Though Rawalpindi is not a walled city, there are some localities which have gates and walls.

Massy Gate Saddar, Gowalmandi, Akalgarh, Narankari Bazaar, Bhabara Bazaar, Moti Bazaar, Nayya Mohallah, Arya Mohallah, Ratta Amral and Purana Qila have two to ten gates as per the length and width of the area.

The gates were built by wealthy Muslim, Sikhs and Hindu families before the partition of Indian Subcontinent, as they covered their colonies for security purpose.

But mostly gates were constructed by Hindus and Sikhs. Some gates were installed in 18th century.

The gates now have a historical value but the local administration and provincial government hardly pay any attention to preservation of the symbols of past.

In Gowalmandi’s Madanpura, the gate was installed by Lala Barkat Ram Lothara who was a trader in Saddar Bazaar.

The Purana Qila also had gate which was constructed in 1896. Then the bazaar was known as Lakhshami Narayan Bazaar. And now it houses embroidery shops and goldsmith workshops.

In Kashmiri Bazaar, there are two gates on the front side to provide entry to Akalgarh Mohallah. It has four more gates connecting this locality with Mohanpura.

On Liaquat Road, two gates were visible to indicate the start of Nayya Mohallah. Same gates were also installed on College Road for Arya Mohallah on the rear side of Government Gordon College.

These gates still narrate the stories of the past. The unplanned construction of street damaged some gates, which, according to some residents, can still be used to provide protection to the people.

The area plan shows small bazaar, religious place and some play area in each locality.

“Before the partition, the Muslims lived in low income group localities whereas Hindus and Sikhs were relatively well off that is why they made big Havelis and localities for their families and relatives,” said 80-year-old Sheikh Abdul Razzaq, a resident of Raja Bazaar and shopkeeper in Narankari Bazaar.

He said that the gates were installed for the protection of localities as one could see in the new colonies like Bharia Town and Defence Housing Authority (DHA).

He said that one could say that the new city planners got the idea from the Mohallahs in the past.

“The gates of these Mohallahs were installed for the protection of the people from robberies and thieves. In the morning, the gates provided protection to the children and women to move freely without any fear as in the past all the Hindu, Muslim and Sikh families observed veil from the strangers,” said former District Naizm Raja Tariq Kiani, whose grandfather and great grandfather had been living in Shakarparian Islamabad and inner city of Rawalpindi for the last one century.

While talking to Dawn, he said in early 70s’, the Massy Gate in Saddar was manned by two guards (Darbans) and they did not allow stranger to enter the Mohallah without permission of the residents.

He said well off families of Hindu and Sikh resided in Purana Qila, Gowalmandi, Bhabara Bazaar and many other localities in the inner town.

He said that before the partition, the city area was surrounded by Leh Nullah which was then a stream of clean drinking water.

“These localities were established in planned manners as every Mohallah within the gates would have a small bazaar, a mosque, a temple or Gurudawara and a play area for the children,” he said and added that the city planners should study the plans of these localities for future improvement in the city.

Raja Tariq Kiani said that one more thing was important to note that all these localities had mixed groups of people including low and good income group.

Septuagenarian Syed Shujaat Hussain, a resident of Purana Qila, said that he had been living in the area for the last 73 years as his family was resided in the area before the partition.

“My forefathers informed us that the gates were installed in the city after the arrival of British troops in the area,” he said.

He said that the gates were not in use now-a-days. He said that it could be used for the protection in the time of terrorist activities and from thieves.

He said most people in the Rawalpindi believed in Baradaris and they lived in the area in groups and all the relatives lived in one locality to show the strength to others.

Published in Dawn, October 9th , 2014