The city’s Hindu population, once home to thriving temples and neighborhoods, is now declining.
RAWALPINDI:
The ancient city of Rawalpindi, more than 1,000 years old and filled with the remains of disappeared settlements, was dominated by the Hindu community until 1947.
After the Hindus left, Sikhs settled in the area, while Muslims and Parsis have been present since earlier times. Today, the Parsi population has almost disappeared and most have migrated to Iran and Karachi.
Until the creation of Pakistan on August 14, 1947, Hindus maintained a strong presence in Rawalpindi. According to the 1943 census, the city had 82,178 Hindus, 47,963 Sikhs and 22,461 Muslims.
The city had 39 temples, 14 gurdwaras, 12 crematoriums and 11 dharamshalas. Hindus mainly lived in Dingi Khoi, Purana Qila, Jamia Masjid Road, Nehru Road (now Ghazni Road), Saddar and Railway Road. Later, Sikhs settled in Bagh Sardaran, Bhabra Bazaar, Kasira Bazaar, Mohalla Shah Nazar and Kucha Sabooniyan, and Sardar Sohan Singh constructed several buildings for the Sikh community.
Today, only 5,113 Hindus reside in Rawalpindi district, while Islamabad has only 141 Hindu families. Only three temples are still functioning in Rawalpindi, including Krishna Temple (Saddar), Valmiki Temple (Gracey Lines) and Lal Kurti Temple. All three are over a century old and in usable condition.
The closed temples include Kalyan Das Temple, Devi Temple (Kohati Bazaar) and Purana Qila Temple. Currently there are no dharamshalas or cremation grounds for the Hindu community.
Although there is an 80-year-old cremation ground near Tipu Road, opposite the medical college, the Muslim population in the area does not allow cremations.
When a cremation takes place, a strong police deployment is required. Before 1947, nine major Hindu and Sikh schools operated in the city; all are now under government control.
The Hindu community, which once ruled Rawalpindi for almost a century, has now dwindled and is voicing its grievances to the government.
Sardar Hira Lal, president of the Hindu-Sikh Welfare Council, said funds are needed for the renovation of temples. He added that the biggest problem is the lack of a cremation site.
“We request that 4-5 kanals of land be allocated outside the city where we can build a cremation ground, a dharamshala and a small temple for worship. We are loyal Pakistanis; our ancestors were born here. After 1947, India made attractive offers, but we rejected them. Rawalpindi is our birthplace; we cannot abandon our soil.”
Om Prakash Narain, caretaker of the Lal Kurti temple and president of the Hindu-Muslim-Sikh Union, said the community should be given a 7 to 10 per cent employment and education quota.
He demanded that the closed temples be reopened and handed over to the Hindu community for maintenance.
He added that the Muslim community has shown exemplary respect and cooperation, especially during festivals like Diwali and Holi.
