By Abdullah Usman Morai | Sweden

The third book in the series of East African travelogues by Sain Baloch Sohbat Ali, titled “Kenya Ja Qurb” (The Affections of Kenya), is currently before me. His travel companions include Sain Mukhtiar Samoo Sahib, Junaid Dahar, Partab Shivani, and Mehmood Patoojo. In a continuously busy life, if someone with a wandering and tourist soul like mine gets a book, especially a travelogue, during the weekend holidays, it becomes a source of great joy and luxury. I am reading this book with great enthusiasm, interest, and passion, and let us see what insights and benefits can be derived from it now.

In reality, a travelogue is not merely an account of journeying from one country to another; rather, it is the art of chronicling human emotions, observations, civilizations, thoughts, and the flow of time. A good travelogue allows the reader to travel the world while sitting in their chair, introducing them to new people, new temperaments, new landscapes, and new perspectives. “Kenya Ja Qurb” feels like a similarly fragrant book, taking the reader not just to the land of Africa, but to the depths of human experiences.

First of all, the dedication of the book is unique in its nature. Generally, it is often seen that authors dedicate their books to their mother or father, but in this book, Baloch Sohbat Ali honors and dedicates his travelogue to his son, Beejal, which feels like an excellent and positive gesture. Their conversations with each other over the phone, making complaints, and then reconciling, in this scenario, both father and son, who also seem like friends to each other, must certainly feel proud of one another.

Such relationships are, in fact, the true beauty of life, where love exists not merely as a tradition but in the form of friendship. A father bestowing such an intellectual and literary heritage upon his children is a beautiful act in itself because books are not just collections of words; they transmit thoughts and feelings through generations.

Today, as I was reading this travelogue and attempting to write its preface, a cup of tea was also sitting beside me. I read in the book that Kenya ranks among the largest tea and coffee-producing countries in the world. There used to be an advertisement on TV as well, which mentioned this tea coming from those gardens of Kenya. I took a sip of the tea, smiled, and expressed gratitude to that anonymous farmer who must have cultivated this tea and cared for it all along, until it became an important element and part of the morning routine for so many other people besides myself.

Sometimes, the hard work of unknown human beings living in different countries of the world is silently integrated into our daily lives. Our single cup of tea is the result of a laborer’s hard work, a farmer’s sweat, and a long journey. Travelogues teach us to perceive such connections.

In this travelogue, one finds a very essential and excellent principle of traveling: if a traveler has to catch a bus from somewhere, they should either visit the place a day before to confirm it or ensure they leave enough buffer time so that even if they arrive at the wrong place due to a taxi driver’s mistake, they can still return and reach the correct place on time. This is exactly what happened with the friends while catching a bus from Uganda’s capital, Kampala, to the Kenyan city of Nairobi.

Travel is not actually just the name of reaching a destination, but it is also the name of patience, tolerance, management, mental preparedness, and adapting to circumstances. An experienced traveler always moves forward, keeping the estimates of time, distance, and unknown situations in mind.

This travelogue of Kenya, a country that gives the world first-class athletes in long-distance running and marathons, provides excellent information regarding its geopolitical importance, natural beauty, historical background, the production and export of its finest varieties of tea and coffee, local cuisines, clean beaches, coastal cities and islands, traditional boats, the importance of the sea and trade through that route, various cities, tribes and their traditional attire and culture, races, politics, tourism, commuting via buses and their fares, food restaurants, hotels and the dining facilities within them, languages, Swahili civilization, currency and its careful exchange (the notes of which, by law, do not feature the image of any human being), inflation and economic conditions, agriculture, greenery, lush crops, plants and their uses, botanical gardens, jungles, forests, urban forests, traditional music and its instruments, waterfalls, natural caves, cycling paths, economy, wildlife, national parks, Uhuru Park (meaning Freedom Park), statues built as monuments of freedom, open corruption, game reserves, neighboring countries, national leaders, universities, churches, the cradle of mankind, and “The Great Rift Valley” passing through this country, the beautiful lakes present there and the flamingo birds found in them, wildlife, life, animals, history and historical places, forts, UNESCO Heritage Sites, museums, customs, traditions, mountains, and climbing them as well as wandering about there.

