By Jasjit Ahluwalia

In his article Guru Nanak’s Travel an appraisal of Baku Visit, Gurvinder Singh Chohan has concluded that Guru Nanak did visit Baku because of the information in Memoirs of Zehir-ED-Din Mohammed Babur published by Oxford Press, 1921 and Baku- and eventful history and Zindgan-E-Shah Ismail-E-aval (Persian) and inscription of commencing Verse of Guru Nanak found at two different places. According to him, the dates of these inscriptions are not available. Therefore, he had requested SGPC to have a research delegation sent to Baku for proper research. Unfortunately no such delegation of research scholars has been sent to Baku for locating contemporary evidence which could confirm that Guru Ji and Bhai Mardana had actually visited Baku and may have gone to Atishgah temple which is situated in Surakhani about 20 km from Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan.

The persons, who got the inscriptions written in Temple of Fire, can be traders from Sindh or Multan who had faith in the teachings of Guru Nanak

Dr. PS Walia of Mohali had gone to Baku for attending the conference of Dermatologist. During his visit he visited Atishgah and took some photographs highlighting the inscription in Punjabi language in Gurmukhi script. He also saw a Hindu temple where in Lord Shiva as Natraj is depicted and also saw the burning flame which depicts Goddess Jawalaji.

Also read: Sikhs on the Silk Road

For doing research which could confirm the visit of Guru Nanak and Bhai Mardana to Atishgah following factual background would be relevant for the scholars.

Empire of Ismail-I

Shah Ismail-I was the founder of the Safavid Dynasty and ruled from 1501 to 1524. His empire consisted of present day Iran, Azerbaijan Republic, Armenia, most of Georgia, the North Caucasus, Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan, as well as parts of modern day Syria, Turkey, Pakistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. He was responsible for making Shia Islam as state religion.

During Guru Nanak’s visit to Middle-East, Ismail-I was the Shah of Iran

Ismail’s greatest legacy was establishing an empire which lasted over 200 years is capital was Tabriz. Thus it is clear, that, during Guru Nanak’s visit to Middle-East, Ismail-I was the Shah of Iran. According to Dr. Devinder Singh Chahal, Guru Nanak was in Middle-East for about 11 years (1511 and 1521). According to Dr. Dalvinder Singh Grewal, Guru Nanak had visited Iran thrice, first time while going from Karachi to Aden, he visited Bushahr Bander, second time when going from Madina to Baghdad, and he visited Basra and third time after returning from Turkey and beyond when he visited Tabriz. If Guru Nanak had visited Tabriz which is capital of East Azerbaijan province he must have visited Atishgah because of its importance to the travelers coming from Multan and Sindh.

Silk Road

The great Silk Roads bringing together two different Worlds-East and West, could not but leave a trace in the history of political, economic and cultural development of the countries through which it passed. Travelers, merchants and missionaries exchanged cultural, scientific, educational and spiritual values. Azerbaijan was on the path of the roads and made a significant contribution to the development of global transit network. The goods and products of Azerbaijani towns and settlements spread along with the Silk Roads with great success. Bilateral lands and sea routes linked Azerbaijan with China, Syria, India, Asia Minor, Iran, Egypt, Russia, the Arabian Peninsula, North Africa and Europe.

Guru Nanak had visited Iran thrice, first time while going from Karachi to Aden, he visited Bushahr Bander, second time when going from Madina to Baghdad, and he visited Basra and third time after returning from Turkey and beyond when he visited Tabriz.

The British used to lay their routes to India via Azerbaijan, Indian merchants traded in spices and cashmere fabrics with Baku and Shahmakhi. For this reason, actually one of the medieval caravan serias in Baku has the name of the Indian origin, “Multani”. Baku used to serve as a transit point for goods passing from China and India through the Black sea through Constantinople. Thus considering the importance of Baku in Azerbaijan and location of Atishgah temple, the possibility of Guru Nanak visiting Azerbaijan during the reign of Ismail-I is great.

Importance of Atishgah of Baku

The Baku Atishgah, often called the “Fire Temple of Baku” is a castle like religious temple in Surakhani town, a suburb in Baku, Azerbaijan. Based on Persian inscription, the temple was used as a Hindu, Sikh and Zoroastrian place of worship. “Atish” is a Persian word for fire. The pentagonal complex, which has a courtyard surrounded by cells for monks and a tetra pillar-altar in the middle, was built during the 17th and 18th centuries. It was abandoned in the late 19th century, probably due to dwindling of the Indian population in the area. The natural eternal flame went out in 1969, after a century of exploitation of petroleum and gas in the area, but is now lit by gas piped from the nearby city. The Baku Atishgah was a pilgrimage and philosophical center of Zoroastrians from North-Western Indian sub-continent, who were involved in trade with Caspian area via the famous “Grand Trunk Road”. The complex was turned into a museum in 1975. The annual number of visitors to the museum is 15000 plus.

