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Sindhis have a rich and clearly distinct cultural heritage and are very festive. The most important festival for Hindu Sindhis is the birthday of Lord Jhoolelal and Cheti Chand.
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Sindhis have a rich and clearly distinct cultural heritage and are very festive. The most important festival for Hindu Sindhis is the birthday of Lord Jhoolelal and Cheti Chand.
1. Cheti Chand [1]
Celebration of the birth of Sai Uderolal, the Avatar of Varun Devta (the God of Water) popularly known as Jhulelal . So much has been said and written about it that it would be superfluous to mention the event again. In Sindh the beginning of the New Year was considered Cheti Chand . Some businessmen open new account books on Cheti Chand; many however, do that on the eve of Diwali. On the full moon, people used to go to a river or lake and offer 'Akho' with a pinch of rice mixed with milk and flour. If there was no river or 'Darya', the ritual was performed at a well. The festival is an opportunity for people of Sindhi origin to come together and pay tribute to their cultural and spiritual heritage. [2]
2. Sagra (Sacred thread) Sindhi Bhaibands often lived in foreign countries; therefore, their wives were always worried about the good health of their husbands. For this purpose they performed pooja and fasted on four Mondays of Sawan month, after which they perform pooja, distribute sweet rice and then had the sacred thread tied on the wrist by the priest ( Bandhan ).
3. Mahalakshmi's Sacred Thread (Mahalakshmi-a-jo-Sagro) This sacred thread has 16 strips and 17 days. On the day when the sacred thread is to be untied, it is celebrated as an important day and special savouries like satpura and pakwan of Suji & Maida are made and distributed firstly to the priests and the poor and afterwards the remaining savouries are used by family members.
4. Fasts In Sindhis, generally Mondays & Saturdays, Giyaras (Ekadashi) or Umaas (Amavasya) were observed as fasts ( Vrats ). During the fast of Satyanarayan and nine days of Ekaanaas, only one meal was generally taken.
5. Teejri [3]
This festival takes place in the month of Sawan when married women and girls paint their hands and feet with Mehndi, go on fast for the whole day, during which time they play games, swing in Jhulas and sing love songs. Orthodox or strict Sindhi women do not even drink a sip of water until they break their fast. In the night after making an offering to the moon, they would break the fast. This is also referred to as the Sindhi version of Karwa Chauth [4]
6. Akhan Teej [5]
In Sindh, Akshaya Tritiya is known as Akhandi which is celebrated in Vaisakha. On this day new earthen pots of water (matkas) are kept and everyone is offered clean and cool water. The significance of this day is to offer water to the thirsty. Hence at every nook and corner, sharbat, with pieces of apple in it, are offered to passersby along with 'prasad' . On this day, it is also customary to send new earthen pots and fruits to Priests and Mandirs.
7. AUnn-Matyo In the month of Sawan, on the Baaras (Dwadashi) of Krishna Paksha, the cereals used in food are changed, i.e. instead of wheat and rice, chapatis made of gram flour (Besan) are eaten.
8. Ban Badhri During the month of 'Bado', during the Baaras (Dwadashi) of Shukla Paksha, Varun Dev had taken an avatar. In lieu of that, small insects like ants etc. are fed Gur (jaggery) and Musti. Married daughters are invited by their parents for meals.
9. Somavati Umaas During certain months Umaas takes place on a Monday. That day is considered important for having a Snan (Ritual dip) in the waters; without talking to anyone early in the morning. It is also called 'Gungee Umaas" (Ganga Amavasya).
10. Nandhi and Vaddi Thadri Both of these take place in the month of Sawan. On the day before Thadree day, people cook lola (sweet flour cakes) and rote (fried cakes) because there has to be no lighting of fire in the house on the Thadree day. The lolas and Rotes are eaten with curd or pickle. On that day, drops of water are also sprinkled on the cooking fire to appease Sitladevi Mata.
11. Janamashtami, Ram Navmi and Shivratri Since Krishna was born after midnight, on Janamashtami, Bhajans and Kirtan are held in temples till midnight. On Ram Navmi, Lord Rama's birthday is celebrated. On Shivratri people drink 'Thaadhal' with some 'bhang' in it, after making offerings of it in the Mahadev temple. In the villages and cities, big pots of 'Taahri' (sweet rice) are prepared and distributed among all.
12. Tirmoori On this festive day parents send ladoos & chiki ( Laaee ) made of Tils to their married daughters. On the Makar Sankranti day the sun moves from south to north. It is therefore also called 'Utraan' (Uttarayan) or 'Tirmoori' . In the battle in the Mahabharata Bhishma Pitamah did not breathe his last till ‘ utraan' since on this day there happens a flash of light in Dev Lok and applying oil is prohibited in this festival.
