Cheti Chand Celebrations

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!

Radio Sindhi

Ever since I was first came to know about Radio Sindhi, I have been a regular listener. Radio Sindhi is a web based Sindhi radio channel run by a Mumbai based company. Originally it had four web stations which have now expanded to seven. In fact, the first time that I heard the radio, I found it so interesting that i downloaded their app from the google play store and listen to it every now and then. Whenever i travel (which is quite frequent these days) , i do switch it on the first thing in the morning. I find traveling alone quite lonely at times as being an early riser , i do not really have much to do in the mornings and Radio Sindhi is a worthy companion at that time of the day. I find listening to people speaking in Sindhi very comforting and joyful. Every time, I hear Dada Gope Chander and his daughter, Smt. Aarti singing the famous " Damadam Mast Kalander" on Radio Sindhi, my happiness knows no bounds. 

I believe that Radio Sindhi is an excellent medium to connect our displaced Sindhi diaspora. I am happy to see it growing over the past few years due to the relentless efforts of the channel owner as well as a number of large hearted sindhis who have made financial contribution to the channel. It is important that such initiatives are appreciated by the community so that they can continue to grow in the years to come. 

Another one of my favorite songs is " Ho Jamalo" especially Abida jee's rendition that i hear quite often on Youtube. As I understand, this song was popularised in 1950's/60s by Abida jee and other singers in Pakistan. This song celebrates the courage of Jamalo Khoso Baloch .Wikipedia States:- (edited)

Jamalo Khoso Baloch was sentenced to execution by hanging, by British East India Company officer John Jacob  in Sukkur, probably in 1856. Jamalo (as he is conventionally called) was held in jail near the Sukkur Bridge, which had recently been built for trains by the English, but was untested. The government of Sindh announced that whoever test-drove a train across the bridge would be given a prize. Jamalo sent a letter to Jacob, offering to perform the train crossing, on the condition that he be released from jail and his sentence if he crossed safely. He did cross safely, was freed, and was given a prize by the East India Company's governor of Sindh. His wife composed the "Ho Jamalo" song about his exploit, and it has since become famous in the region.

I hope that initiatives like Radio Sindhi  will continue in the future as well.

Jiye Sindhiyat!

PS : For the interested, Radio Sindhi website is : www.radiosindhi.com.

Lachchmandas Pohumal Khemani

Shivratri has always been an important day in our home. Like most sindhis, my mother too is a follower of Lord Shiva. Generally speaking, we aren’t a very religious family as my father has always emphasized the importance of good deeds (“Sarbaht ka bhala”) over plain rituals. I have always found this aspect of being Sindhi as quite unique to us – whilst the sindhis who have crossed over to India during Partition were mainly Hindus, however I do find that our religious practices do have influences from other religions as well. As an example, during Diwali Puja at my home, not only will we have idols of various Hindu gods and goddesses but also of Guru Nanak Dev Ji as well. Not many are aware, that most sindhis are “Nanakpanthis.” Guru Nanak Jayanthi is an important day in the Sindhi calendar and is celebrated with great joy in the community. This flexible approach to religion, to me, is reminiscent of the great “Sufi” culture of Sindh wherein there was religious tolerance and being “human” was valued much more than anything else. 

A lot of my Punjabi friends find it a little odd about me not having non-vegetarian food on Mondays. Being a Shiv bhakt, my mother doesn’t encourage us eating non-vegetarian food on Monday. Of-course, like most other things, this too is now changing and the strict noes are being replaced by “preferably not”. I have grown up hearing how my (now) deceased maternal grandfather (“Nana”) used to attend the Shivratri Jagran at a mandir in Chandni Chowk along with his dear friend from Multan, Mr. Mony. He used to leave home at 7.30/8 in the evening, a day before Shivratri, used to attend the jagraan the entire night and come back by around 5.30-6 in the morning. Immediately after coming, he used to enter the kitchen and start preparing the “prasad” which was usually “Koki” (Sindhi Bread) and “Green Moong” (dry lentil). After this he used to leave for work, fasting the entire day and ended the day with just fruits and prasad in the evening.

