In the heart of Rawalpindi, the spires and domes of forgotten temples and gurdwaras peek out over rooftops and from behind billboards in the city’s markets.

These pre-partition buildings are a reminder of the important role Hindus and Sikhs played in the history of Rawalpindi. But today, some of the most historically significant building of the city – such as the majestic gurdwara of Rai Bahadur Sujan Singh, - receive little official attention.

There is only one functional temple in the city – Krishna Mandir – while no gurdwaras are open for worship.

The many temples and gurdwaras that dot the historically urban part of Rawalpindi from Raja Bazaar to Bagh Sardaran are managed by the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) and leased out as commercial and private property.

One such building is the old temple in front of Narankari Bazaar, which was built in 1880 by Shirimati Devi in memory of her husband.

Today, the main room is sealed while the rest of the building has been rented out to traders to set up shops.

Another building, an over 150-year-old temple structure in front of the gurdwara in Bagh Sardaran that was built by the daughter of Heera Anand also requires attention from the archaeology department.

“Before the partition of the subcontinent, Hindus and Sikhs dominated the population of Rawalpindi. Sardar Mukha Singh owned land on the western side of Murree Road, and Sardrani Man Kaur owned land around City Saddar Road.

“The rest of the area belonged to Hindu traders, and Sardar Sujan Singh and Sardar Mohan Singh,” Jag Mohan Kumar Arora, a Rawalpindi resident, told Dawn.

He said Rawalpindi’s inner city area used to be known for its temples and gurdwaras. Temples’ spires could be seen from the roof of the Haveli Sujan Singh and Lal Haveli in Bohar Bazaar.

Today, without attention from the Punjab archaeology department and the ETPB, none of these buildings are protected as part of the national heritage, and the land attached to them is being lost to encroachments.

A senior ETPB official told Dawn over 1,000 buildings in the district are under the administrative control of the board, but the ETPB cannot do anything to protect them from weather damage due to limited funding.

He said the board only protects the properties from encroachment and makes records of the buildings.

The official added that the status of properties that have been rented will not be changed.

Former director of the National College of Arts Rawalpindi, Dr Nadeem Omar Tarrar, told Dawn the status of the ETPB needed to be reviewed because it had failed to maintain the local heritage.

“The temples and gurdwaras in Rawalpindi are the best example of past architecture, and artisans’ work should be preserved by the archaeology department. All the temples in Rawalpindi are fast losing land for the ETPB’s commercial ventures and should be saved for historians and researchers,” he said.

Published in Dawn, June 3rd, 2018