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awalpindi is home to several historical temples located in various mohallas and bazaars throughout the city. A notable temple can be found in GanjMandi, a well-known marketplace that features several small bazaars and serves as a hub for local businesses.
In the BismillahMarket in GanjMandi, there is an old Hindu temple that appears to have been built in the first or second quarter of the 20th Century. Unfortunately, this temple is now in a state of disrepair. I first visited it in 2003.I later returned to it in 2009, 2014, 2015 and 2025. Most recently, I visited the temple in February 2025. During my second visit in 2009, I had noticed that a pickle maker had set up operations within the temple complex. The temple used to have multiple rooms for pilgrims. Today it has been reduced to only one or two rooms. When I visited in 2009, I found that the main sanctuary of the temple had been converted into a store, with utensils used for pickle making placed in the main room. The inner sanctum, known as the garbhagriha, had been painted at that time. When I returned to it in 2014, 2015, and February 2025, I found it closed.
The interior of the temple is square. The walls are adorned with triple recessed arches, each layer creating visual depth, and crowned with amalakadesign. These triple recessed arches, featuring amalaka-shaped motifs, reflect the style of the temple’s interior decoration. Moreover, it shows that stucco was a preferred medium for creating amalaka motifs. Such decoration is seen in most pre-partition temples, not only in Rawalpindi but also in other villages and towns of Pothohar. Similarly refined triple recessed arches with amalaka motif can also be seen in the MohraBhattan temple in Rawalpindi’s KallarSyedan tehsil.
On the eastern wall, there are two true arches with openings; the third is a false arch. Above these three arches is a beautifully painted frieze adorned with floral decorations that runs around the perimeter of the room. Just above this frieze, there are squinches and a series of false arches that were created to transform the square room into an octagon, allowing for the placement of an octagonal shikhara. The spandrels of the false or blind arches are also painted.
The interior of the temple features a variety of floral vases and designs. In the transition zone, numerous painted vases can be found.
When I visited the temple in 2009, I had noticed the donor plaques on the floor, many of which had clearly aged. Some of the plaques I had seen in 2003 had lost their lustre, were dulled and partially obscured by layers of sludge. One plaque, in particular, caught my eye. Written in Devanagari script, it bore the name,Madho Das Ji, a quiet reminder of a devotee’s lasting contribution, still holding through the wear of time.
This temple, associated either with the Udasi or Nath yogis, was one of the magnificent buildings of its time. It has now lost its original beauty.
The square structure of the temple is surmounted by an octagonal shikhara. The base platform on which the octagonal shikhara rests is square, featuring four niches that each depict a Hindu deity. Likewise, there are eight niches on the octagonal shikhara, each depicting Hindu deities, except for one niche that represents Guru Nanak with Bhai Bala and Bhai Mardana. It is unusual to see a painting of Guru Nanak with his companions Bhai Bala and Bhai Mardana in a Hindu temple in Rawalpindi City, as most Hindu temples are decorated exclusively with paintings of Hindu deities and mythologies from sacred Hindu scriptures. However, there is a temple outside Rawalpindi city, located in Gulyana village in GujarKhan, that depicts Guru Nanak with Bhai Mardana. Depictions of Guru Nanak are commonly found in Sikh monuments. The depiction of Baba Guru Nanak with two of his companions was a recurrent theme in Pothoharihavelis and samadhis of Sikh nobles and ascetics. Sikhs used this theme in both religious and secular contexts. From the samadhis of KotFateh Khan in Attock district to the Khem Singh Bedihaveli in KallarSyedan town, every religious and secular structure depicted Baba Guru Nanak with Bhai Bala and Bhai Mardana.
However, Udasi also depicts both Hindu deities and Sikh Gurus in paintings in their temples. The GanjMandi temple appears to be associated either with the Naths or Udasis and was probably constructed to honourthe Devi. There was a presence of Udasi ascetics in the Rawalpindi district. One of the leading Udasi ascetics was Baba Mohans Das. His ssmadhi was located in Karnali village near Sukho in Gujar Khan tehsil. Today, the remains of the samadhi can still be seen. The Udasis trace their spiritual lineage back to Baba Sri Chand, the elder son of Baba Guru Nanak (1469-1539). They were celibate and, like the Nath yogis, used to establish a dhuni (campfire) and practiced austerities in caves or in remote secluded places away from village populations. There are many caves in Pothohar where both Nath andUdasi ascetics practisedtapas (austerities). Both were celebrated for the practice of hatha yoga. Some of the caves at Katas Raj were also used by both the Nath yogis and Udasi ascetics. TilaJogian, the most famous Nath monastery in Jhelum district, also attracted ascetics of other religions, particularly those of Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism.
The first niche on the square base of the octagonal shikhara of the GanjMandi temple depicts a standing Shiva. These paintings have faded significantly due to exposure to extreme weather conditions. Similarly, the painting in the second niche is also in poor condition. It shows standing Vishnu with his consort Lakshmi. The third niche represents Ganapati, who has four arms, each holding an object. The fourth niche depicts Anantashayana Vishnu, shown reclining on the multi-headed serpent Shesha (Ananta) amidst the cosmic ocean, with his consort, the Goddess Lakshmi, seated at his feet. Four-headed Brahma is shown to be sitting on a lotus that springs from Vishnu’s navel. This depiction is also badly weathered. The image of Anantashayana Vishnu is a recurring motif in temples of Pothohar.
In all eight niches on the octagonal shikhara, the paintings of Hindu deities and the Sikh guru, Baba Guru Nanak, have deteriorated. One of the niches shows Guru Nanak with Bhai Bala and Bhai Mardana; however, this painting appears to have been badly weathered. Another niche features a painting of Vishnu; a painting of Durga is also depicted in one of the niches of the temple. Unfortunately, this painting now appears dull. One niche represents a painting of Baba Sri Chand. This, too, has been badly weathered.
The finial (kalasa) of the temple is extant. The miniature shikhars, created from plaster, decorate the facade of the octagonal shikara.
This temple, associated either with the Udasi or Nathyogis, was one of the magnificent buildings of its time. It has now lost its original beauty. Standing on the roof of the temple complex, one can see the shikhara of another Hindu temple located nearby in Chaudhry Bazaar, in the GanjMandi area. Both temples have lost their beauty and need to be preserved before they become history.
The writer is ananthropologist at the Pakistan Institute of DevelopmentEconomics, Islamabad. He has authored 17 books on Pakistan’scultural heritage and anthropology.He tweetskalhorozulfiqar.He may be contacted at zulfi04hotmail.com