Bhera is noted for its monuments of the Mughal and Hindu periods, in particular the spectacular havelis and impressive temples that one sees marking the different neighborhoods (mohallas) of the town. Before 1947, a sizable population of Hindus and Sikhs lived in Bhera, district Sargodha. The community had temples inside and outside the Walled City of Bhera, having nine gates.
As heard from elders and mentioned in books, the wall connected the darwazas. Alignment was close to present Circular Road of present day Bhera. Around 11 temples have been identified in Bhera, mostly in dilapidated condition, or have vanished. Presently, to the best of knowledge, no Hindu or Sikh is living in Bhera. The biggest temple, Bouliwala, is located north of mohallah Pirachgan in the open field. It is about a kilometer from Chirriya Chog Darwaza (Qabli Gate - 1865) on a kaccha road, which goes to the left bank of River Jhelum. Before independence, it was called Kararianwali Road, sacred to the Hindus. It started from Chirriya Chog Mandir (also called Chiri Chowk), leading to Buoliwala - Marriwala khu (well) - Gharibhan (place where small mud pitchers broken as ritual) - Shamshan Ghat (cremation site) - Noonawala nullah and a small Dhabayanwala darya (river). Both the nullah and the river have been cut away by heavy floods. The Hindus scattered the ashes of their deceased in the river Jhelum, holy to them, believed Vedas were written on its banks (1500 - 1200 BCE).
There are six temples in the mohallas of Sheikhanwala, Nagianwala, Baoliwala, Khawjgan, Chirih Chong and Gangwala Darwaza. Three of these have only their ruins visible above the ground. The other three still stand but their buildings are crumbling. The Baoliwala, Sheikhanwala and the Shiva temples are the most impressive structures that have withstood the vagaries of weather.
The Baoliwala Mandir lies on the road that leads to Jhelum River. The elevated pinnacle of the temple is visible from a distance. The temple lies deserted but for the lower part where the idol of the deity was once placed (garbhagirha). But this too is in bad state of preservation. The temple has three openings from four directions. It has also the basement cells where the pujaris or the temple priests lived. There is a pradakshina (circumambulatory gallery) around the garbhagirha. On top of the entrance gate there is a gaping hole where once the temple’s inscription tablet may have been fixed. The entrance gate of the temple is in ruins. The stairways leading to the main chamber of the temple are all broken. Now, the main chamber (garbhagirha) is a heap of debris. The shikhara (superstructure) of the temple is still in good condition but the niches where the murtis stood are only just noticeable.
Another Hindu temple is located in Nagianwala Mohallah. This temple is dedicated to Shiva, the Hindu god of destruction whom the Yogis worship to annihilate their ego. The temple is believed to have been built by the Nath jogis who are the Shivite renouncers and take the Shiva as their first guru. The jogis were famous for their ascetic practices to kill their ardour (tapas). The region of Potohar was the center of the jogis with their main headquarters situated at the Tilla Jogian in Jhelum District.
The Shiva temple has eight Samadhi’s of the Nath jogis on the podium of the temple. Nath jogis buried their dead near their homes or in the temples instead of cremating them as is the custom of other Hindu denominations. Their place of burial is called a Samadhi, the final resting place of those who have renounced the world. The Nath jogis wore ochre color cloths called ‘bhagva’ from which the name of the town Bhera may have originated. The distinctive feature of the temple is the mandapa (columned hall that precedes the main chamber of the temple). The pillars of the mandapa are decorated with the images of Shiva in yogic postures. One of the pillars of the temple is also decorated with a painting of Brahma. The temple is built on an octagonal plan superimposed with a dome that gives it the looks of a Muslim tomb.
The third temple in the Sheikhanwala Mohallah is noted for its elegant shikhara. It is a square building. One only wishes the concerned authority could do something to restore these temples as relics of our past.
