used by many families, who have divided it into many sections. Though they allowed us to enter but, some occupants were naturally not feeling comfortable. I am not sure, how old is this gurdwara or why it is called baradari. Perhaps an older building existed at this place before it was reconstructed later.
3. Gurdwara Sri Guru Nanak Satsang