The Jewel of Sindh: The Great Manchar Lake of Dadu

Lake Manchar is the largest freshwater lake in Pakistan and one of Asia's largest. It is located west of the Indus River, in Dadu District, Sindh. The area of the lake fluctuates with the seasons from as little as 350 km² to as much as 520 km². The lake collects water from numerous small streams in the Kirthar Mountains and empties into the Indus River.



It is located in Dadu.

Being a natural
storage it was free from the defects and drawbacks of an artificial
storage. Manchar Lake has been substantially supporting various economic
activities. It provided a livelihood for a large number of fishermen,
irrigation water for various crops and aquatic plants including lotus.
The lake could have also contributed a lot in boosting up tourism
industry if its beautification was properly maintained. However due to
various reasons the primitive beauty and usefulness of the lake have
been degraded.

History:



The lake was created in the 1930s when the Sukkur Barrage was constructed on the river Indus. The lake is fed by two canals, the Aral and the Danister from the river Indus. Until recently the lake supported thousands of fisherfolk it is in near to village kot lashari bobak railway satation.who depended on the freshwater fish they caught in the lake. However, the lake is now undergoing environmental degradation resulting in the water becoming saline killing off the fish and forcing the fisherfolk to look elsewhere for employment.

Environmental Degradation:

The degradation has been occurring for a long time but only recently have the effects been felt. The diversion of water from the Indus and a diminished storm runoff from the Kirthar mountains have contributed to the reduction in fresh water supplies. At the same time, saline drainage water from agricultural fields in surrounding areas has started to flow into Lake Manchar. However between 16 august to 22 august 2009, 700 cusecs of water was introduced in the lake via Indus River.



The lake was a stop-off on the Indus flyway for Siberian migratory birds, but recently the numbers have fallen from 25,000 birds counted in 1988 to just 2800 bird counted in 2002, because the lake no longer provides the birds' main food, the lake fish. In the place of the birds, the lake now hosts a saline water reed.

The lake also provided large volumes of water for irrigation but this has also been reduced and has resulted in a great reduction in the area irrigated by the lake.

Population:


Nowadays, Lake Manchar is populated by the houseboat people of Mohana.

Cholistan (Rohi): Part of Great Desert Called Marusthali or Region of Death - - The Place With Sweetest Language of the Planet "Saraiki"

OVERVIEW OF CHOLISTAN DESERT

The Indus Valley in Pakistan, spanning along the River Indus, from the fertile plains of Punjab to the lower course of Sindh along, was the first cradle of civilization in the subcontinent, emerging in 2000 years BC. The basin is divided from that of the Ganges by a desert known as Cholistan in Bahawalpur Division, and Thar in Sindh. It is a part of great desert called Marusthali or Region of Death.

Cholistan is spread over 10,000 square miles, occupying about two third's area of present Bahawalpur Division. Administratively, it is divided between the three districts of Bahawalpur Division: Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, and Rahim Yar Khan. On its northern and western sides flows the River Satluj, the desert region of Rajisthan lies on its east and south, and its southwestern boundary is formed by the desert region of the Province of Sindh.

Cholistan is called Rohi in the local dialect. The word has a Turkish origin, Chol meaning a ' desert'. But Cholistan has not always been a desert. It is separated from the central tract of Bahawalpur Division by a depression called Hakra, which at one time carried the waters of a large river, which flowed all around its length and breadth. Thus the area was fertile, well cultivated, and well populated till the early twentieth century, when with the changes in the courses of the river Satluj and Sindh took place and turned it into a sandy barren land.

HISTORY OF CHOLISTAN DESERT

The history of Cholistan starts from the history of Indus Valley civilization, which prospered from about 2500 BC to 1500 BC around the Indus River. No one is sure about the people who formed Indus civilization. It is believed that they were Aryans, but there is also some evidence of the presence of the Proto-Australoids or some of the wild hill tribes of the sub continent in this area. However according to the latest analysis no less than six racial elements have contributed to build up the population of the sub continent.

The modern South India is usually a blend of Mediterranean and Proto-Australoids, the two chief ethnic factors in the Harrappa culture. The Harrappa religion, language, and culture suggest that the Harrappa folks were Dravidian. The fine sculptures, human figures engraved on the numerous seals found at Harrappa and Moenjo Daro also determine the various racial factors, but still the identification of the people of the Indus civilization and the nature of that society will always remain a secret. The reason may be that the area being on the riverside has always been dwelled by nomads, the people who had never known a city.

LIFE IN CHOLISTAN

Cholistan is a composed of dry, wet, and green area. Its southern area is called Greater Cholistan, where Tibbas rise to as much as several hundred feet. The northwestern portion called Lesser Cholistan is a loamy soil with abundance of vegetation. In the dry season the vegetation decreases but even a few drops of rains in the rainy season brings back the vegetation on which the desert dwellers' livelihood depends.