Two inscriptions in Punjabi in Gurmukhi script

In the present form Atishgah Temple was built during 17th and 18th centuries. In the 2 inscription in Punjabi in Gurmukhi script after the “Mool-Mantra” or commencing verse, in first inscription in 5th,6th and 7th lines, it is mentioned, “Bava Jadusaha, whose pupil was Bava Bamkesaha, whose pupil was__ rasha built a sacred place” in the second inscription, in the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th lines, it is mentioned “there was Bava (Ta) gadasa, Bamgewale resident, whose disciple was melarama further whose disciple was kartarama udasi”. This sacred place called Jawalaji was built.

The research is required to be done for finding out who were the travelers from Sindh and Multan trading with Azerbaijan and beyond using Multani caravan sirai in Baku

A research is required to be done for finding out the names of the persons who had got the inscriptions written probably in the beginning of 17th century. The concerned persons can be traders from Sindh or Multan who had faith in the teachings of Guru Nanak and were not satisfied with the worship of Jawalaji Goddess. Therefore research is required to be done for finding out who were the travelers from Sindh and Multan trading with Azerbaijan and beyond using Multani caravan sirai in Baku. As large number of Indians were living around Atishgah temple or in Baku proper, the possibility of some evidence being available in Azerbaijani language or Persian language could not be ruled out.

Also read: Nanakpanthi Saints of Sindh

The Sikh disciples who were responsible for the two inscriptions in Punjabi in Gurmukhi script must have done so in early 17th century that is less than 100 years after Guru Nanak had left Baku for India. The question why Guru Nanak visited Azerbaijan becomes clear from the fact that Azerbaijan was part of the Iranian empire of Ismail-I and some parts of present day Pakistan were also part of his empire. In the Middle-East Guru Nanak had interacted with Suni population, Sufis and his visit to Iranian empire must have been to interact with Shia population. His focus on Atishgah shows that he wanted to tell the worshipers of fire that God is creator of Universe and his attributes mentioned in Mool-Mantra were required to be adopted by human beings so that they become truthful that is ‘Sachiar’.

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Courtesy: Sikh Net (Posted on August 8, 2019)

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RATTAN SINGH

The Bedis are a small clan among the Khatris, gaining distinction due to the birth of Guru Nanak into it. Many Bedis trace their descent from Baba Lakhmi Chand, the son of Guru Nanak. The Bedis historically congregated at Dera Baba Nanak but eventually created more centers at Una and Kallar. Their role in Punjabi society was varied, including acting as a theocratic elite and at other times, performing roles suited to the development of their village.

Theocratic elite

As mentioned before, Bedis were considered the descendants of Guru Nanak. As a result, they were treated as a theocratic elite and would receive patronage under various kingdoms due to their wide influence.

Baba Kaladhari

Dera Baba Nanak was founded by Guru Nanak, on the banks of the Ravi, alongside Kartarpur. The Bedis traditionally resided here until Baba Kaladhari, the ninth descendant of Guru Nanak, created further establishments including Una and the village of Bedian near Lahore. The Una establishment was founded by Baba Kaladhari, during the time of the 10th Guru. Nearby, Baba Kaladhari met Guru Gobind Singh at Bathu, where the Gurudwara Sri Gurplaha Sahib stands today. Since Una became a burgeoning pilgrimage centre, the Raja of Jaswan granted Baba Kaladhari several jagirs.

Baba Sahib Singh Bedi

After the death of his father Baba Ajit Singh, Baba Sahib Singh Bedi became the primary jagirdar of Una, gaining immense popularity throughout Doaba. Maharaja Ranjit Singh offered him further jagirs of villages in Gujranwala and Lahore. He is perhaps best known for his coronation of Maharaja Ranjit Singh as the emperor of the Sarkar-i-Khalsa. Satbir Singh Bedi’s pamphlet on Baba Sahib Singh Bedi further describes the event:

