Once an upscale locality of Rawalpindi under British rule, Bhabara Bazaar recalls the region’s majestic past in the heart of the garrison city.
Centuries may have passed, but the area still has many structures that reflect the splendour of Mughal, Central Asian and Indian architecture.
Walking through the winding lanes of the downtown area, one can find buildings inspired by Mughal architecture. Almost all the old buildings have wooden balconies, or jharokas, a prominent feature of Mughal and Turkish architecture.
These structures tell the stories of wealthy families who lived there before the partition of the Indian subcontinent.
Bhabara Bazaar is a two-kilometre-long residential and commercial locality built by the Bhabra community, belonging to Jainism, in the early 18th century.
The old residential streets of Bhabara Bazaar have winding, narrow lanes, houses with handcrafted wooden doors and corridors leading to enclosed courtyards within their outer walls. These British-era houses usually have two or three storeys, painted ceilings and ceramic tiles. Bhabara Bazaar and its surrounding areas were considered upscale neighbourhoods at the time.
According to the Gazetteer of Rawalpindi District 1893-94, the Bhabras were a small trading community in Rawalpindi that, despite their limited numbers, deserved mention.
Describing the community, the gazetteer stated, “They were willing to do all the work, and are all well-to-do. They only number 800 souls all told, but are divided into nine tribes. Their most remarkable characteristic is their custom of undergoing long voluntary fasts, ranging from 6 to 10 days, during which they are said to eat nothing and only to drink water. They are not eating flesh or drink wine and very careful not to kill animals.”
It further noted, “Bhabaras usually wear red ‘Pagris’ (turban) whatever their age and generally some Jewellery. They were one of the innumerable small Hindu sects of India. They formed a somewhat little colony in Rawalpindi called Bhabara Bazaar. No other Hindu sects deserve separate notice.”
The community not only built houses and shops in the area but also established schools, including a Path Shala of the Jain sect, where religious education was imparted.
Many houses along the main road from Sarafa Bazaar to Teli Mohallah near Murree Road reflected the community’s commercial lifestyle, with shops on the ground floors and residences on the second and third floors.
In the narrow streets of the old locality, Om symbols and the Jain greeting Jai Jinendra can still be seen on many buildings.
Historians say the Bhabras mostly worked as moneylenders and goldsmiths, but they were also involved in grain trading and other businesses. The community’s wealth was reflected in the houses it built, which still evoke memories of its past.
After the partition of the Indian subcontinent in 1947, members of the community migrated to India and settled in Delhi and elsewhere. Their houses were subsequently allotted to Muslim migrants from East Punjab, including Amritsar, Ludhiana and Jalandhar, as well as Kashmiri migrants who arrived later.
As people from different parts of the subcontinent settled in the area and sought livelihood opportunities, they established traditional food businesses in the bazaar. Over the past seven decades, Bhabara Bazaar has developed into a food street serving the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
In 2021, then Rawalpindi commissioner Muhammad Mehmood initiated a project to preserve the historic Bhabara Bazaar.
The plan included the rehabilitation of Sujan Singh Haveli and the development of Bhabara Bazaar Food Street at a total cost of Rs184 million.
However, the project was shelved in 2024. Of the allocated amount, Rs104 million had been earmarked for the rehabilitation of Sujan Singh Haveli and Rs80 million for the food street project.
Under the plan, a one-kilometre stretch of Bhabara Bazaar was to be restored in the style of streets from 1857, while the exteriors of surrounding heritage houses were also to be renovated in the traditional style. All electricity, telephone and other utility cables were to be shifted underground, while the sewerage system was to be upgraded with larger underground pipes.
The main objective of the rehabilitation projects was to make Rawalpindi more attractive to tourists through urban regeneration.
The plan also aimed to attract visitors travelling to Murree through Rawalpindi and create employment opportunities for local residents.
Published in Dawn, October 19th, 2026