Sant Yudhishtar Lal and Shadani Durbar

I have recently been watching a number of videos of Sant Yudhishtar Lal (Shadani durbar) on facebook during his annual visit to Sindh. Shadani durbar is one of the oldest durbar in Sindh originally located in the Upper Sindh area of Mirpur Mathelo taluka in Ghotki district. It is a 300 year told temple  established by Sant Shadaram Sahib in 1768. The family subsequently relocated to India in 1968 to Raipur ( currently the capital of the Indian state of Chhatisgarh) and have now a durbar both in Sindh as well as in Raipur. Sant Yudhishtar Sahib is the current " gaddisheel"  at the Durbar. 

Shadani Durbar, Hayat Pitafi, Tehsil Mirpur Mathelo, District Ghotki, Sindh (Pakistan)
Photo Courtesy : Internet

Shadani Durbar at Raipur, Chhatisgarh, India 
Pic Credit : The Hindu ( internet)

I first heard about Saeen sahib when I began reading about our heritage and culture a few years back. However, I only realised durbar's popularity when during 2018 state elections, the then Bhartiya Janta Party President, Mr. Amit Shah, paid a visit to Sant Sahib in Raipur. The attached link to a 2018 article published in " The Hindu" newspaper details about the increasing  relevance of Sindhis in political sphere in Chhatisgarh. Subsequently, I learned more about the durbar during my interactions with Dr Sunila Sewani whose family too hails from Mirpur Mathelo and are close followers of Durbar. 

https://www.thehindu.com/elections/chhattisgarh-assembly-elections-2018/the-ascent-of-sindhis-in-chattisgarh/article25509779.ece

Evey year, Saeen sahib along with 45-50 pilgrims travel to Sindh for a week long pilgrimage which includes visit to all major temples. I had never realized the popularity of Saeen sahib and the durbar in Sindh before I saw the live videos being relayed on his facebook page. Sahib's visit to Sindh seems to act as a unifying force for the rapidly declining Hindu Sindhi community. I had the pleasure of watching young kids dressed as Hindu gods and goddesses like Radha Krishna and Ram Seeta and performing to various Bhajan's in front of Saeen Sahib. It takes me back to my childhood when the 22 block kids used to arrange for a "jhanki" on Janmashtmi every year. It used to begin with finding a volunteer family who would allow us to use their alley ( "thada"  as we call it here) to set up the jhanki. This used to be followed by the boys bringing bricks and sand/geeli mitti from the nearby construction sites and the girls arranging for various idols that will be kept in the Jhanki. We then used to arrange for a small " jhoola" where krishna bhagwan would be kept. Everyone from the block used to come down in the evening to watch our Jhanki . Such lovely memories !

I end with the below youtube video from Saeenjan's visit to Sindh which highlights his and Darbaar's popularity. Our Saeenjun's play an important role in holding the community together and to keep reminding us about our rich heritage and culture.I pray to Lal Saeen to bless sahib with a long and healthy life. 

https://www.facebook.com/santyudhishterlalji/videos/874040056755758

Jai Jhuelal 

Diwali,2020 & Sant Kanwar Ram Varsi Diwas

 I must begin with an apology for the delay in writing this new post. Like a number of other families , Teckchandani family has also been facing a difficult time as my eldest uncle was recently diagnosed with COVID and is currently hospitalized due to worsening of symptoms. Following the demise of my eldest Tayi (Aunty) earlier this year, all of us have been very worried given Taya's sudden health deterioration. I pray for his well being and for him to return home soon. 

It has also been quite an uneventful Diwali this year. Delhi is facing the double whammy of COVID as well as increased air pollution levels during this period largely due to the stubble burning by farmers in neighboring states  and the current weather conditions which makes it difficult for pollutants to  disperse given low wind speed. Delhi is currently witnessing a third COVID wave with approximately 7500 new cases every day which is putting pressure on healthcare facilities. For most Delhites, Diwali has been a muted affair this year. There was no hustle and bustle on the streets/in the neighborhood. 

As a kid, I always used to refer to Diwali as Saibhaji Day as Saibhaji/Sat Bhaji and Pulao are always cooked for Lunch at our home on Diwali. As kids, whenever we queried mummy as to why we are always served Saibhaji on Diwali day ; her standard reply was "  Dyaari jo diyan dadho vadho hoondo aa ; hine diyar sat bhajiyun thahendi aahin" ( Diwali Day is an extremely auspicious one ; Seven vegetables are cooked together on this day). We also do a small Lakshmi Puja in the evening. As a young kid, I enjoyed going to New Rajinder Nagar market with mummy to buy "Hatdi" (Lakshmi Hut)  and " Patasa" for the Puja. We usually have relatives coming over in the evenings starting a few days before Diwali ; however, this year the celebrations have been limited to wishing each other on whatsapp and telephonic conversations. 