1801 ਦੀ ਵੈਸਾਖੀ ਨੂੰ ਸ਼ਾਹੀ ਕਿਲੇ ਵਿਚ ਬਾਬਾ ਜੀ ਨੇ ਆਪ ਅਰਦਾਸ ਕਰਕੇ ਸਿੰਘ ਸਾਹਿਬ, ਮਹਾਰਾਜਾ ਰਣਜੀਤ ਸਿੰਘ ਆਖ ਕੇ ਵਰ ਦਿਤਾ ਤੇ ਮਥੇ ਉਤੇ ਕੇਸਰ ਦਾ ਤਿਲਕ ਲਗਾਇਆ। ‘ਸਤਿ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਅਕਾਲ’ ਦੇ ਜੈਕਾਰੇ ਛਡੇ ਗਏ। ਬਾਬਾ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਸਿੰਘ ਜੀ ਦਾ ਕਿਤਨਾ ਕੁ ਪ੍ਰਭਾਵ ਮਹਾਰਾਜਾ ਰਣਜੀਤ ਸਿੰਘ ਉਤੇ ਸੀ ਇਸ ਦਾ ਮੁਖ ਉਦਾਹਰਣ ਨਾਨਕ ਸ਼ਾਹੀ ਸਿੱਕਾ ਹੈ ।

On the Vaisakhi of 1801, Baba Sahib Singh Bedi performed ardas in the royal fort of Lahore, gave him the title of Maharaja and anointed him with a saffron tilak. Rallying cries of ‘Sat Sri Akal’ were heard. Baba Sahib Singh Bedi’s influence on Maharaja is visible from the Nanakshahi coin.

It was only under Maharaja Ranjit Singh that upkeep became prominent as jagirs were granted to influential Bedis such as Baba Sahib Singh Bedi, the grandson of Baba Kaladhari. Under Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Gurudwara Dera Baba Nanak was reconstructed with a marble floor and a guiled throne.

Baba Khem Singh Bedi

Baba Khem Singh was born from the Kallar branch of Bedis. He was given jagirs under the Sikh and British administration both. Under the British, his support was frequently called for due to his influence in Rawalpindi. He contributed to the opening of 50 schools with a specific insistence of progressing female education. Afterwards, he co-founded the Singh Sabha movement, particularly funding a Sanatan strand of Sikhi; a strand that was more liberal on living Gurus and other folk traditions. Many of Khem Singh Bedi’s followers would accept him as a living Guru. Bhagat Lakshman Singh’s autobiography describes Khem Singh Bedi’s appearance when riding to villages:

His figure was small and complexion rather dark. His eyes too were not very particularly bright. But he made up for all this by the costume he wore. He seems to have studied how to look grand and majestic. He rode out daily for Shikar with a hawk perching on his left hand. This position he carefully maintained even when presiding at the daily congregations. And if his idea was to actually look like the illustrious Guru Gobind Singh, it may be safely stated that he succeeded in this endeavor to no small extent. His followers believed him to be an avatar whose mere touch would save them.

Despite his transgressions, he would fulfil his role as a parcharak in the hinterlands of the subcontinent and Punjab. With the growing influence of Bedis, many would become headmasters or teachers, helping to grow education across Punjab and the Khyber.

Folk medicine practitioners

It is already well known that specific castes and tribes played specific roles in Punjabi society historically. Mirasis, Sainis and Bhats were all known for their role as genealogists alongside other roles, dependent on region. Bangalis would act as both snake charmers and herbal practioners, using esoteric medicine like giddar singhi (jackal’s horn) and billi di jer (cat’s placenta).

Since the Bedis were part of a Sikh elite, they were considered a distinguished community in a village setting and weren’t subject to any discrimination unlike the aforementioned groups. One of the less mentioned roles of Bedis was as folk medicine practitioners, able to cure fevers and malaria through various folk remedies. The novelist Dr. Sohinder Singh Wanjara Bedi in his autobiography ‘Adhi Mitti Adha Sona’ describes the potential origin of Bedis in curing intermittent fever in villages:

The first one details that once a patient of intermittent fever came to Guru Nanak when he was resting under a tree in the forest. He asked the patient to fetch gur (jaggery) from somewhere. When that man returned with jaggery, Guru Nanak removed the web of a spider, mixed it up with the jaggery and asked him to eat it. He was at once relieved of the fever. Since then the descendants of Guru Nanak are endowed with that blessing.