This is precisely the marvel of an excellent travelogue; the reader feels that they are not merely reading words, but are passing through an entire world. Baloch Sohbat Ali has presented the scenes through the power of observation in this travelogue in such a manner that the reader feels themselves right in the midst of those roads, bazars, sea breezes, and wild regions.

When I read the travelogue and, in my imagination, envisioned the elephants near Mount Kilimanjaro and the interesting annual migration of animals from one country to another, that spectacle seemed extremely beautiful and naturally captivating to the heart, even in my thoughts. In reality, when a person is present there, that sight would probably leave them spellbound and petrified.

Some scenes of nature are such that they silence a human being for a few moments. There, neither language nor words; only emotion remains. Due to its wildlife and natural beauty, the land of Africa is perhaps one of those few regions in the world where humans can still see nature in its original form.

In every journey, one definitely finds something somewhere that reminds the traveler of their own homeland, and it is the author’s mastery to connect things with them so that the reader enjoys it even more. In this travelogue, there is mention of the lifestyle of people around Lal Shahbaz Qalandar and Sehwan Sharif, or the buses of Johi and Wahi Pandhi (which I myself have ridden), or the names of Sohrab Goth and bus companies, or hawkers calling out outside the bus to sell things, or the strict checking of passengers in buses lest someone might be traveling illegally. Seeing the strict checking at borders, Baloch Sohbat Ali has also written some emotional paragraphs regarding the influx of outsiders into Sindh and other matters, the summary of which is: “We are lions for our own people, but chickens in front of outsiders…” or “The homeland is a mother, so has anyone ever sold their mother?”, or examples of “suffering centuries of slavery”. Along with this, getting entangled in the manner of a Mawali (addict/eccentric), paying money to learn a lesson, and moving forward, all these things teach a lot to learn during the journey, and make this book highly interesting.

In reality, a good writer senses the fragrance of their own land even in foreign landscapes. Wherever Baloch Sohbat Ali describes the scenes of Africa, Sindh walks alongside him. This is the reason why the reader feels a sense of belonging rather than alienation in this travelogue.

In the travelogue, one also finds Sindhi proverbs, the poetry of Bhittai Sarkar (Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai) and Shaikh Ayaz, as well as a remembrance of Dadu’s tea and a mention of mangoes and rice, which only we Sindhis eat mixed. Or remembering Karachi’s Bolton Market upon seeing other markets there, or the conversation(Kachari) that takes place while sitting together among the travel companions, meaning, Sindh walks hand-in-hand in the African country of Kenya. Due to his travel companion, Partab Shivani, this travelogue also mentions the fasts of Sanatan Dharam (Hinduism), which he observes there. Baloch Sohbat Ali’s point is absolutely correct: new streets, new people, different languages, and cultures in foreign countries expand a person’s mind, making one realize the vastness of the world.

Travel makes a human being more tolerant, broad-minded, and philanthropic. When a person meets people of different colors, races, languages, and religions, they realize that the beauty of the world lies precisely in its diversity.

To understand Kenya, taking a tour of its National Museum seems quite necessary. Even just reading the description of human skulls, ancient swords, the lifestyle of humans of the ancient era, chains, earthenware, zinc and copper utensils, birds and animals (especially dinosaurs, crocodiles, turtles, large lizards), arrows, thatched houses, old tools, axes, stone knives, daggers, and spears makes the heart wish that a person must travel to Kenya one day.

Museums are, in fact, the houses of nations’ memories, where time stands preserved with its ancient signs. Such places make a human realize how civilizations were formed and how they kept journeying.

While wandering through the snake section of the museum and seeing the innocent snakes imprisoned, Baloch Sohbat Ali views them excellently from his perspective as a lawyer, as if they were some innocent prisoners of Sindh who had been pointlessly implicated in false cases, forced labor, and locked up. Nonetheless, the reader gets very interesting information regarding the types of these snakes and the potency of their venom. Useful advice is also given regarding urban forests and the efforts made by “Wangari Maathai” for environmental protection, as well as the right time of day to visit the surrounding forests.

This is also a great merit of this travelogue: the author does not merely look at the scenery, but connects everything with his social and human consciousness. The gaze of a lawyer, the sensitivity of a social being, and the curiosity of a traveler combine to make this book more vibrant.