Diwali Puja at Teckchandani Residence.
(Hatdi is right in the centre next to Shiv Bhagwan's statue) 

1st November is also the Varsi Diwas of Sant Kanwarram Sahib. Lajpat Nagar (Delhi) based Sindhi Navjeevan Sabha in light of the economic difficulties being faced by the community, have initiated two programs to assist fellow members on this day. The first one relates to providing generic medicines to needy Sindhis. The families just need to share their pharmacy bill for medicines procured from Government's Jan Aushadi Store which sell generic medicines at a hugely discounted price. The amount will immediately be transferred by Sabha to the beneficiaries.  The second program relates to providing  financial assistance to Small Scale Sindhi entrepreneurs who have suffered financial losses due to COVID. Sabha will provide sums of money to help these businessmen restart their projects . 

In my opinion, Sindhi Navjeevan Sabha, is one of the few progressive Sindhi NGO's that has always worked to provide assistance at grassroot level. I deeply admire their work carried out under the able leadership of Dada Amar Manshani. Readers who may be interested to assist in these projects can contact him on +917042247601. 

I end with this lovely rendition of (Late) Kanwar Ram Sahib's  "Naale Alakh Je " by Dada Ghanshyam Vaswani. It is always a pleasure listening to Vaswani Dada. I hope you like it too. 

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

Jai Jhulelal.May Lal Saeen Bless us all!

Adipur

 I have just finished watching a video from Bhavna Rajpal's insightful Sindhi Series " (Un)archiving Adipur". Adipur, a small town located in Kutch district of Gujarat, has played an influential part in preservation of Sindhiyat in the post partition India. It is built on land originally donated by the estwhile Maharaja of Kutch to Sindhu Resettlement Corporation headed by Late Pratap Dialdas (Bhai Pratap) upon his request to  Mahatma Gandhi for land to rehabilitate Hindu Sindhis from Pakistan. The Kutchis and Sindhis share a long and a common history with both Kachchhi  and Sindhi languages being quite similar. In fact some scholars consider Kuchchhi to be a dialect of Sindhi. Having read for my MBA degree at K J Somaiya Institute of Management Studies and Research in Mumbai, an educational institute run by Somaiya family who have Kuchchhi origins , I vividly remember listening to the various Kuchchhi Samaj programs that were held at the campus and being able to understand the gist of most conversations. Not many may be aware, that Adipur also has a second Samadhi of Mahatma Gandhi (main one being at Delhi) as it was Acharya Kriplani and Bhai Pratap who immersed Bapu's sacred ashes in Kandla Creek. 

Bhai Pratap wanted to develop a Mini "Sindh" in India at Adipur given the proximity to Gulf of Kutch and Arabian Sea and was one of the early visionaries who foresaw the potential to develop Adipur as a trading hub much like today's Hong Kong and Singapore given the community's trading prowess. Unfortunately, the plan did not materialize as envisaged due to a plethora of factors including Bhai Pratap's untimely demise. ( The interested reader may want to read my earlier blog post on Bhai Pratap :https://sindhi-chokro.blogspot.com/2018/08/bhai-pratap.html)

Nonetheless, Adipur/Kutch has emerged as a centre for preservation of Sindhi culture thanks to the establishment of Indian Institute of Sindhology (IIS) and also (now) with the construction of Jhulelal Tirathdham Trust in Kutch's Lakhpat District. Whilst IIS has been envisaged as a Centre for educational and cultural preservation of Sindhiyat, the Tirathdham trust is envisaged as a Centre for Hindu Sindhi Pilgrimage. Phase 1 of the project has already been completed with the construction of Lal Saeen Mandir and further phases are planned for the future. ( The interest reader may also want to read my earlier blog post on Indian Institute of Sindhology: https://sindhi-chokro.blogspot.com/2019/02/indian-institute-of-sindhology-iis.html). 

I have been a avid follower of Bhavna Rajpal's youtube page "Sindhi Film Festival". She is one of the few Sindhis from the my generation who have an interest in keeping Sindhiyat alive as well as relevant for the younger audience. Her videos are quite insightful.  (Un)archiving Adipur is a ten part series in which Bhavna interviews some of the distinguished community elders who have played an important role in the formation of Indian Institute of Sindhology. It was originally produced in 2018 but has been put on her youtube channel recently.  I congratulate Bhavna on her efforts and hope that I get to see more such informative videos in the future. The link to her youtube page is as follows. 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMyF3wzNMnZN2sQjbYPIv4w/featured

Jai Jhulelal. 

