Asghar Mall College,, Built in 1904, Rawalpindi, Pakistan

Asghar mall college was Established by the Sanatan Dharma, a Hindu religious movement, in 1904, the site was first home to a religious school in front of the Khalsa High School, which was run by Sikhs, and aimed to teach students from all religious backgrounds. The current building was constructed in 1913 and named Sanatan Dharma High School.

In 1948, the building became the first government-run college in the Rawalpindi division. The Government Gordon College, which was established in 1901, remained a private school in the Potohar region until 1972.

Sanatan Dharma was a Hindu religious movement that opened many schools and colleges in Rawalpindi and other parts of India,” explained Jag Mohan Arora of the All Pakistan Hindu Sikh Welfare Association.The building is a mix of Mughal and British aarchitecture.

There was also a Hindu temple adjacent to the college, which teachers and alumni said was a part of the college campus.

The college walls are also engraved with the Star of David, a symbol of Judaism, reflecting the role of the Jewish community in making the building, while a crucifix can be seen on the main building.

The building was constructed using donations from various members of the society and from diverse religious groups, including Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims. In the college hostel, there are plaques bearing the names of Hindu philanthropists. Some of the rooms were built by Lala Peshawari, in memory of his father Lala Haran Das, while some were built by Saith Ram Gopal and Jevan Devi, in memory of her husband Lala Pindi Das.

The college’s main building, however, needs attention from the government to repair broken windows and doors.

“Hindu religious symbols were also on the walls and the roof, but after the destruction of the Babri Mosque in 1992, protesters erased these symbols,” Prof Khushi Mohammad Nasir, the principal of the college, recalled.