Baloch Sohbat Ali has beautifully explained a verse of Shah Latif, which mentions the young offspring of snakes, advising not to underestimate them because even if they bite an elephant, it would not be able to move from its place. The impact of these things on human life has been presented very clearly: that some matters or problems seem small in life, for example, an enemy, an illness, or some difficulty or hardship, but they should not be considered small, because when the time comes, they can cause great damage.

This is the true beauty of literature: it generates extraordinary lessons from ordinary scenes. Explaining the intellectual depth of Shah Latif’s poetry and its relevance to modern life in this manner is of great benefit to the reader. Well done, Sir, well done! A very interesting explanation and lesson.

One joy of traveling lies in walking on foot, which the friends do during this journey, and during that walking, a person can evaluate different things, meet different people, and learn and teach many things. For instance, in this travelogue, while walking around, they accidentally watch a stage drama, meet its director, and hear him say: “No, we do not weaken writers, artists, and actors mentally and morally by providing them financial aid.” This sentence holds a very deep meaning for those who understand. The statue of Gandhi at the University of Nairobi, the meeting with the guards there, the education offered there, and the method of protest by teachers have also been beautifully presented.

Such accounts elevate a travelogue above mere sightseeing and turn it into a social document. How a society treats its artists, teachers, and writers is the true benchmark of that society’s intellectual development.

In this travelogue, the reader senses and understands that during travel, and that too in Africa, travelers must be mentally prepared to leave their comfort zone. In my opinion, not just in Africa, but whenever a person goes on any journey within the country or outside the country, one has to say goodbye to the daily comfort zone in every circumstance. It is precisely in this that the joy of traveling lies, allowing a human being to closely observe other things and the lives of other people. Through this, it also happens that a person expresses gratitude to the Almighty Lord for the facilities they enjoy in their own homeland and home.

Travel teaches humility to human beings. It tells us that the world is very vast and our experiences are very limited. Only when a person steps out of their comfort zone can they understand themselves better.

It is also read in the travelogue that, according to an Indian shopkeeper who has been living there with his family for the past fifty years, the men there only engage in flirtation and laziness, whereas the women there are hardworking. In my opinion, women across most parts of the world are hardworking. Hearing the mention of that Indian reminded me of the opportunity I got in 2006 to watch the Shandoor polo match. There, I met a local youth who looked just like us but was actually born and brought up in New Zealand; his name was Sohrab Memon. According to him, his ancestors were from Nasarpur or its surroundings in Sindh, who had first migrated from Sindh to Mombasa, Kenya, for business, and then from there, perhaps, his grandfather migrated to New Zealand. After seeing Sindh, the land of his ancestors, he had set out for tourism in the northern areas of Pakistan. No matter where a human being is, they remain connected to their homeland in one way or another, which is a very beautiful thing.

Homeland is not actually just a piece of land, but it is a collective identity of memories, language, fragrances, people, and emotions. No matter which corner of the world a human being is in, the fragrance of the soil of their land always remains alive inside them.

So in the end, it can be said that reading this travelogue provides a lot to learn and think about, which is truly a benefit. Kudos to Sain Baloch Sohbat Ali, who penned down his journey and conveyed it to other friends who will also derive benefit from this book.

“Kenya Ja Qurb” is not just the account of an African country, but it is a beautiful saga of human curiosity, observation, cultural consciousness, love for the homeland, and the desire to understand the world. This book will not only inspire the reader to travel but will also teach them how to look at the world with an open heart and an open mind. I am certain that this travelogue will prove to be a beautiful addition to the tradition of travelogues in Sindhi literature and will be read by readers with love and interest.

Read: In the Land of a Thousand Hills

_____________________

Abdullah Soomro, penname Abdullah Usman Morai, hailing from Moro town of Sindh, province of Pakistan, is based in Stockholm Sweden. Currently he is working as Groundwater Engineer in Stockholm Sweden. He did BE (Agriculture) from Sindh Agriculture University Tando Jam and MSc water systems technology from KTH Stockholm Sweden as well as MSc Management from Stockholm University. Beside this he also did masters in journalism and economics from Shah Abdul Latif University Khairpur Mirs, Sindh. He is author of a travelogue book named ‘Musafatoon’. His second book is in process. He writes articles from time to time. A frequent traveler, he also does podcast on YouTube with channel name: VASJE Podcast.