Dr Nandkumar Hemraj Keswani

COVID sadly has become a part of life now. Its been almost six months now yet there seems to be no end to this pandemic. Last week, I went to office for the first time since the lockdown. I was looking forward to going to office for the past few weeks and finally got a chance when I had to go to attend a client meeting. I never thought that sitting at my office desk would bring such joy!

Despite all the challenges that a developing economy like India faces in deal with the pandemic, one of the institutions that has stood out is All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi. Established in 1956 by India's first Health Minister, Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, as an institution of national importance for imparting medical education, AIIMS is playing a pivotal role in shaping the medical response to COVID in India . From devising medical strategies to deal with infected patients  which serve as a guiding light for other hospitals / institutions across the country , designing and co-coordinating vaccine trials to advising the government on various Public Health interventions required at this critical time, the institution is truly living up to the vision of its founders. Having had a family member who has been treated at AIIMS, I can personally vouch for the top class evidence based medicine that the institution practices. While the waiting queues may be long, however, it is one of the few successful institutions where top quality medical treatment is not just the preserve of the rich and elite. It is truly a common man's hospital. 

Not many may be aware, but an important role in the establishment of the institution was played by a fellow Sindhi, (Late) Dr. Nandkumar Hemraj Keswani, who joined the institution as the founder head of the Department of Anatomy and History of Medicine and later went on to become the Dean and Interim Director. Born in Bunguldero in Larkana District in Sindh, Pakistan in 1923, Doctor Dada left his career at Mayo Clinic / University of Rochester in USA to join AIIMS as a founding faculty member and served the institute for approximately 22 years along with his wife , Marianne (Colburg) Keswani and their four kids. He has often been described as the "finest" anatomist of his times, having regularly co-authored with Dr Hollinshead , whose Anatomy textbook is as relevant today as it was then. He was also instrumental in creating the museum of the History of Medicine at AIIMS. Dada Sahib has also served as the medical director of Jaslok Hospital in Mumbai  which was established by another Sindhi family, Chanrais. Keswanis returned to USA in 1970s and Dada  passed away in 2011. 

(Late) Dr. Nandkumar Hemraj Keswani
Photo Courtesy : Internet

Whilst much has been written about Sindhis as a trading community and as being astute businessmen , not many are aware that Sindhis have equally contributed to the country's growth and development in other areas as well - whether in Politics through stalwarts like (Late) Acharya Kriplani and L K Advani, in legal field via maverick like (Late) Ram Jethmalani and (Late) Nirmal and Kapila Hingorani or in Medicine via Dada Sahib and many others. May Sindhri be blessed with many more stalwarts like Dada Sahib. His dedication and commitment to helping India reach greater heights is  unparalleled and is as much needed today as it was then.  

Keswani family is involved with Keswani Family Fund at American Academy of Pediatrics which intends to bring one additional scholar from India to USA for advanced neonatal training. Interested reader may want to visit their webpage  https://services.aap.org/en/aap-global/keswani-family-fund/

I end with this wonderful Jhulelal Pallav sung by Mohit Lalwani during Cheti Chand celebrations in March at his home. I enjoyed listening to the Aarti and I hope you too like it. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pI5GZ7z41W0&t=8s

Being Sindhi ( Contd..)

Migration of Refugees from Sindh  is an issue that is close to my heart. Every time I hear about  group of Hindu Sindhis coming to India to start life afresh due to difficult circumstances in their home country, my heart fills with sadness. It reminds me of my paternal and maternal grandfather and the struggle they would have gone through to re-start life in India. Dada was lucky to find a Government job early on given his educational background. Nana on the other hand came to Delhi as his brother-in-law had a government job here and was the only close relative that Nani had having lost both her parents early on. In addition, the government was much more benevolent given the huge influx at that time and had allotted land to refugees. Having a home/ a place of your own in new surroundings helps you immensely in developing a sense of identity and often acts as a building block for starting life afresh. I have time and again heard elderly relatives talk about the importance of owning a home , often commenting " Maanu je sar te chut te pehenji huje" (One should have a home of their own). 

However, the circumstances are much more difficult for fellow brothers and sisters who are migrating now. Whilst they come with a lot of hope, for many, it doesn't take long for their dreams to be shattered. There is negligible government support except some assistance by few Samaritans / Sindhi organisations every now and then. Having grown up in a doctor household, as kids we used to get irritated whenever the doorbell rang at odd hours. Daddy always used to say " Maanu dadhi aas saan aenda aahin" ( People come with a lot of hope) and would always respond. Today I realize how would lonely these fellow sindhis would feel when they are left to fend for themselves without much  assistance. It also makes me realize the important role that "luck" and "timing" play in shaping our futures.  