The economy of Cholistan depends on rain though on the whole it can be considered as a rainless tract. Rain falls mostly in summer, but is scanty and irregular, not exceeding six inches annually. Sometimes there is no rainfall for years, but only an inch of rain can bring miraculous transformation and turn the exhausted dry land into fresh and green pastures.

The ordinary Cholistani used to live in a Kacha house known as gopa or jhok that had roof covered with thatch of grass. But the Cholistani people's art of construction is projected through their fort building. These forts were first built in a line by the Rajput rulers in the Hakra depression as a defense against intruders. As these forts were merely used as check posts, these were made with mud having iron gateways, and did not have any worthwhile architectural designs or motifs attached to them.

In Greater Cholistan people store water in natural depressions or man-made ponds called Tobas. When the water in the Tobas is exhausted, people shift to their semi-permanent settlements in Lesser Cholistan where wells are available for water. These wells are the centers of great hustle and bustle, for people here are found gossiping while drinking or attaining water for themselves and their animals in a systematic way. Within months the wells gets dry, and the people have to move near canals and rivers till it rains and fills the Tobas and the wells again. The riverine areas not only avert the curse of famine, but also provide fodder to the cattle.

The areas in Lesser Cholistan are now irrigated by canals, and have got a refreshingly green wooded appearance. The vast system of irrigation canals originating in the Satluj River is responsible for magical transformation in the area, turning the rough sandy wastes, with scanty growth of dull desert plants into a vigorous green land that is well cultivated.

LANGUAGE IN CHOLISTAN

The language of Cholistan also reflects a number of features of its historical and geographical background. The local dialect was believed to be spoken by a rough, rude, and warlike people who liked to disobey every law and rule of grammar imposed by the so called super-cultured class of the Brahmans and their purified and gifted Sanskrit, which was the language of Indian Hindus.

The Saraiki language is an Indo-Aryan speech, and is spoken in Cholistan as well as in a large part of central Pakistan. It is no more a neglected language, once attributed to the camel-driving Jats and semi-nude Baloch tribes. It has always been as orthodox and conservative as the people who speak it. Even today the likes, dislikes, attitudes, and values of the people are the same as their forefather centuries back. Khwaja Ghulam Farid was a Sufi poet, who through his mystical writings and poetry not only developed the language a lot, but also gave it a boost. The language suffered a great loss when the Saraiki-speaking Hindus migrated to India during the Partition, and were replaced by the Muslim refugees from there. However, the majority of them lived in the cities and a very few in the Greater Cholistan. During the Partition, they moved to the safety of the neighboring Hindu states of Bikaner and Jaisalmar.

Shrine of "Lal Shahbaz Qalandar" in Sehwan, Sind - - A Saint Equally Adored By Hindus And Muslims: Embraced the Qalandar Order of Sufism At Twenty

The mosque that is built in the hearts of the saints
Is the place of worship for all, for God dwells there
(Jalaluddin Rumi)

The original name of ‘Lal Shahbaz Qalandar’ was Syed Muhammad Usman who was born in 1177 AD in Marwand, Iran. His father, Syed Ibrahim Kabiruddin, was a righteous and devout dervish, and his mother was a superior princess. His intimates migrated from Iraq and settled down in Meshed, from where they again migrated to Marwand. During the Medieval era, Meshed and other cities of that region were prominent centres of knowledge, culture and civilization.

In very young age as a teen age boy, Shahbaz Qalandar proved strong religious leanings. He learnt the Holy Quran by heart just at age of seven, and at twenty embraced the Qalandar order of Sufism. ‘Qalandar’ is a type of dervish who is usually dressed in beggars’ clothes, likes poverty and sternness and has no permanent home. Lal Shahbaz Qalandar roamed throughout Middle East and came to Sind from Baghdad via Dasht-i-Makran. In 1263, he arrived in Multan, which at that time was at the height of beauty and splendour. The people of Multan insisted him to stay but he continued his journey southward and ultimately settled down in Sehwan, then a famous centre of learning and popular place of worship for Hindus, in the southern part of Sindh, where he lived in the trunk of a tree on the border of the town. He stayed at Sehwan for six years and during this period he spread the light of Islam, providing direction to thousands of people.

Sehwan is perhaps the town with the oldest continuous existence in Sind. It rises on the top of a conical hill, and nearby lie the ruins of a huge fort supposed to have been founded by Alexander (the Great). Some coins of Alexander’s time are reported to have been found here. Sehwan was the capital of a Buddhist ruler who was brother of Chandragupta II, the third of the Guptan empire in the 4th century AD. From the time of Arab incursion in 712, Sehwan was very important in the history of Sind since it commanded the route from the Upper to the Lower Indus, through which all intruders from either north or south had to pass. And control of the fort was vital to the success of every battle.