An alternate story attributes a Muslim fakir who cured a Bedi through rat excrement and jaggery instead. That fakir visited the Bedi village and was paid deep respects. Since the fakir was impressed, he granted the sarpanch of the Bedi village with the ability to cure malaria. This practice carried on until the early 1900s among the Bedis of Rawalpindi. As modern medicine became available, the role of Bedis as folk medicine practitioners declined. By the late 1940s, the Bedis of Rawalpindi had stopped performing folk medicine. Despite this, a few Bedis would still work as unani hakims (herbal medicine practitioners) in Afghanistan.

Conclusion

Due to the influence of Bedis through jagirs by Sarkar-i-Khalsa and then the British, they were able to act as a noblesse oblige to fund education and create institutions for the Sikh community, similar to the Sayyids among Indian Muslims. Due to the protestant influence among the Lahore Singh Sabha becoming more prominent, the Bedis’ influence slowly waned and other laymen were able to fulfil the role of parcharaks and religious intellectuals. By the end of the Akali movement, Bedis were only influential in select areas and some gurudwaras. With urbanization, Bedis lost their traditional customs including herbal medicine.

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Courtesy: The Khalsa Chronicle (Received by email on Feb 4, 2023)

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Aziz Kingrani

The historical site of Veernath is located in Khairpur Nathan Shah Taluka, Dadu District, Sindh, about 5 km south of Khairpur Nathan Shah town. Near this place there is now a village called Veeral which seems to be a distortion of the name of Veernath or Veer Yogi Nath.

By the suffix “Nath” with the name of Veernath, it can be said with certainty that Veernath belonged to sect of Guru Gorakhnath. It is possible that the village of Veernath became famous because of its proximity to the place of Veernath’s yoga or the Marrhi (shrine type). The followers of Veer Yogi Nath might have come and settled down here. Veernath’s place of yoga was later called Veernath and then Veeral. Now the people of the Arain tribe live in this village.

The opinion of Prof. Muhammad Ibrahim Jatoi provides some guidance in this regard. Professor Jatoi writes in the 2003 issue of a magazine of Government Degree College, Khairpur, “Here is the tomb of saint Veernath. During the British rule, the shrine was in the possession and maintenance of the Hindu community. It is not known when Veernath was born and when he died but his full name was Shri Veer Yogi Nath. The Hindus had built a temple here. Ganga Nath, Jumna Nath and Beja Nath were settled for the maintenance of the temple before the partition of the subcontinent”.

Professor Jatoi has written about the construction of a Hindu temple, but he has not explained the connection between the temple and the tomb of the saint Veernath, nor has he mentioned the ruins of the temple. He did not even mention the location of the temple. The notable thing is that Yogis of Nath order do not use to build temples. The temple mentioned by Professor Jatoi is probably a temple-like structure over the Samadhi of Veernath which is called Marrhi in Sindhi language. I am of opinion that Veernath Yogi was a follower of Guru Gorakhnath and he was himself the great yogi of Nath group.

It is also possible that he died while sitting in yoga and was buried where he died and a Marrhi (shrine type) was constructed over his samadhi which Professor Jatoi has considered as shrine. It seems that the Marrhi over samadhi of Veernath was built by the followers of Veernath or Veer Yogi Nath after his death which later came to be known locally as the temple or shrine of Veernath and it is now called the shrine of Veeral Shah by local people.

The names Ganga Nath, Jamnanath and Bejanath including Veernath mentioned by Professor Jatoi confirm the faith of Nath. It also shows that Khairpur Nathan Shah’s area was a stronghold of yogis of the Nath sect. Nathan Shah himself seems to be connected to the Nath order belonging to Guru Gorakhnath.

As far as I know, the ruins of Nath order have been found only in area of Khairpur Nathan Shah and Thar Desert in Sindh. It is historically known that the places where Guru Gorakhnath sat in yoga, Marrhis were built over such places by his followers which are still present in the world. Historically, nowhere in the world is any temple of the yogis of the Nath sect. Only, their Samadhis and Marrhis exist in the world.

It has been already argued that the burial place of the yogis of the Nath group is called Samadhi and the temple-like construction over it is called marrhi. It can be assumed that Shri Veer Yogi Nath alias Veernath himself was a great yogi of the Nath sect. The yogis used to sit in yoga in the jungle, by the lake, by the waters, on banks of the springs, on top of the rocks or in the deserts. Veernath or Veer Yogi Nath may also have been sitting here in the yoga near the pond of water away from town and died where his Samadhi and Marrhi is erected.

