228. Sanatan Dharam Saputri Pathshala & Mandir (Sanatan Dharam Girls School & Temple), Bhalwal.

Bhalwal is a bustling town in western Punjab in the district of Sargodha. Situated about 28 kilometres northeast of Sargodha, it forms a tehsil of the district. Though I had been passing through this town for three decades, my interest in exploring it arose in 2024, when somebody asked me about an old haveli that once belonged to Sardar Chanchal Singh. Thus began my exploratory visits to this town.

A building that particularly drew my attention stood in the middle of a busy bazaar. Constructed before Partition, it still retains some of its old beauty and grace. However, apparently due to complicated rules and regulations, nobody takes proper care of it. I visited this building three times to complete my task, the first on 29 December 2024 and the last on 25 June 2026. In fact, taking photographs of the plaques fixed high above the entrance of the building proved to be a little difficult.

History of this Region:

This region was part of the Indus Valley Civilization, and later the famous Gandhara Civilization also flourished in close proximity. Some ancient archaeological sites, such as Wijhi, about 30 kilometres northeast of Bhalwal, indicate the ancient history of this region. It is a huge mound, covering an area of about 22 acres and rising up to ten meters above the surrounding land. It is strewn with pottery shards but, so far, has not been properly explored or excavated.

One of the most important events in the ancient history of this region was the invasion of Alexander the Great in 326 BC. He encountered the powerful ruler Porus, who ruled the area between the Jhelum and Chenab rivers, known as the Jech Doab. This battle took place somewhere near Mandi Bahauddin, about 70 kilometres northeast of Bhalwal.

In the early eleventh century, around 1004, the region, including Bhera, the most important city of the area, fell to Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni. For the next seven and a half centuries, until the mid-eighteenth century, the region was ruled by several Muslim dynasties, until the Mughals lost control in the 1750s. During the middle decades of the eighteenth century, anarchy prevailed throughout this region, as in most parts of Punjab.

In 1767, after a prolonged struggle, the Salt Range and the important town of Bhera fell to the Sukerchakia and Bhangi Misls of the Sikhs. However, the towns of Khushab, Shahpur, and Sahiwal held out until 1810–11, when they were finally conquered by Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

Sikh rule did not last very long, and after defeats in two successive wars in 1845–46 and 1848–49, the British annexed Punjab in 1849. The most important battle of these wars was fought at Chillianwala, about 75 kilometres northeast of Bhalwal. The British annexed Punjab in March 1940, and this region too became a part of the British Empire of India.

The district of Shahpur was formed at the very beginning of British rule in 1849, of which the Bhalwal area was a part. However, the district boundaries were adjusted several times during the next sixty years. The opening of the Lower Jhelum Canal in 1901 marked a new chapter in the history and economy of this area. After two years in 1903, the Malakwal to Sargodha railway line was also opened. Bhalwal was established on this line as a market town and quickly gained such importance that, in 1914, the tehsil headquarters were transferred from Bhera to Bhalwal. Around the same time, a railway line connected the town to the rapidly expanding railway network of India. These factors contributed to the rapid development of the town.

Apparently, a small village of Bhalwal existed before the establishment of a planned modern town of the same name. A village, on the western edge of the city, still exists with the name of Purana Bhalwal.

Population & Demographics:

As we have noted above, factors such as the construction of canals and a railway line at the beginning of the twentieth century played a crucial role in the establishment and subsequent rapid development of this town. The new market town attracted a large number of people, including traders and artisans. This made the town multi-religious, and the followers of all three major religions coexisted here. The following tables provide an idea of the multi-religious nature of this area and the town’s society before 1947.

Demographics the District Shahpur & its Tehsils (According to the Census of 1941)
Dis./Teh.	Total Pop.	Muslims	%	Hindus	%	Sikhs	%
Shahpur (D)	998,921	835,918	83.68	102,233	10.23	48,046	4.81
Shahpur (T)	183,529	161,337	87.91	15,968	8.70	6,037	3.29
Khushab	234,859	211,565	90.08	17,535	7.47	5,809	2.47
Bhalwal	302,345	263,691	87.22	31,863	10.48	6,484	2.14
Sargodha	278,188	199,325	71.65	37,047	13.32	29,716	10.68

As we have observed above, Hindus and Sikhs formed a significant proportion of the population. Non-Muslims formed an even greater proportion of the population in towns, as they mostly belonged to the trading and commercial classes. The table given below will provide a clearer idea.