I do think it is no less than service to the entire society to help these migrants. Help need not be monetary ; for a lot of them, help essentially means giving them access to opportunities - whether it is helping them with an application for school or a referral at work etc or probably something as simple as offering them a cup of tea if you happen to meet them. Sometimes all that people need is a support system and they are ready to conquer the world. The next time you meet a refugee family, please act compassionately.

 I end with youtube videos of two gentlemen who represent the true Sindhi spirit - of never giving up, of hard work and of zeal to succeed against all odds. The first story is of visually impaired Dada Kalyan Adwani who is based in the Sindhi colony of Jaripatka in Nagpur (Maharashtra).Despite having lost his eyesight at the young age of three years, Dada Kalyan never gave up and today successfully runs a kids snack store from his home to make ends meet. He reminds me of Tina and my visits to " Bhogdi" from whom we used to buy Namkeen when we were young. From the same Nagpur, is another inspiring story of another young Hindu migrant from Pakistan, Lakhi ( now known as Lucky) who runs a roadside cart selling Poha / Chivda.  Bhai Lakhi is also specially abled yet rather than relying on charity/alms, runs his own cart to earn an honorable living. He has named his cart SSD after the famous Sacho Satram Dham sect from Deherki Sahib in Pakistan which has a huge following amongst Sindhis in Western India. 

It is individuals like Dada Kalyan and Saeen Lakhi who truly represent all that we as a community stand for. As (Late) Dada K. R. Malkani aptly writes in his book "The Sindh Story" :-

 " ..........  From ``Sharnarthis'', the Sindhis have grown into ``Pursharthis'' and ``Parmarthis''.

What could be the reason for the dramatic success of Sindhis --- and Punjabis --- after the shattering shock of Partition? It is the same reason that enabled Japan and Germany to revive themselves after the trauma of defeat in World War II. This is, the mind of a people. Milton described it long back as ``the unconquerable will, never to submit or yield''. The Sindhi considers it his Fundamental Right to Succeed. Given this frame of mind, men can make gold even out of dust."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWnMoLf58Mc&t=149s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNdobr3DBGE&t=2s

 Jai Jhulelal. 

Toronto Sindhi Gurmandir

June has been busier than usual. Working From Home (WFH) isn't as easy as it sounds. I have found that on most days, I end up working much more than I used to in office. The days easily extend till late in the evening and everyone tends to think that you are available 24*7. It is probably the first time in the last two years that I haven't been able to complete my fortnightly blog post. But as they say " Better late than never".

Ever since the lock down began, I have been noticing an increase in the number of Sindhi programs being held online which is quite heartening. In fact I do see a sizable number of people attending the same as well. On an average, on most web programs, I usually see an attendance of  around 150-200 people. In the various in-person artist programs that Delhi Sindhi Academy organizes (or used to, before COVID), the audience strength is generally around 100-125, so considering that these are e-concerts, 200 seems quite an encouraging number. The two good e-programs that come to my mind are the musical evening by Saeen Rajan Jhangiani in early May, whose singing I greatly enjoy  as well as the one organised by Sindhi Gurmandir, Toronto  on 31st May,2020 who had invited Saeen Sadhram Sahib from Deherki Sahib, Sindh (Pakistan)  for a Satsang along with popular Sindhi singer, Jatin Udasi for a musical evening . Shri Arjun Jasuja was the lovely host for the event.

I am quite amazed to see fellow Sindhi families settled in Toronto taking so much interest in our mother tongue and heritage. I first read about Sindhi Gurmandir in Toronto when many years ago, I was shared a youtube video of Dada Vaswani's Satsang there and was surprised to such a thriving Sindhi population in the area. My subsequent interactions with Dada Balwant re-confirmed the presence of a vibrant Sindhi community in Canada. Sindhi Sangat, a few years ago, directed an insightful documentary on the genesis and establishment of  Toronto Gurmandir which is a good watch.(link below). I have often heard Dada Mahesh Chander during his concerts mentioning  about his friend Sher Motwani in Canada.  I understand that Dada Motwani  has played an important role in the establishment of Toronto Sindhu Samaj.