13. Dussehra A few days before Dussehra there is a Ramlila program which is attended by throngs of people. On the Dussehra day colourful effigies of Ravana, Kumbhakarna and Meghnath are burnt.
14. Diyaaree Two days before Diwali, Sindhis start lighting Diyaas (earthen lamps) from 'Dhan Teras' . The bazaars are full with prospective consumers. Friends and relatives meet one another with affection and extend pleasantries and sweetmeats. In the night, Laxmi Poojan takes place when all the members of the family pray with reverence and respect. In the night, people take in their hands a stick to which a rag dipped in oil was tied and which is burnt. It is called 'Mollawaro' ; everyone shouts 'Mollawaro ... . Mollawaro' ...
15. The Giyaras of Kati Before the independence of Pakistan in 1947, on this day people in Sindh used to be engaged in giving charity. The whole bazaar would be full with hundreds of beggars and the needy, who would spread a cloth before them, on which people, according to their might, would throw money, Bhugra, fruits etc. The jugglers used to arrange their Tamashas on the road with monkeys and bears dancing on the tunes played by the jugglers. An atmosphere of gaiety prevailed all through the day.
16. Navratra During this day, devotees of Devi eat one meal a day and do not even shave and cut hair. Ladies sing bhajans . In Nagarparkar they used to dance like Garba in Gujrat.
17. Lal Loi [6]
In some parts of Sindh, the Sindhi community celebrates Laal Loi on 13 January every year. During Lal Loi kids bring wood sticks from their grand parents and aunties and like a fire camp burn these sticks in the night with people enjoying, dancing, and playing around the fire. Some ladies whose wishes were fulfilled offer coconuts in the fire and distribute prasad 'Sesa' ; this continues till midnight.
18. Rakhri
During the Purnima of Sawan month, according to Daswani and Parchani (1978) the family priest in Sindh "traditionally tied a rakhi on the entire family while the ritual of a sister tying the Rakhi round a brother's wrist has been borrowed as a result of non-Sindhi influence in North India." [7] In this festival, sisters tie a Rakhi to their brothers. This day is called "Rakhree Bandhan'. People in cities and places near rivers or the sea, used to offer coconuts and milk to the God of Waters 'Varun Devta so that those who were travelling in ships and boats should have a safe and sound journey.
19. Shraadh Just as in India the month of September 'Bado' is meant for Krishna Paksha as Pitar Pakhiya. For any member of the family who had died on a particular (tithi) day and date, a Shraadh was offered for the solace of the deceased's soul. The Brahmins are given food and Dakhshna. It is said that Arya Samaj carried out a strong movement against Shraadh, but the Shraadhs continued because of the faith of people since they felt that through this method the deceased members of the family are remembered and all the family members have a good gathering.
20. Nagapanchmi (Gogho) During those days whenever the snake charmer brought snakes, they were given some Dakshina and also milk for the snakes. Nagpanchami is also called Gogho. It is a folklore from Kutch and Gujarat.
21. Holi The festival of colours in which all the young and old join together to express their joy at the change of season. Some people correlate the Holi festival with Holika, the sister of Hirnakashyap, father of Bhakt Prahlad.
Sindhis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group, originating from and native to the Pakistani province of Sindh, who share a common Sindhi culture, history and language. The historical homeland of Sindhis is bordered by the southeastern part of Balochistan, the Bahawalpur region of Punjab and the Kutch region of Gujarat.
Raksha Bandhan is a popular and traditionally Hindu annual rite or ceremony that is central to a festival of the same name celebrated in South Asia. It is also celebrated in other parts of the world significantly influenced by Hindu culture. On this day, sisters of all ages tie a talisman or amulet called the rakhi around the wrists of their brothers. The sisters symbolically protect the brothers, receive a gift in return, and traditionally invest the brothers with a share of the responsibility of their potential care.
Chaitra is a month of the Hindu calendar.
Jyeshtha or Jyēṣṭha is a month of the Hindu calendar. In India's national civil calendar, Jyestha is the third month of the year. Known as Joishtho in Bengali, it is the second month of the Bengali calendar.
Śrāvaṇa is the fifth month of the Hindu calendar. In India's national civil calendar, Śrāvaṇa is the fifth month of the year, typically beginning in mid to late July and ending in late August. In the Tamil calendar, it is known as Āadi and is the fifth month of the solar year. In lunar religious calendars, Śrāvaṇa begins on the new moon or the full moon and is the fifth month of the year. Srabon is the fourth month of the solar Bengali calendar. It is also the fourth month of the Nepali calendar. Śrāvaṇa is also the second month of Varsha.
