have been visiting Rawalpindi’s old localities since 2000 and have seen several impressive pre-independence buildings that reveal the city’s rich and glorious past. The narrow streets and alleys of Rawalpindi’s historic areas are dotted with magnificent structures featuring striking oriel windows, wooden balconies and ornately carved doors. These architectural details reflect the opulence and artistry of the builders from colonial times. Each locality has its own unique identity, expressed through these remarkable buildings.

The old localities of the city are home to mosques, shrines, temples, gurdwaras and other religious and secular structures. Unfortunately, most of the temples and havelis have lost their original beauty and are in desperate need of renovation.

Grand gurdwaras, notably the Nirankari in the Nirankari/ Narankari Bazaar (also called Nankari by the local community), remind visitors of the Sikh community’s glorious past in Rawalpindi. The tall shikharas (superstructures) of the Mohan Das temple in Landa Bazaar, the Shiva temple at Ganj Mandi, the temples in Urdu Bazaar and the Krishna temple in Kabari Bazaar dominate Rawalpindi’s skyline. The temples on College Road and in the Bagh-i-Sardaran area are splendid structures. The College Road temple has some images of Hindu deities as well.

However, the true melting pot of religious architecture in old Rawalpindi is found at Ahata Mithu Khan, where, within a radius of half a kilometre, one can find a Hindu temple, a Khalsa (Sikh) building, a Jain temple, a church (built in 1926), a Jamaat Khana of the Bohra community, an Imam Bargah and a mosque. Despite this religious diversity, no untoward incidents have occurred in the area.

Today, while the Hindu, Sikh and Jain communities have largely left Rawalpindi, their places of worship still stand, albeit with much of their original beauty lost. Few people realise that Ahata Mithu Khan, now primarily known for vehicle spares business, was once a vibrant centre of cultural and religious coexistence. Although many buildings in the area have deteriorated, a few still feature statues of dancing girls and Hindu deities, particularly the goddess Durga. These images remain intact, demonstrating the respect that the people of Rawalpindi have for other religions—an aspect often overlooked by the media in our country.

Some Hindu, Sikh and Jain buildings were adorned with figural paintings. Among the many historical Hindu religious structures, the Kalyan Das Temple in Kohati Bazaar stands out. Today, this building houses the Government Qandeel Secondary Special Education School for the visually impaired.

The temple is believed to have been constructed by Kalyan Das Suri in the third quarter of the 19th Century. Kalyan Das Suri belonged to a wealthy Suri family in Rawalpindi. His mansion, known as Suri Mahal—now referred to as Nuri Mahal—is one of the most magnificent buildings in the Kartarpura area of Rawalpindi.

This temple is renowned for its art and architecture. It is constructed in the Pancharatna style (literally, five jewels), characterised by five shikharas (towers). Temples built in the Pancharatha/ Pancharatna style are rare in the Pothohar plateau and the Salt Range of the Punjab.

Images were placed in all five garbhagrihas (innermost sanctuaries). The central garbhagriha features a larger octagonal shikhara, while the subsidiary shrines are topped with smaller shikharas. The larger shikhara of the central structure was once adorned with paintings. Some traces of these paintings can still be seen. The garbhagrihas of the four subsidiary shrines were also painted. Much of the artwork has lost its original lustre. A few of the painted panels have been whitewashed.

There are arched entrances on all directions. The central garbhagriha is surrounded by the pradakshina (circumambulatory) path. Parts of the ceiling of the pradakshina path were also adorned with floral designs. The interior and outer walls of the garbhagriha are intricately decorated, depicting themes from Hindu scriptures, including the Mahabharata, Ramayana, Bhagavata Purana, Vishnu Purana and Gita Govinda. Additionally, they feature floral motifs and stylised vases flanked by two birds.

The outer walls are adorned with panels featuring spandrels that illustrate Hindu deities, sayikas (heroines) and sakhis (friends) of Krishna. The nayika theme appears to have significantly inspired both the painters and the patrons of the arts, who commissioned these depictions for the walls of their havelis and mansions. I have discussed this theme in detail in my book, Reflections on the Pothohar Heritage, published by Emel Publications in Islamabad in 2020.

These architectural details reflect the opulence and artistry of the builders from colonial times. Each locality has its own unique identity, expressed through these remarkable buildings.