Unfortunately, my grandfather expired when I was quite young (barely six years old) and hence I have little memories of him. He was always dressed in a white kurta pyjama and was a man of few words. I do distinctly remember that a couple of hours before he died, he spoke to my mother on the phone (and I think with all his other children as well) and told them that the end was now near and blessed each one of us. Most of my knowledge of him has been through my mother and the various anecdotes that she narrates every now and then.

I remember him and my beloved naani on every Shivratri  (Late Smt Meera and Late Shri Lachchmandas Pohumal Khemani from Kandiaro (Nawabshah), Sindh).

I pray to almighty that their soul rests in peace.

Om Namah Shivaya

Partition and Sindhis

The other day I was speaking to a Sikh friend of mine about how partition changed the entire course of thousands of families within a matter of days. Like many others, mine is also a refugee family, my grandfather having migrated from District Nawabshah, Sindh, in 1947.  Whilst the stories of families that have migrated from erstwhile unified Punjab are far more tragic than those of families that migrated from Sindh,(given that there was much more bloodshed in Punjab than Sindh) nonetheless Punjabis and Sindhis have much in common to share about the partition. The underlying theme remains largely similar - wealthy families who had to within a matter of days or in some cases even hours decide on questions that undoubtedly altered the course not just of the present members but also of generations to come i.e. leaving their homeland and move to a largely unknown place in the hope of providing safety and security to their near and dear ones; leaving behind all that they called their "own"and start lives afresh literally from scratch.

 As Dada Bhaneja asks in his book (Troubled Pilgrimage) - "What makes us stay or leave our homeland foreover" ; a seemingly innocuous question unfortunately to which  there are no simple answers.

However, in one way, I believe Punjabis have been slightly luckier than us (Sindhis) as they have a land that they can call their own.(as Punjab was divided between India and Pakistan) which has helped keep "Punjabiyat" alive.It is not as if I am unhappy with the way Hindu Sindhis have been treated here in India, in fact, I shall always remain grateful to this motherland (India) for it has cared and nurtured us (Sindhis) only like a mother can ; just that i am sad that it was only Sindh (of all the regions)  that wan't divided between India and Pakistan and went "in toto" to Pakistan ; thereby denying Hindu Sindhis a piece of land which they could call their own.

On the positive side, Hindu Sindhis are perhaps one of the few communities that are spread not just throughout India but across the world and are truly "Global Citizens". I was surprised to hear that internet based Sindhi Radio Channel - Radio Sindhi is heard in more than 100 countries across the globe which i think is remarkable for a community that is just 6-8 million people strong (rough estimates). I hope that we are able to retain our Sindhiyat as well so that our future generations too can experience this wonderful 2000+ years old culture.

I end with a couple of lines from Saeen Juman Darbadar's  poem that is regarded as Sindhi nationalism’s anthem (in Pakistan): 

“Wathi har har janam warbo, mitha Mehran mein milbo 

 (We will be born again and again until, my sweetheart, we meet in our own land of Mehran)”

 PS: Sindh province is also referred to as Mehran locally and hence the reference.

About "Unsung" Heroes

I am writing this post after having had a lovely time off work last week following the long weekend break on account of Republic Day celebration. Republic Day is celebrated here in India on 26th of January every year which is the date when the Constitution of India came into effect. This "sacred" document has been the culmination of years of hard work of the 308 members of the Constituent Assembly and countless others who had worked tirelessly for this masterpiece. Republic Day is an opportune time to remember and reiterate the nation's commitment to safeguarding our Constitutional "Values" but also remember and cherish the contribution of fellow Indians who were an important part of this project.

Similarly, over the years, I have seen selfless service by a number of Sindhi individuals who have toiled hard to protect (and spread) "Sindhiyat" without coming into limelight. Living near to Sindhi Community Centre, I have always been close to my "Sindhi roots" . Today in the post, I remember three such men (two now deceased) who have contributed a significant portion of their lives for the community* :-


1. (Late) Dada Bhojraj Vanjani :- My first memory of Dada Vanjani is of him coming to our block to invite the community members to the various programs that were organized at the Community Centre. Always dressed in an impeccable white shirt and trousers, he was an extremely polite gentleman. Ever smiling, he always used to tell my mother " taan bhi aeinda kayo aen baaran khe bhi vathi aenda kayo" (You should come and bring the children along as well). He selflessly served the Samaj for decades and is a model for generations to come. .