The yogis of the Nath Panth also often traveled. Mostly, they used to travel to Hinglach which is now in Balochistan Pakistan. In ancient times, yogis used to sit in yoga in the mountains while going to Hinglach. They had three routes from Sindh. One route used to go from KN Shah to Tando Rahim Khan, Lohi, Dureji, Lahoot Lamakan to Hinglach. Second from Sehwan to Naig, Nighawal, Dureji, Lahoot Lamkan to Hinglaj, and third from Ganja Hills and Kanbhu, Karo (black) mountain, Hub, Windur to Hinglach.

However, Veernath was not Shah but he was a great yogi. It can be said with certainty that Veernath’s Nath sect belonged to Shiva. The Nath Panth was widespread in India, Nepal, Sindh, Punjab, Balochistan Pakistan and Afghanistan. This still survives in the Thar Desert of Sindh. My opinion about Veernath is that this is not his shrine but a Marrhi (shrine-like) may built over his samadhi (grave-like) which is locally known as Veernath Temple and now  shrine of Veeral Shah.

Many mythical traditions have been related to him. For example, it is said that bathing in a pond near Marrhi of Vernath cures itching. People do this and leave their clothes near the pond. Celebrating the festival day of Vernath has been continued since ancient times and it is now called a festival of Veeral Shah. Anyway, at present Veernath is a unique historical site and cultural heritage of Sindh.

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Aziz Kingrani, hailing from village Haji Manik Kingrani, Johi, Dadu District, Sindh, Pakistan, is poet, short story writer, playwright and a research scholar. He has been contributing in the fields of history and literature since five decades. He has served as a professor as well. His 17 books are published in English and Sindhi language. His articles in English, Sindhi and Urdu have been published in various newspapers and magazines.

The post Veernath: A unique historical place of Sindh first appeared on Sindh Courier.

By Dr. Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro

Mithi, the headquarters of the Tharparkar district in Sindh, has also a small number of Nanakpanthis, mainly the Mangnani lineage of Lohanas. Generally, it is believed that the majority of Hindus in Sindh are Nanakpanthis – which is not true. On the contrary, the majority are Matapanthis (worshippers of Devi Mata – Durga and many of her incarnations). In fact, it is mainly the upper caste Hindus who are Nanakpanthis in Sindh. The lower caste Hindus are not Nanakpanthis, although there are a few converts amongst them who claim themselves to be Sikhs and sometimes Nanakpanthis.

In Tharparkar district, the case is entirely different from all other districts in Sindh. A majority of Hindus adhere to cult of Devi Mata and follow major Hindu deities Shiva, Vishnu and two of his most popular incarnations – Rama and Krishna too. Hanuman is also worshipped by all Hindus in Tharparkar like in all other districts of Sindh. A majority in rural Tharparkar follow folk deities namely Rama Pir, Pir Pithoro, Pabuji Rathore, Gogo Chauhan, Khetarpal and Hindus ascetics including Sant, Sami, Puri, Gar, Bharati and Nath ascetics and Muslim saints. The cults of Jhujhar(deified heroes) and Sati (Widow-burning) also constitute pantheon of Hindus in Tharparkar.

A majority of Hindus also venerate Muslim saints and have constructed impressive tombs over the mortal remains of saints in Tharparkar. When elite Hindu women cannot travel frequently to the shrines of Muslim saints in the villages, they instead venerate those Muslim saints at Astans which have been constructed by the rich Hindu community in their localities in the towns of Tharparkar.

In the mornings and evenings, when Hindus go to the temples, they also visit and get the blessings of the saints at the Astans in Mithi. Located in Lohana Mohalla of Mithi is an impressive building which houses the symbolic grave of Sain Mard Faqir whose original shrine is located in Kerti village which lies 45 km southeast of Mithi town. Sain Mard Faqir is worshipped by the Ghindilya lineage of Lohana Hindus. Located in the same street is the Guru Nanak Darbar, formerly Gurdwara, which has recently been rebuilt by Lohana of Mithi and Thana Bula Khan with a major contribution coming from Ramesh Khumwani of Thana Bula Khan. This is the only Nanakpanthi shrine in the whole of Tharparkar district.

Apart from Tharpakar, there is also a Nanakpanthi shrine, locally called Tikano, in Umarkot, a gateway to Thar. Guru Nanak Darbar’s outer walls and the main entrance are decorated with Sikh symbols-Khanda and Ek Onkar, showing that the building is a Sikh shrine belonging to Nanakpanthis – Hindus who venerate Guru Nanak. In the interior walls of the darbar are written “Waheguru” in Sindhi language, refereeing to God, the Supreme Being or the creator of all. The word “Waheguru” is flanked by symbols of Ek Onkar and Khanda in the interior of the Guru Nanak Darbar.

