Sindhi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by about 30 million people in the Pakistani province of Sindh, where it has official status. It is also spoken by a further 1.7 million people in India, where it is a scheduled language, without any state-level official status. The main writing system is the Perso-Arabic script, which accounts for the majority of the Sindhi literature and is the only one currently used in Pakistan. In India, both the Perso-Arabic script and Devanagari are used.
Sindhis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group, originating from and native to the Sindh region of Pakistan, who share a common Sindhi culture, history and language. The historical homeland of Sindhis is bordered by southeastern Balochistan; the Bahawalpur region of Punjab; the Marwar and Jaisalmer regions of Rajasthan; and the Kutch region of Gujarat.
Bhit or Bhit Shah is a small town located in Matiari District, Sindh, Pakistan. The town is best known as the location of the shrine to the Sindhi Sufi poet Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, who came to be called Bhittai on account of the town's name. Passing along the road that leaves Hala for Hyderabad, beyond the shrubs there are a solitary group of large white mounds, which form hills known as Bhit in Sindhi.
Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, commonly known by the honorifics Lakhino Latif, Latif Ghot, Bhittai, and Bhit Jo Shah, was a Sindhi Sufi mystic and poet from Pakistan, widely considered to be the greatest poet of the Sindhi language.
Pakistani folklore encompasses the mythology, poetry, songs, dances and puppetry from Pakistan's various ethnic groups.
Shah Jo Risalo is a book of poems of the Sindhi Sufi mystic and poet Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai. Shah Abdul Latif's poetry was transmitted orally during his lifetime and compiled after his death and designated as Shah Jo Risalo or Poetry of Shah.
Sassui Punnhun or Sassi Punnu is a traditional Sindhi, Balochi, and Punjabi tragic folktale. Set in Sindh and Makran, the tragedy follows the story of a faithful lover who endures many difficulties while seeking her beloved husband who was separated from her by rivals.
Sohni Mahiwal or Suhni Mehar is a traditional Punjabi–Sindhi folk tragedy. Set in central Sindh or northern Punjab, depending upon the version of the tragedy, the folktale depicts the separation of two lovers and their tragic demise.
Sindhi literature is the collection of oral and written literature in the Sindhi language in prose and poetry. The Sindhi language of the province of Sindh in Pakistan is considered one of the oldest languages of ancient India, and influenced the language of Indus Valley inhabitants. Sindhi literature has developed over a thousand years.
Noori Jam Tamachi is a folktale in the Sindhi folklore dating back to the 15th century.
Sindhi folk music is traditional folk music and singing from Sindh, which is sung and generally performed in 5 genres that originated in Sindh, the first genre "Bait" styles. The Bait style is vocal music in Sanhoon and Graham. Second style "Waee" instrumental music is performed in a variety of ways using a string instrument. Waee, also known as Kafi. Sindhi folk music was popularized by great Sindhi sufi poet Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai.
Nabi Bakhsh Khan Baloch was a Sindhi research scholar, historian, sindhologist, educationist, linguist and writer. He predominantly wrote in Sindhi, but also in Urdu, English, Persian and Arabic. He has been described as the "moving library" of the Pakistani province of Sindh.
Momal Rano or is a romantic tale of Momal and Rano from the Sindhi folklore and Rajasthani folklore. It is a multifaceted story that entails adventure, magic, schemes, beauty, love, ordeals of separation, and above all romantic tragedy.
Umar Marvi is a traditional Sindhi folktale dating back to the 14th century, and first penned by Shah Abdul Karim Bulri in the 16th century. It follows the story of a village girl Marvi, who resists the overtures of a powerful local ruler and the temptation to live in the palace as a queen, preferring to be in a simple rural environment with her own village folk.
Lilan Chanesar is a traditional story which dates back to the time of Jam Chanesar, one of the Soomra rulers in the 14th century Thatta, Sindh, Pakistan. It has often been retold in Sindhi and Persian.
Sindhi folklore is a rich cultural tradition that has evolved in Sindh over centuries. The region is abundant in folklore, expressed in diverse forms and vibrant colors, ranging from the well-known tales of Watayo Faqir and the legend of Moriro to the epic poetry of Dodo Chanesar and the heroic story of Umar Marvi. Sindhi folklore stands out among the region's traditions, particularly with the love story of Sassui, who longs for her lover Punhu, a tale sung and cherished in every Sindhi house. Other notable stories include the legend of Umar Marui and the tale of Suhuni Mehar.
Sindhi folktales play an important part in the culture of the Sindhi people of southern Pakistan. Pakistan's Sindh province abounds in fairy-tales and folktales that form its folklore. Some of these folktales are particularly important for the development of higher literature in Sindhi, since they were to form the core of mystical tales of Sindh immortalized by Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, and are generally known as Heroines of Shah.
Seven Queens is a name commonly used for referring to the seven female characters that appear in the poetry compilation Shah Jo Risalo of the Sindhi poet Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai. They include:
Tomb paintings of Sindh are paintings found dispersed throughout tombs in the Sindh province of Pakistan.
Surando is an ancient traditional Sindhi musical instrument. It is played by musicians in Sindh, Kutch, Rajasthan, and Balochistan. The term "Surando" is derived from the Persian word "Surayindah," meaning "producer of tunes."
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