The festival of Cheti Chand (Sindhi New Year) is celebrated on the first day of Chet (Chaitra) month every year. The festival also marks the birth of "Uderolal" also popularly known as "Jhule Lal". It is celebrated with great zeal by Hindu Sindhis across the world.
I have been fortunate enough to attend two Cheti Chand celebrations this year - one that is carried out by our local Sindhi Panchayat wherein a "Behraana" procession is carried out which travels throughout the colony before ending at "Sindhu Samaj" where a small program is arranged followed by langar prasad. It is perhaps the only time in the year that I get to hear the traditional "Shehnai" being played. Throughout the procession, various families offer prasad to the accompanying members.
Yesterday, I also attended for the first time Cheti Chand Mela in Punjabi Bagh that is organised by Sindhi Jagriti Sabha for the last 43 years. I was quite awestruck by the sheer scale of the event (had never anticipated that it would be at such a massive scale!). It reminded me of the numerous Diwali Melas that I had attended in my neighborhood. My sister and me also saw the various Sindhi performances that had been organized including one by Dada Mangharam and Dadi Jamuna from Ajmer and by "Rockstar" Vipin Shewani from Mumbai. All the performances were quite enjoyable and I am glad that Sindhi music still evokes a decent level of interest from the community.
I had recently came across this wonderful article on Cheti Chand by Ms. Zahida Rehman Jatt in Dawn newspaper (Pakistan). I strongly suggest this as a 'must read". Do not also forget to see the video link capturing the wonderful dancing by the devotees:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1318886
Jeay Sindhiyat!
I have been fortunate enough to attend two Cheti Chand celebrations this year - one that is carried out by our local Sindhi Panchayat wherein a "Behraana" procession is carried out which travels throughout the colony before ending at "Sindhu Samaj" where a small program is arranged followed by langar prasad. It is perhaps the only time in the year that I get to hear the traditional "Shehnai" being played. Throughout the procession, various families offer prasad to the accompanying members.
Yesterday, I also attended for the first time Cheti Chand Mela in Punjabi Bagh that is organised by Sindhi Jagriti Sabha for the last 43 years. I was quite awestruck by the sheer scale of the event (had never anticipated that it would be at such a massive scale!). It reminded me of the numerous Diwali Melas that I had attended in my neighborhood. My sister and me also saw the various Sindhi performances that had been organized including one by Dada Mangharam and Dadi Jamuna from Ajmer and by "Rockstar" Vipin Shewani from Mumbai. All the performances were quite enjoyable and I am glad that Sindhi music still evokes a decent level of interest from the community.
I had recently came across this wonderful article on Cheti Chand by Ms. Zahida Rehman Jatt in Dawn newspaper (Pakistan). I strongly suggest this as a 'must read". Do not also forget to see the video link capturing the wonderful dancing by the devotees:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1318886
Jeay Sindhiyat!