The post Echo of Sindh in Kenyan Affections first appeared on Sindh Courier.

By RadhaBekhabar@IgnorantWriter

Radha Bekhabar@Ignorantwriter, based in Mumbai, India, is a creative content writer, promoter of Sindhi language and culture. She is also a poetess, researcher, song writer, translator, jokes and memes creator. Radha is recipient of awards in school for Sindhi language. Some of her works have been published in the globally acclaimed Sindhi e-paper Hindvasi.

Crazy for Freedom

He was crazy crazy crazy for freedom

Sacrificed his life for beloved Sindh

Carefree was he, Hemu Kalani, a Swaraj Senaani

Brave among the brave, yes brave among the brave

A warrior from the city Sukkur of Sindh

A robust wrestler, courageous and fearless

He studied hard, a swimming ace

Crazy crazy crazy was he

For the freedom of the country

That was the era of British, their tyrannical rule

Only seven years of age was Hemu

National flags they would carry

Hemu and friends would roam freely

Hemu used to say use indigenous goods

Boycott foreign ones

Slogans of “long live revolution”

Passion and fiery emotion

Hemu was daring and reckless

One day there was a news, a train would pass through Sukkur carrying weapons, gunpowder and Britishers to end the freedom fighters

In the darkness of night, Hemu had no tools, only a hammer and a chisel

He tried to derail the train by removing the fish plate and drop the train off its tracks but alas!

A police officer saw their tact

Friends absconded, Hemu was arrested

In jail, tortures were Hemu’s friends

Strictness and atrocities never did end

Neither did he apologize, nor did he bend

A sense of patriotism, an oath of silence in support of his friends

The punishment of life sentence turned into gallows

The whole world in deep sorrow

What kind of a justice is this?

To liberate your motherland, a sin, is it

What kind of a justice is this?

Innocence is killed! Humanity is killed!

Hemu sacrificed his life, sacrificed for his country’s freedom

At the age of nineteen

All smiles, with Bhagvad Geeta in hands

He was crazy crazy crazy for freedom

A martyr he became, an immortal

RadhaBekhabar’s salute, hundreds of salutations and honours to Hemu Kalani, the martyr

***

امر شھيد ھيمو ڪالاڻيءَ جي لاءِ پيش آھي سنڌي ڪوتا        

آزاديء جو ديوانو جنھنکي لکيو آھي راڌابيخبر

ھو آزاديء جو ديوانو ديوانو ديوانو گھوريائين پنھنجي جند پياري سنڌ جي مٿان

ھو بيپرواھ ھيمو ڪالاڻي سوراج سينا جو سيناني

ويرن ۾ وير ھا ويرن ۾ وير

شوروير بلوان پھلوان

سنڌ جي سکر شھر جو ساھسي نڊر ھيمو ھو

پڙھائيء ۾ تيز سومنگ ايس

آزاديء جو ديوانو ديوانو ديوانو

تڏھن ھو انگريزن جو زمانو

انگريزن جي زالم ھڪومت

ھيموء جي عمر رڳو ست رڳو ست

کڻي قومي جھنڊا ھيمو اين دوست کلي آم گھمندا

ھيمو چوندو ھو واپريو سامان سوديشي

ڪيو بھشڪار وديشي

نارا لڳائي انقلاب زنداباد جوش اين جنون جي آگ

ھيمو بنداز جانباز آزاديء جو ديوانو ديوانو ديوانو

ھڪ ڏينھن خبر ملي ت گزرندي ريل گاڏي سکر مان             

  کڻي بارود اين ھٿيار جنھن مي سينا فرنگي  ڪرانتيڪارين  جي خاتمي لاي وڃي رھي ھئي

رات جو انڌڪار ھيموء وٽ نو اوذار

ھٿوڙي اين ڇيڻيء سان ريل کي پٽريء تان فش پليٽ ڪڍي ڪيرائڻ جي ڪوشش ڪيائين پر افسوس ٿانيدار جي نزر پئي دوست ٿيا فرار ھيمو ٿيو گرفتار