Sindhi Gurmandir, Toronto, CANADA ( Picture Courtesy: Internet)

It is heartening to note that community members have united and contributed to the establishment of such a marvelous Gurmandir which I hope serves as a guiding light for us and the future generations  ; helping us in knowing our roots and holding our dear " Sindhri" close to us. I hope and pray for continued well being of Gurmandir and its members.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-fJBMfqD9Q&t=364s

I end with this lovely rendition of " Hin Janam Hun Janam" by "Adi" Manjushree Assudani Tejwani at Sahyadri Sahyog Awards Function in 2014. The National Broadcaster, Doordarshan, in association with the Sahyog Foundation organizes the SAHYADRI SAHYOG SINDHU AWARDS generally held at Doordarshan Mumbai Kandra to felicitate the eminent personalities from Sindhi Community who had done extraordinary work in their respective fields. Sahyog Foundation is headed by Dada Ram Jawaharani whose commitment and work towards preserving Sindhiyat I deeply admire.  Adi Manjushree is best known for her sindhi devotional songs. I pray for her well being and long life. 

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

Jai Jhulelal

Fanna -Fi-Allah

Hī sūfian jo des ā, latīf jī zamīn hī;
Hī sāmī wāro āstān, makān-i ‘ārifian hī
Sachal jo hit darāz āh, sāz āh dīn hī:
Hite ā dīn ‘ishq o uns, ā balad amīn hī!
Hit ā bashar birādarī, hite na zāt pāt ā!
Ae sindh tū mathān sadā salām ā salāt ā!

This is the country of Sufis, the land of Latif;
This is Sami’s place, the abode of mystics; 
Here is Sachal’s dargah, this religion is music: 
Here, religion is love and affection, the land of peace! 
Here mankind is our brotherhood, there is no caste system here! 
O Sindh, may prayers and peace always be upon you!

                                       - Hyder Bux Jatoi,1954*

Fanna- Fi -Allah is a Canadian- American  group which plays Qawwali, a well known form of Sufi devotional music played in the Indian sub continent. It is led by Tahir Qawwal ( formerly Geoffrey Lyons) who has learnt this art form from classical masters in India and Pakistan. Aminah Chishti accompanies him on Tabla. She is the first female tabla player to be initiated into the lineage of Qawwali. "Fanna Fi Allah" means "Annihilation in God" inspired by the long standing Sufi tradition. In the Sufi world " Love for Beloved" and "God" are the same - communion with the spirit being a key tenet of Sufism. I personally think that  Sufism's emphasis on all religions being equal and on the personal nature of one's interaction with the almighty without emphasis on rituals etc have played an important part in the community's financial success as we are able to easily mingle into the broader neighborhood. Mummy's favorite saying is " Pehenjo Ghar Guru jo Darr" ( One's home is temple itself).

I first came across Fanna -Fi-Allah's video recordings on Youtube a couple of years ago and since then, I have been a follower of their music. Unlike others, Tahir Bhai and the broader group are able to effortlessly convey to the listener the spirit of their renditions , which I consider as a remarkable achievement for someone to whom Hindi/Urdu does not come naturally. 

I end with the wonderful song " Lal Meri Pat" sung by Fanna-Fi-Allah at the shrine of Lal Shabaz Qalandar at Sehwan Sharif in Sindh, Pakistan.There seems to exist a fascinating relationship between Lal Shahbaz Qalandar who is worshiped by Sindhi Muslims and Jhule lal , a diety worshiped by Hindu Sindhis . Something similar can be seen at the temple of Mata Hinglaj Bhawani, considered to be "Kuldevi" of Hindu Sindhis, based in Lasbela district of Balochistan who is also revered by Sindhi Muslims as " Nani Mandir " (Maternal Grandmother's Temple). Interestingly, the word Sehwan originates from Sewistan or "Shiv-stan" (literally, the land of the Hindu God Shiva), being the kingdom of the last Hindu Sindhi ruler of Sindh,  Raja Dahir, which extended to the Punjab. 

No wonder that the lyrics of Lal Meri Pat include " Shahbaz Jhule Lal Hai, Qalander Jhule Lal hai". 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SihdsEzawaU&list=RDSihdsEzawaU&start_radio=1

*  Hyder Bux Jatoi, peasant leader and Sindhi nationalist wrote the above lines in 1954. Jatoi mentions three most prominent Sindhi poets, Shah Abdul Latif, Sachal Sarmast , and the Hindu, follower of Advaita Vedanta, Sami , whose words, to many, exemplify Sindh’s ‘Sufi culture’. 

This post borrows extensively from the article “Sindhis are Sufi by Nature”: Sufism as a Marker of Identity in Sindh by Julien Levesque. Complete link to the article as follows:-

https://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/halshs-02464387/document