Guru Nanak Darbar was a small building before Partition, and was taken care of by a Sikh. Both the temple and Gurdwara (as it was called before Partition) were located in the same building. After the Partition, the Gurdwara was managed by Karo Mal and later by Bhagwan Das. In 2012, the Hindu community decided to rebuild the Guru Nanak Darbar. Today, the Guru Nanak Darbar is the only Nanakpanthi shrine in Mithi. The Mangnani lineage of Lohanas are the only Nanakpanthis in Mithi. There are two halls in the darbar, in one of which is placed the Guru Granth Sahib. The other serves as a Kirtan Halland Pathshala where the young Hindus are taught the Gurmukhi script – thus enabling them to understand the Guru Granth Sahib. Two young Hindus from Thana Bula Khan town in Jamshoro district came to Mithi about 5 years ago to teach Gurmukhi to forty young Hindus. Now these young Hindu are teaching Gurmukhi to their children.

At Darbar, Nanakpanthis chant Shabad Kirtan, singing hymns from the Guru Granth Sahib. It is believed that Shabad Kirtan began in the sixteenth century as a musical expression of mystical poetry and accompanied by the musical instrument Rabab by Bhai Mardana, a Muslim follower of Baba Guru Nanak. Two of companions of Guru Nanak, Bhai Mardana and Bhai Bala, are always shown with Guru Nanak in the carved doors of Nanakpanthi Darbars in various towns in Sindh. Some of the most refined wood carvings of Guru Nanak with his companions are found in the doors of Shikarpur, Rohri, Mehar and Khairpur.

Apart from Shabad Kirtan, Akhand Path another important Sikh practice, the nonstop recitation of all verses in the Guru Granth Sahib from beginning to end is also performed once a year at the Guru Nanak Darbar of Mithi. This is a common practice in all Nanakpanthi Darbars of Sindh, where Nanakpanthi Hindus perform continuous reading of the Guru Granth Sahib. Besides, Gurpurab celebrations are also done at the Darbar in Mithi.

Langar, a special community lunch, is arranged by caretaker of the Guru Nanak Darbar which lasts for two days. During the Langar, Hindus of lower and upper castes eat together at one place – a reflection of tolerant Sindhi society that transcends religious and caste barriers. Muslims also come to eat at the Darbar during the Langar, which is the best example of interfaith harmony to be seen at the Guru Nanak Darbar in Mithi. This interfaith harmony in Sindh has provided much space and solace to the Hindu community in Sindh, who are building impressive temples and grand Gurdwaras. This is one of the reasons that Nanakpanthis are building Darbars and Gurdwaras everywhere in Sindh. One of the largest Gurdwaras, in fact, is being built in Hyderabad on the Hyderabad Bypass near the Rajputana Hospital by the Nanakpanthis.

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Courtesy: Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (The article was originally published by The Friday Times, Lahore in 2018)   

Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro, PhD, is an anthropologist and assistant professor at the department of Development Studies at the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE), Islamabad. Dr. Zulfiqar has been exploring and writing about the less-known and unknown heritage of the subcontinent since 1998, when he was a student of Anthropology at Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad.

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Sindh Courier Report

Baroda, India

The Sindhi community of Vadodara (Baroda), Gujarat state of India organized a program in connection with the birthday of Guru Nanak Dev Ji on Friday night at a local auditorium.

Gurū Nānak, also referred to as Bābā Nānak, was the founder of Sikhism and is the first of the ten Sikh Gurus.

The function was organized by Alkapuri Sindhi Association Vadodara with great enthusiasm. Main organizers of the association are Mr. Ramesh Thadani, Mr. Raju Chandani, Mr. Kamal Vazirani and Mr. Gul Makhijani.

Watch the Video: Sindhis Celebrate Guru Nanak’s Birthday

Approximately 300 members of association, male and female, participated in the function. The program was followed by dinner called as ‘Parsadi’.

Mr. Haresh Agnani from Baroda told that Raagi (Singers) from Parmanand Darbar, Sant Kanwar Nagar Vadodara recited Gurbani, Bhajans, Anand Sahib and Aarti. The participants danced on Jhulelal Bhajan. Each participant was given Silver Coin as Memento.

Mr. Murli Chawla had provided auditorium for program and lawn for dinner Parsadi free of cost. Mr. Murli is ex-President of Alkapuri Sindhi Association Vadodara.

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