Hindu Temples and Historic Havelis of Hazro, Attock

Hazro is a historic town in Attock District, about a 90-minute drive from Islamabad. Its old neighbourhoods preserve Hindu temples, decorated havelis and traces of the Sikh heritage that shaped the town before Partition.

This article explores Hazro’s surviving religious and residential heritage. It complements my guides to the historic places and temples of Attock Khurd and the wider collection of famous Hindu temples in Pakistan.

Hazro Attock is a 1.5-hour drive from Islamabad.

Table of Contents

History of Hazro Attock

It was originally called ‘Takht Hazara’ or the lower Hazara in the 6^th century. The town is protected from the North and West by the River Indus that curves westwards close to the town. This makes the ground very fertile for cultivation and the inhabitants very rich.

The Rawalpindi Gazetteer of yesteryear called Hazro a town of ‘half Pathans and half Hindus’. Hazro is similar to another garrison town Ghurghushti and Haripur (from Hari Singh Nalwa).

Library of Hazro

Hazro has a private library built in 1937 on a circular road that no one visits anymore. This shows how educated its residents were.

The town is North of Attock city and GT road but was close to the invasion route.

Dialing back the clock, Aurengzeb’s death was immediately followed by Marhatta & Jatts reclaiming Muslim territories.

Ranjit Singh’s Battle for Hazro

The rollback one day reached Hazro town which was destroyed by Ranjit Singh’s troops in 1813 as a springboard to reach deep into Fateh Khan Durrani’s Afghanistan. It was after winning this battle with their superior cannons and a nod from the British, that Ranjit Singh realized he could have the pie (Kashmir) and eat it too (Afghanistan).

When Ranjit Singh, fell ill in 1826, The British sent their military surgeon to look after his health because he was considered to be a ‘friendly native’.

Yousafzai Pathan Takeover

On hearing of Ranjit Singh’s ill health, rebellious Yousafzai crossed the Indus and attacked the fortification of Hazro killing the garrison. The non-Muslim people of the town were spared as Hari Singh Nalwa arrived with his troops to protect them.

Kuka Sikh Sect of Hazro

Hazro is also the birthplace of the KuKa sect of the Sikh religion, formed by Bhagat Jawar Mal & Bhai Balak Singh in 1840, the founders of Namdhari Sikhs. His successor Ram Singh was banished by the British to Andaman Islands for being a threat to the crown.

This sect taught its disciples not to discriminate on caste and race, to stop consuming alcohol, drugs, and meat, and to avoid overtly Hindu customs. They believed Guru Gobind to be the true Guru. Kukas recited the scriptures in a peculiarly shrill voice, hence the ‘Kook’ name. Their Gurdwara in Hazro is now a flattened surface of brick. Alas! History lost.

Hindu Landowners of Hazro

Before 1947, most of the land around Hazro was owned by two Hindu brothers Gokal Shah and Makan Shah. Gokal Shah converted to Islam.

The prominent Hindu family of Hazro called themselves Maharaja, for some reason that I couldn’t correlate. They were known to be exceedingly philanthropic for the local desperately poor Muslims.

Several old havelis in Hazro contain basements or concealed chambers that may once have been used for storage and protection during periods of unrest.

Every old haveli in the Hindu mohallas had a secret chamber or basement to keep their residents safe in case mobs attacked them.

Hindu Temples of Hazro

I visited two surviving religious buildings in Hazro: the Hari Temple and the Shiva Temple in Shahbaz Mohalla. Both structures were in poor condition when I visited, and much of their original decorative work had been painted over. An Urdu inscription records 1928 as the construction date of the Hari Temple.

The lost splendor of a once-wealthy city is apparent for all to see.

Mansions of Hazro

It’s the richly decorated façade on the old Hindu havelis that captured my attention.

Another worthwhile heritage excursion in the district combines the palace and religious building at Kot Fateh Khan with the surrounding rural landscape

Hazro town Centre had four doorways of entry only. All the Hindus lived within the walls. Not too many people died in the partition riots.

The abandoned mansions of Hazro, Attock are grand and gorgeous.

Hazro can be combined with a visit to Attock Fort and the historic Indus crossing.

Coming back from Hazro I realized how miniscule my existence is in the whole timeline of events around Indus River and its ‘Sindhu’ people.

Is Hazro worth visiting?

Hazro is worth exploring for travellers interested in historic streets, old havelis and the overlooked religious heritage of northern Punjab. Its buildings are fragile and often located within residential neighbourhoods, so visitors should request permission, respect residents’ privacy and avoid entering unstable structures.

Hazro works best as part of a broader Attock heritage trip covering the historic places of Attock Khurd, Attock Fort and Kot Fateh Khan. For more religious heritage, explore the guide to 72 famous Hindu temples in Pakistan.