Demographics of Towns in the District Shahpur (According to the Census of 1941)
Towns	Total Pop.	Muslims	%	Hindus	%	Sikhs	%
Sahiwal	8,090	5,191	64.16	2,090	25.83	807	9.96
Shahpur City	5,515	3,629	65.80	1,693	30.70	193	3.50
Shahpur Sadr	3,958	2,798	70.69	866	21.88	275	6.95
Khushab	17,141	13,609	79.39	3,044	17.76	479	2.79
Hadali	5,203	4,482	89.22	253	4.86	468	8.99
Bhalwal	5,954	2,126	35.71	3,143	52.79	597	10.03
Bhera	20,219	15,489	76.61	4,388	21.70	335	1.66
Miani	6,713	4,106	61.16	2,426	36.14	181	2.70
Kot Moman	7,828	6,354	81.17	1,071	13.68	386	4.93
Sargdoha	36,420	12,060	33.11	17,405	47.79	5,920	16.25
Sillanwali	3,926	1,046	26.64	1,940	49.41	904	23.02

Location:

This school and temple is located on the Main City TMA Road, at 32°16’2.51″N, 72°54’19.18″E. It is a commercial area, with all kinds of shops along the road. The Ghalla Mandi (Grain Market) is just 100 meters to the southwest. It is a very well planned area, and probably the oldest part of the town. Many old houses and buildings from that era still exist.

History of the School:

Fortunately, there are almost thirty plaques and inscriptions that provide invaluable information about the history of this beautiful building. First of all, inside the building, the official name of the school is given as Sanatan Dharm Sputri Pathshala in Hindi, which translates to “Hindu Girls’ School.” The same is written below in English. Remarkably, the year 1941 is also written, which tells us that it was completed in 1941.

It is noteworthy that none of the plaques gives a date; only the names of the donors are mentioned. This was a common feature of the plaques written in Hindi and found in Hindu establishments, unlike the Gurmukhi plaques found in Sikh establishments, which almost always included dates. I could find no reason for this difference.

An inscription on the main entrance clearly reads Sanatan Dharm Mandir, which clearly establishes that this building was also used as a temple, besides being a girls’ school. However, there is one more fact to which I would like to draw your attention: just a couple of dozen meters away, to the northwest in the same block, a Hindu temple with a traditional shikhara still exists. The whole property is under the control of the Evacuee Trust Board. I infer that both were part of a religious, cultural, and educational complex.

Another inscription also mentions “Bahra” or “Bahri Hemraj Kapoor Sanatan Dharm Sabha.” So we can guess that this complex was managed by a Sabha, or council. Another inscription informs us about Hemraj Kapoor, who was the owner of a business company in Bhalwal, apparently a rich and influential person in the town. Another business, the Sudama Company Bhalwal, is also mentioned on one plaque

Two other institutions are also mentioned on plaques. One was Sri Ram Natak (Drama) Club Bhalwal and Women & Girls Association.

For me, the most interesting thing in the building was the 25 plaques which I found around the main entrance. These provide names of dozens of donors who contributed to the development of this school/temple complex.

I have already mentioned above a temple complex that exists near the school; perhaps this whole block formed a single institute, managing a school, a temple, and perhaps some other related establishments as well. Some pictures given below will give you some idea. Sadly, however, it is being encroached upon, and parts of it have been damaged or torn down by the land-grabbing mafia. I visited it on 29 December 2024. At that time, a broken boundary wall let me approach the temple, though some shops were also under construction nearby. The next time I visited, on 25 June 2026, the complex was completely sealed off, and it was not possible to enter it.

A Forgotten Gurdwara:

Somewhere in the alleys of Bhalwal, a gurdwara is lost to changing times and forgotten by most people. Surprisingly enough, some people led me to the right place. A person confirmed to me that a gurdwara once existed here, but now no traces of it can be found. The whole building has changed and been divided among many occupants. To satisfy my curiosity, the person took me to the roof of one of the houses to confirm that nothing remains of the old building — except one door, which he said was the original door of the gurdwara. Perhaps it was a small gurdwara, built in the shape of an ordinary house, catering to the needs of the small Sikh community. I have not heard of any other gurdwara in the city, though there are at least two large Hindu temple complexes in the city. The gurdwara existed at 32°15’55.49″N, 72°54’16.73″E.

This is a beautiful building, but it is currently in very bad shape. Apparently, the concerned authorities are not paying much attention to it. Currently, it is occupied by some families, and the ground floor mostly consists of shops. For some time, it was also being used as a school. The roofs of a few rooms on the first floor have already collapsed. I hope the concerned authorities will change their attitude of negligence and restore this historic and beautiful building.

Tariq Amir

July 22, 2026.
Islamabad