Gudi Padwa is a spring festival marking the start of the lunisolar new year for Marathi and Konkani Hindus. It is celebrated in and around Maharashtra, Goa & Damaon at the start of Chaitra, the first month of the lunisolar Hindu calendar. The festival is characterised by colourful floor decorations called rangoli, a special gudi dvaja; which is a saari or dhoti or other piece of cloth garlanded with flowers, mango & neem leaves; a sugar crystal garland called gathi, topped with upturned silver or copper vessels. Celebration also includes street gathering, dancing & festive foods.
Naga Panchami is a day of traditional worship of nagas or snakes observed by Hindus, Jains, and Buddhists throughout Nepal, and other countries where Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist adherents live. The worship is offered on the fifth day of bright half of lunar month of Shravana (July/August), according to the Hindu calendar. Some Indian states, such as Karnataka, Rajasthan, Bihar and Gujarat, celebrate Naga Panchami on the dark half of the same month. As part of the festivities, a Naga or serpent deity made of silver, stone, wood, or a painting is given a reverential bath with milk and their blessings are sought for the welfare of the family. Live snakes, especially cobras, are also worshipped on this day, especially with offerings of milk and generally with the assistance of a snake charmer.
Amāvásyā is the lunar phase of the new moon in Sanskrit. Indian calendars use 30 lunar phases, called tithi in India. The dark moon tithi is when the Moon is within 12 degrees of the angular distance between the Sun and Moon before conjunction (syzygy). The New Moon tithi is the 12 angular degrees after syzygy. Amāvásyā is often translated as new moon since there is no standard term for the Moon before conjunction in English.
Chetri Chandra is a festival that marks the beginning of the Lunar Hindu New Year for Sindhi Hindus. The date of the festival is based on the lunar cycle of the lunisolar Hindu calendar, falling on the first day of the year, in the Sindhi month of Chet (Chaitra). It typically falls in late March or early April in the Gregorian calendar on or about the same day as Gudi Padwa in Maharashtra, Ugadi in other parts of the Deccan region and Hindu Samvat Nav Varsha or beginning on New Year in Hindu Samvat Calendar of India.
The Shri Swami Narayan Mandir, Karachi is a Hindu temple that is the only Swami Narayan temple in Pakistan. The temple is notable for its size and frontage, over 32,306 square yards (27,012 m2) on the M. A. Jinnah Road in Karachi city. The temple celebrated its anniversary of 216 years in April 2004. There is a sacred cowshed within the premises of this temple. The temple is located at the centre of a Hindu neighbourhood in Karachi. The building that housed a dharmshala for visiting devotees has now been converted to the office of the City District Government.
Gaura Parva is a Hindu festival celebrated by the people residing in Sudurpashchim province and parts of Karnali province of Nepal as well as in Kumaon region of Uttarakhand state of India. The festival commemorates the wedding of the goddess Gaura/Gauri (Parvati) to Shiva. The festival falls in the Hindu month of Bhadra (August/September).
Jhulelal a folkloric deity among the sect of Sindhis, the most revered deity of Sindhi Hindus in the modern-day republics of Pakistan and India.
Dwadashi, also rendered Dvadashi, is the twelfth lunar day (tithi) of the shukla (bright) or krishna (dark) fortnight, or Paksha, of every lunar month in the Hindu calendar.
Punjabi festivals are various festive celebrations observed by Punjabis in Pakistan, India and the jairish alipreet Punjabi found in Kannada. The Punjabis are a diverse group of people from different religious background that affects the festivals they observe. According to a 2007 estimate, the total population of Punjabi Muslims is about 90 million, with 97% of Punjabis who live in Pakistan following Islam, in contrast to the remaining 30 million Punjabi Sikhs and Punjabi Hindus who predominantly live in India.
Chalio/Chaliho also called Chaliho Sahib is a forty-day-long festival celebrated by Sindhi Hindu community.
Here is a list of glossary of Culture of India in alphabetical order:
Lal Loi is the Sindhi term for the Punjabi winter folk festival of Lohri. It is celebrated in some parts of the Pakistani province of Sindh by the Hindus and also celebrated by Sindhi Hindus in India. On the day of Lal Loi children bring wood sticks from their grand parents and aunties and light a fire burning the sticks in the night with people enjoying, dancing and playing around the fire.
Sindhi Americans are Americans or residents of the United States who are of Sindhi descent. They are a subgroup of Indian Americans and Pakistani Americans.
The Shrine at Odero Lal, also spelt Udero Lal, is a joint Muslim-Hindu shrine located in the village of Odero Lal, near the city of Tando Adam Khan in the Pakistani province of Sindh. The shrine is notable as it is jointly used for worship by members of both faiths, while both communities also display reverence for the nearby Indus River at the shrine.
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