Lal Shahbaz Qalandar is an tremendously popular patron saint cherished and adored alike by Hindus and Muslims of Sind. He was a great missionary, mystic, scholar, philologist and poet. Several books in Persian and Arabic on philology and poetry are attributed to him. He was called ‘Lal’ (red) because of his red dress, ‘Shahbaz’ (falcon) due to his noble and divine spirit that soared like a falcon higher and higher in the limitless heavens and ‘Qalandar’ since he belonged to Qalandria order of Sufism and was saintly, exalted and intoxicated with love for eternal being of God. The legend goes that the present fakirs in Sewhan sent him a bowl of milk filled to the edge indicating that there was no room for anything more. But surprisingly, he returned the bowl with a beautiful flower floating on the top. This legend spread far and wide by the time of his death in 1274, after living a good span for 97 years.

The shrine around his tomb, built in 1356, gives a stunning look with its Sindhi kashi tiles, mirror work and two gold-plated doors - one donated by the late Shah of Iran, the other by the late Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. The inner chamber is about 100 yards square with the silver canopied grave in the middle. On one side of the marble floor is a row of about 12 inch high folding wooden stands on which are set copies of Quran for devotees to read. On the other side, beside a bundle of burning “Agarbattis” (joss sticks), are rows of “Diyas” (small oil lamps) lighted by Hindu devotees. The Hindus regarded him as the personification of Bhartihari, the saintly brother of King Vikramaditya, who is believed to have worshipped Shiva at the venue where Lal Shahbaz's shrine is situated with all its splendour and beauty.

Thousands of followers gather around the tomb daily; while every Thursday their number increases and multiplies. Especially at the time of his ‘Urs’ (death anniversary) being a carnival, as well as, a religious event and celebrated every year on the 18th day of Shaában (Eight month of Islamic/lunar calendar), Sehwan springs to life and becomes the centre of attraction of more than half a million pilgrims from all over Pakistan. On each morning of the three days feast, the narrow lanes of Sewhan are packed to capacity as thousands and thousands of pilgrims, fakirs and followers make their way to the shrine to communicate with the saint, offer their tributes and make a wish. Most of the people present wreath and a green chadar (a cloth sheet used to cover a tomb) with Quraánic message in silver or gold threads. Buzzing of verses, singing and dancing in praise of the saint continues till late at night. A devotional dance known as ‘Dhamal’, being a frenzied and blissful whirl of the head and body is a special custom that is performed at the rhythmic beat of the ‘Dhole’ (a big barrel-shaped drum), some of them being of gigantic sized and placed in the courtyard of the shrine. Bells, gongs, cymbals and horns make a thunderous din, and the dervishes, clad in long robes, beads, bracelets and colored head-bands spin faster and faster in a hypnotic trance, until with a final deafening scream they run wildly through the doors of the shrine to the courtyard beyond.

Special dance of 'Dhamal' is shown here in the clip below:

Not only the people gather from all over Pakistan but also the tourists and the foreigners are captivated at this mesmerizing scene and desire to enjoy it again and again. Such were the persons who really touched the highest spiritual experience. Through their transcendence, their relation to God is such that in them the Divine personality seems to reflect itself and through them is revealed to his followers, and the grace of God is dispensed to those who invoke God in his name.

Sindhi Topi (Sindhi Cap): The Most Essential Part of The Sindhi Culture - - Sindh Celebrated The First Ever "Sindhi Topi Day"

Pakistan is a country of several ethnic groups and cultures. This is apparent not only in the looks of the people but also in their language, traditions, food and dress.

One thing a newcomer would notice is the variety of caps and turbans Pakistanis wear. Even though with increased travel, TV, and urbanization the caps worn in one part of the country have also been adopted by people in other parts but, still, the cap or the turban a Pakistani wears would usually give away his ethnicity and, sometime, even his social status.

Sindh has one distinctive cap, which stands out for its colorful embroidery and glasswork; the Sindhi Topi. It is round in shape except that a portion in front is cut out to expose the forehead for the same reasons as explained earlier. It comes in two varieties - hard and soft. The hard variety will keep its shape when not worn but the soft variety can be folded and even put into one’s picket. Most Sindhis, rich or poor, own a Sindhi cap.

The Sindhi Topi is regarded as one of the most essential parts of the Sindhi culture and is usually offered to guests, along with a traditional Sindhi Ajrak, as a token of respect.



Sindh celebrated first ever ‘Sindhi Topi Day’ on 6th December, 2009.

The call for the Sindhi Topi Day received an enthusiastic response everywhere as tens of thousands of people of all languages sporting Sindhi Topis and Ajraks took to the streets to express their sentiments and love with the Sindhi culture.

The Sindhi Topi Day has been observed following calls from a Sindhi television channel and the PPP in response to uncalled for remarks about the Sindhi Topi by an anchorperson of a private television channel.

Hand-woven Sindhi Topis are a product of hard labour and made in almost every district of the province. However, the Sindhi Topi produced in Tharparkar, Umerkot, Sanghar and other districts of the Mirpurkhas division are rated better and fetch a better price.



The Sindhi cap is also used in Balochistan, both by the Pushtuns and the Baloch. Balochistan, otherwise, is a land of turbans. And very distinctive turbans, too.