Some nayikas were also painted in the temples of Pothohar, most of which have now disappeared. The surviving nayika depictions exhibit a distinctly Pothohari or local influence. Pothohari painters portrayed a nayika in various postures and moods. For them, mural paintings often revolved around the love and dalliance between Radha as nayika (heroine) and Krishna as nayaka (hero), which seems to have been a theme preferred over the more mundane heroines and heroes of folk traditions. Radha has been a favoured model for the role of nayika, as depicted in Pothohar’s havelis, temples and samadhis.

The Pothohari painters focused on Krishna’s divine beauty, which made him the object of devotion and longing for the gopis (cow herders), who collectively represent the heroines (nayikas) devoted to him. Radha emerges as the supreme object of Krishna’s passionate love.

Above the main doorway to the garbhagriha of the Kalyan Das Temple is a depiction of Ganesh with his consorts, Riddhi and Siddhi. The mouse, Ganesh’s mount or vehicle, is also painted on the panel. Above these paintings is a depiction of Shaaman Sakhi, as inscribed in Gurmukhi on the left spandrel of the panel. Shaaman Sakhi translates to “the romantic interest of Shyam.” Krishna is called Shyam due to his dark complexion. The ssakhis or gopis—the cowherd girls—tried to win Krishna’s heart by adorning themselves with the finest clothes and jewellery. The depiction of Shaaman Sakhi in the Kalyan Das Temple serves as evidence of the belief that Krishna was Gopivallaba, the beloved of the gopis.

Shaaman Sakhi is shown gazing at her adornments in a mirror. Similar depictions of sakhis and nayikas can be found in other historical buildings across Pothohar. The most striking examples are in the Baba Khem Singh Bedi Haveli, also known as Babay da Mahal, in Rawalpindi’s Kallar Syedan town. This haveli is believed to have been built in the third quarter of the 19th Century by Baba Khem Singh Bedi (d. 1905). It is particularly noted for its exquisite wood carvings and paintings.

The most remarkable artworks in the haveli include paintings of Sikh Gurus, Hindu deities, and nayikas. The courtyard walls of the haveli are adorned with nayika paintings, making it a significant site for studying historical artistic traditions in the region.

The nayika who holds a mirror is known as Darpana Sundari or Madanika. She is depicted checking her appearance in the mirror. Adornment plays a significant role in the life of a nayika, as she beautifies herself while waiting for her beloved. Before their meeting, she takes one last look in the mirror to ensure that she looks her best. This painting is one of the most striking artworks in the haveli of Baba Khem Singh Bedi.

Another panel on the outer wall of the garbhagriha depicts Anantashayana Vishnu, also known as Anantashayi Vishnu. He is shown reclining on the multi-headed serpent Shesha (Ananta) amidst the cosmic ocean, with his consort, Goddess Lakshmi, seated at his feet. Four-headed Brahma is illustrated sitting on a lotus that emerges from Vishnu’s navel. Garuda, Vishnu’s vahana (mount/ vehicle), is also depicted in the painting. The image of Anantashayana Vishnu is a recurring motif in Pothohar’s paintings.

Another panel on the outer wall of the garbhagriha of the Kalyan Das Temple illustrates a scene from the Bhagavata Purana, depicting Krishna triumphing over Kaliya, the serpent demon.

The interior of the garbhagriha features eight figural panels—four on the lower walls and four in the transition zone. These panels depict various avatars (incarnations) of Vishnu, as well as representations of Shiva and his consorts. One notable panel shows Rama and Sita seated on a throne beneath a canopy, attended by Hanuman, Lakshmana and Bharata.

On the western wall of the garbhagriha, flanking the jharokha where the image was once placed, there are two painted panels representing the Matsya (fish) and Varaha (boar) incarnations of Vishnu.

The most captivating depiction is of the raslila/ rasalila, or the divine circular dance (Ras Mandal), which is typically illustrated on the domed ceilings of temples and samadhis. However, this temple is unique within the entire Pothohar plateau, as it showcases raslila scenes on the walls instead of the ceiling.

Raslila was a favoured theme among Pothohari painters. This divine dance of Lord Krishna with the gopis can also be seen in the Krishna Temple located in Kabari Bazaar, Rawalpindi, as well as in a samadhi in Kot Fateh Khan village in Fateh Jang tehsil. Additionally, it can be observed in temples in Fateh Jang town, Makhad in the Attock district and Beval town in the Gujar Khan tehsil of Rawalpindi.

The writer is an anthropologist. He has authored 17 books on Pakistan’s cultural heritage and anthropology. He tweets @kalhorozulfiqar. He may be contacted at zulfi04@hotmail.com