No Bhabra in Bhabra Bazar

Jains migrated to India in 1947 after the partition

Presently there are no Bhabray (Jains) – believers of the religion Jainism, in the famous Bhabra Bazar which was founded by them centuries ago.

According to historians, the Jains along with the people of another tribe named Rawal also founded the city of Rawalpindi.

According to Iqbal Qaisar – a well-known historian, those who follow Jainism are known as ‘Bhabray’. He apprised that the narrow streets of Bhabra Bazar are more than 100 years old. There are various buildings over here which were constructed during the British regime. The buildings, in the area, were constructed using smaller bricks. They were either constructed during the Mughal period or in the early days of the Sikh era, he also apprised.

“The followers of Jainism had two separate schools for boys and girls and they also had a temple at the Jangi Chowk which is a well-known place near it. On the main road of the bazaar, there used to be a beautiful building of a library of Jains which was demolished due to the construction of a new road”, Qaisar told Bol News.

While elaborating on the culture of Jains he said, “They were basically vegetarians and even while consuming vegetables, they avoided onion and garlic. He said the Jains preferred walking barefoot. “In the old city of Rawalpindi, the footprints of Jains are very much evident. They used to construct small-sized homes, which still exist, highlighting their simple lifestyle”, he stated. According to him, they worshipped the statue of Mahavira and a Chiran Padika, which is a special stone having imprints of the feet of Mahavira on it.

The historian also informed that the followers of Jainism had migrated to India, along with Hindus and Sikhs, in 1947 after the partition. He claimed that there is no follower of Jainism currently in Rawalpindi. Their homes were allotted to Muslim migrants after the inception of Pakistan, furthermore, he informed. Throwing light on the skills of the Rawals, he said the Rawals had excellence in telling prophecies to the people by using their knowledge of palmistry.