In the winding streets and the roads of Rawalpindi are many old buildings which are remarkable for intricate woodwork, stuccowork, paintings and grillwork. The mosques, temples and gurdwaras that dominate the historic landscape of Rawalpindi are monuments which need to be promoted as tourist sites. A majority of temples and gurdwaras are in a deplorable condition. Simply put, they need to be preserved before they become history.
Apart from temples and gurdwaras, there are many historical mosques in every old mohallah of Rawalpindi, which are noted for their exquisite architecture. The most prominent is the Jamia mosque – famed for beautiful fresco paintings. These are, in fact, not found in other mosques in Rawalpindi. The mosque is built in a rectangular plan and superimposed with three domes and flanked by two minarets. When Soojan Singh, a notable of Rawalpindi, built the splendid gurdwara at Bagh Sardaran, in order to tone down the influence of the Sikhs, the Muslims also decided to build a mosque. Two famous mystics, Pir Mehar Ali Shah of Golra Sharif and Khwaja Ahmed of Maira Sharif in Pindi Gheb, laid the foundation of the mosque. Potohar is home to a number of shrines associated with the disciples and deputies of Khwaja Shah Muhammad Suleman Taunsvi, an eminent Chishti Sufi of Taunsa Sharif. Khwaja Ahmed Mairvi (1834-1911) was a deputy of Khwaja Shah Muhammad Suleman Taunsvi (1770-1850). He preached far and wide amongst the populace of Potohar. Many people were converted by him and his khanqah at Maira Sharif became the centre of Chishti Nizami Sufis of Potohar.
View of the mosque from main entrance
Likewsie, Pir Mehar Ali Shah (1859-1937) was also an eminent Chishti sufi of the 20th century who was initiated into Chishtiyya Tariqa by Khwaja Shams-ud-din Sialvi (1799-1883) and became one of his distinguished deputies by spreading the message of his mentor not only in Potohar but also in other regions of the Punjab. Both Khwaja Ahmed Mairvi of Maira Sharif and Pir Mehar Ali Shah of Golra Sharif were good friends and, in fact, laid the foundations of the Jamia mosque together.
It is believed that masons were brought from Chakwal to build the mosque.
Sikh wood carvers, as opposed to Muslims, engraved the doors of the mosque because at that time the Sikhs were skilled carvers in Rawalpindi and nearby villages
One of the painters, whose name was Din Muhammad, was a particularly accomplished artisan, and it was he who painted the interior of the Jamia mosque. Interestingly, Sikh wood carvers, as opposed to Muslims, engraved the doors of the mosque because at that time the Sikhs were skilled carvers in Rawalpindi and nearby villages. Apart from the wooden doors of the mosque, the Sikh artists also made the wooden balconies of the Waris Shah Mohallah. They were, in fact, the go-to wood carvers of Rawalpindi.
There were also a few Muslim buildings on Nehru Road (now called Ghazni Road) that reflected the opulence of the Muslim population. Now most of these have either been renovated or rebuilt - thus playing havoc with original beauty of the structures. During the British period, there were two large mohallas of Muslims which included Waris Shah mohallah and Pir Harra Mohallah (the grave of the pir exists in the mohallah). There were also many small settlements of the Muslims, namely Dhoke Illahi etc. in Rawalpindi, and the people of these two mohllahs contributed to the construction of the mosque.
Ceiling of the Jamia mosque
There are nine archways which lead to the antechamber of the mosque, which is decorated with paintings. The paintings of the antechamber lost their original lustre and hence these were repainted in 2006. The main prayer hall has its original paintings. Floral, vegetal and geometric designs cover the every space of the main prayer hall.
The Jamia mosque is a great specimen of Muslim architecture of the 20th century. Nowhere in Potohar is there such a grand and beautiful mosque, although there are many three-domed mosques in different towns and villages of the Potohar. It seems that the inspiration might have been drawn from the Mai Qamro mosque in islamabad which is the second oldest mosque after Giri in Taxila. The Mai Qamro mosque is a three-domed structure situated in Bagh Joghian village in Islamabad. The village lies about 15 km north of Gulberg, Islamabad. Three domed mosques were popular from Mughal times.
Interior view of the Jamia mosque, Rawalpindi
The monumental gate of the Jamia mosque of Rawalpindi resembles that of the mosque at Kot Fateh Khan in Fateh Jang tehsil which is believed to have been built by Sardar Fateh Khan, the landlord of the village. And yet, the colour schemes of the Jamia mosque are similar to a Mughal-period three-domed mosque at Wah which lies close to Wah Garden.
One of the minarets of the Jamia mosque collapsed before the 1947 Partition. It was rebuilt with the efforts of the then caretaker of mosque captain Abdul Haque.
This historic mosque can be a potential tourist destination for religious tourism. - a fairly neglected form of tourism in Pakistan.
The author is an anthropologist and has authored four books: ‘Symbols in Stone: The Rock Art of Sindh’, ‘Perspectives on the art and architecture of Sindh’, ‘Memorial Stones: Tharparkar’ and ‘Archaeology, Religion and Art in Sindh’. He may be contacted at: zulfi04@hotmail.com