2. (Late) Sh. Mohan Gurbani :- Another distinguished worker of the "Samaj", I have extremely fond memories of Sh. Gurbani. He was a devoted social worker, who worked not only for the "Samaj" but for countless other Sindhi organizations as well. The "Bespectacled" gentleman, he was a trusted lieutenant, who preferred to work behind the scenes.The entire community owes him deep gratitude for his selfless service.

3. Sh. Anil Makhijani :- Mr. Makhijani's name brings a smile to face. He is the reason why I am able to keep up with my interest in "Sindh and Sindhiyat". Mr. Makhijani's photography / videography skills are nothing less than legendary. His youtube account has more than 1200+ subscribers and you can be assured that all major Sindhi events in Delhi will be captured by Mr. Makhijani video recorder  and be uploaded on his youtube page in no time!. I owe him deep gratitude for recording and broadcasting  events that I never even knew existed!. In addition to being skilled at videography, Mr. Makhijani is adept at playing a number of musical instruments as well.

I end with this wonderful Sindhi kalam sung by evergreen Saeen Rajan Jhangiani. Mr. Makhijani is on your left side playing the electronic pad/drum . The reason i like this kalam is not only because of Saeen Rajan's melodius voice ably accompanied by the dholak and electronic pad/drum and  but also because of the wonderful dance by Dada Chander Jhangiani (at 5 min 46 secs in the video)  ; the steps  are quintessential Sindhi :) Reminds me of some of my elderly relatives and family weddings. Jiye Sindhiyat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfRletAFnR0


PS: *- The above list is by no means exhaustive. There are many more "Unsung" Heroes- both men and women who have tirelessly worked and dedicated a major part of their lives to helping preserve Sindhi culture  ; however I have restricted myself to the three that first come to my mind. I intend to write more about such men and women in my subsequent posts.

Sindhi Navjeevan Sabha, Delhi

Sindhi Navjeevan Sabha, Delhi

My first introduction to Sindhi Navjeevan Sabha was one when of the relatives mentioned about the matrimonial service that is run by the Samaj every Sunday. In day-to-day usage, in the Sindhi world, a place of community get-together is referred to as Samaj. It is usually a built up compound which also generally has a temple / Gurmandir as well. The temple has a characteristic Sindhi touch in that it not only  has idols of various Hindu deities  but of Jhule Lal and Sindhi Saints as well - notable among them being Bhagat Kanwarram, Swami Lila Shah, Baba Nebhraj of Rohiri, Swami Shanti Prakash  etc. 

"Samaj" plays an important role in community interactions although its popularity is facing steady decline. A Sunday matrimonial service is quite characteristic of almost all "Samaj(s)" throughout Delhi and elsewhere where prospective brides and groom register themselves and bio-data(s) are exchanged between interested families. Some of the major Samaj's in Delhi are located in Old Rajinder Nagar, Lajpat Nagar (there are a couple of them here), Janak Puri and Ashok Vihar. Sindhi Navjeevan Sabha is located in Lajpat Nagar on Jal Vihar Road.

I first went to Sindhi Navjeevan Sabha about a couple of years ago and have been visiting this place every now and then ever since. It is an old structure consisting of a spacious courtyard on the ground-floor with a large hall/temple having idols of various Hindu deities. There is a similar large room on the first floor where matrimonial services are usually conducted along with a couple of smaller rooms as well. The ground floor also seems to have a small living room which I believe is used by the caretaker’s family.

 The distinguishing feature of Navjeevan Sabha is the small room adjoining the large hall on the first floor which is full of books giving it a library feel. Books are neatly arranged in various shelves. I immediately recognized (Late) Dada K. R. Malkani’s masterpiece – “The Sindh Story” lying on the top of the shelf. I enquired if the library did get visitors on which a learned gentleman from the management committee wryly commented that there are books but no readers here. This is not surprising given the current state of Sindhi Literature and culture here in India. It is saddening to note that there is a wealth (“Khazano”) of literature in this library not just in Sindhi but in Hindi and English as well but unfortunately no takers.

Navjeevan Sabha is also perhaps the very few places in Delhi (at-least) from where one can buy map of Sindh. I purchased a couple of them and was very pleased to locate my ancestral city of Kandiaro on the map. I also was able to locate various other places about which I had heard earlier such as Sukkur, Larkana, Hyderabad, Pano Akil etc. 

Lifetime Membership for the Sabha, I am told, is available for INR 2,500 which gives you free access to the library. Maps of Sindh are available for INR 30 each.

“Sabhas” and “Samaj(s)” need patronage from the larger community to survive and remain relevant. These contributions necessarily need not be only “financial” in nature (although money contributions never hurt!) but can also include attending to community functions /processions/celebrations etc. Perhaps, the next time you get an invite to attend such an event; do take out some time to attend the same. You may have something exciting to share with family and colleagues.

As this post has been about language and literature, Sindhi Academy, Delhi recently organized a National level poet meet. I am sharing the link below to Dada Vasdev “Mohi”s’ poetry wherein in his introduction he speaks about the relevance of English, Hindi and Sindhi in his life.

I hope some of us get inspired and start speaking in our mother tongue at-least in our homes to begin with.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_Y8so9J1FQ

Mr. Memon and Shaheed Hemu Kalani's Death Anniversary

Like with all other things, interesting events happen in life when one least expects them. I am reminded of my interaction with an elderly "Memon" gentleman a year or so ago. I was in Bangalore on a business trip and was staying at Lemon Tree hotel (incidentally owned by another Sindhi, Mr. Patanjali (Patu) Keswani).  After having packed my suitcase and getting all ready to attend to office work and then take the flight back to home, I went down to have  breakfast at the coffee shop when an elderly gentleman came and sat on the adjoining table. He was in his late fifties/ early sixties and was busy reading something on his mobile phone with his reading glasses on. As i was ordering the server to get me some tea, he looked at me and smiled. I greeted him back. As the waiter left, he inquired where I was from and what made me visit Bangalore. This started a conversation and he suggested i could shift to his table as it would be easier to converse; something I did not mind. 

I told him about my background and the company that I work for. He listened carefully and then inquired if I was a Sindhi. I replied in affirmative to which he smiled and told that he was a Muslim Memon based in South Africa. His forefathers migrated to South Africa around a century ago and he was visiting India to visit his ancestral village in Gujarat (Kathiawar) and to provide funds for some charitable work in his village.

I inquired from him the reason for him asking about my being a Sindhi. He replied that in 1980's he was on a business trip to Hong Kong where he was being hosted by a Sindhi family for dinner. When he went to their home, the ladies in the house were busy with preparing the meals in the kitchen and were speaking in Sindhi. He told the host that the language seemed very familiar to him ; to which his host replied - "Of-course Saeen it will sound familiar, you are a Memon". Whilst I did not understand the meaning of "him being a Memon" at that particular moment, I still nodded in agreement. He then jokingly asked in Sindhi " Tuhinjo Naalo Chaa Aaye?" (What is your name?) . By this time, his wife  had also come down for breakfast and I wasn't sure if I should still continue being with the couple ; so I politely ended the conversation there and came back to my room.

Given my general inquisitiveness,  I came back to my room and searched about Memon's. It is then that I understood that Memon community originated in Thatta region of Sindh and perhaps that was the reason for his host's comments. Wikipedia mentions:- "

The Memon community was founded in the 15th century by 700 families comprising 6,178 persons total.According to Anthovan, those Lohanas of Thatta who converted to Islam became Memons and were invited by Rao Khengarji Jadeja, ruler of Bhuj in the 16th century, to settle in Bhuj. It is from there that Kutchi Memons migrated to Kathiawar and mainland Gujarat. Surat in Gujarat was an important trading centre from 1580 to 1680 and Memons made their bounty there.Memons became significantly affluent as a result of trading in Surat.

I find it fascinating how such simple conversations with a complete stranger can remain with you for so long.

On a separate note, today (21st January) is also the death anniversary of Shaheed Hemu Kalani, who is also referred to as "Bhagat Singh of Sindh". He was a  Sindhi revolutionary and freedom fighter during the Indian Independence Movement. Radio Voice of Sindh, UK ran a special program on his death anniversary (2016) to which I provide a link below for those who may be interested. The language of the program is Sindhi. ( I must confess that I too understand only 50% of the actual words spoken).


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NE0NxVeCpQ