جيل ۾ ظلم ھئا ساٿي سختي ھئي ڪافي

ھيموء تي پئي ڏاڍي مار ٿيس گھڻيئ اتياچار

پر ھيموء ڪان گھري  مافي

من ۾ ديشڀڪتيء جو اھساس ھيموء ڪئي ماٺ

ڏنئي دوستن جو ساٿ

سزا عمرقيد جي فاسيء ۾ تبديل  ٿي سڄي دنيا  مايوس   ٿي

ھي ڪھڙو انصاف آھي ؟

ڇا پنھنجي ماتر ڀوميء کي آزاد ڪرائڻ پاپ آھي؟

ھي ڪھڙو انصاف آھي؟

!ماصوميت جو گھات آھي

انسانيت جو گھات آھي

ھيموء ڪئي پنھنجي جان قربان ديش  جي آزاديء لاي ڏنو بلدان اڻويھ سالن جي عمر ۾ مرڪندي مرڪندي

   ڀگود گيتا ھٿن ۾ آزاديء جو ديوانو ديوانو ديوانو

شھيد ٿي ويو امر ٿي ويو

امر شھيد ھيمو ڪالاڻي نو جوان کي راڌابيخبر جو سلام

شت شت نمن اين پرڻام

______________

Read: How can I forget you!

The post Crazy for Freedom – Tribute to Hemu Kalani first appeared on Sindh Courier.

Aziz Kingrani

Pali was the religious language of Buddhism. The spread of Buddhism in Sindh took place during the Mauryan period, which has been discussed separately in this book under the heading of Buddhism. In Sindh, Pali remained in use as a religious language and maintained a close relationship with the Sindhi language. Unfortunately, very few of its written records have survived in Sindh One must agree with the opinion of Mukhtiar Malah, who states:

“Extensive research should be conducted on the Pali language, because Sindhi and Pali share many similarities and identical lexical meanings. Pali had a strong influence in Sindh up to the Brahman dynasty in Sidh. However, the writings of that period were probably lost due to the upheavals of time” (Malah: 2023).

Pali Inscriptions on Stones in Sindh

The Kirthar mountain range in Sindh is extremely rich in carvings and inscriptions. Magnificent rock art has been found on mountains and stones. These carvings include Buddhist stupas and temples, Hindu religious symbols and temples, Zoroastrian fire temples, as well as images of various animals. Alongside Sanskrit and Pali inscriptions in the Brahmi script, Kharosthi inscriptions have also been found (Kangrani: 2019: 162). According to my personal field survey, Pali inscriptions in an ancient Pali script have been found carved on the Kirthar Mountains near the town of Wahi Padi in Johi Taluka, Dadu District. In addition, ancient Pali inscriptions have also been found carved near the hill known as “Tharo” or “Thararo” close to the town of Gujo in Thatta District.

Findings from Mohenjo-daro

The civilization of Mohenjo-daro belongs to an ancient period; however, according to Jayram Das, from the upper layer associated with the Buddhist stupa, “five pottery vessels were discovered, which were used for drinking water. Each vessel bears an inscription carved in the Pali language and the Brahmi script” (Jayram: 2011: 36).

Pali Inscription on a Copper Plate

The renowned researcher Dr. Nabi Bakhsh Baloch mentions a Pali inscription engraved on a copper plate and has also provided an illustrated inscription tablet. This plate was discovered from the ruins of the ancient Buddhist monastery of “Sue Vihar,” located sixteen miles southwest of Bahawalpur (Punjab, Pakistan). According to him, this inscription has been recognized as a “Bakhti Pali” inscription (Baloch: 1990: 20). At that time, Bahawalpur should be considered part of Sindh.

Traces of Pali in Sindhi Folk Literature

Muhammad Salahuddin considers the Pali language to be essentially Sindhi. In his English-language books “Sindh: A Time Capsule of Heritage” and “Patalini, Rawar and Pali”, he has presented many words that are still in use today in both Pali and modern Sindhi. His books include discussions on the relationship between Pali and Sindhi, as well as topics related to Buddhism. Words from his books have also been included in this work. Criticizing linguists, scholars, and researchers, Muhammad Salahuddin argues through literature, folklore, and rational reasoning that:

“Our Sindhi intellectuals, who have never tried to acquire knowledge about the Pali language, unknowingly search for their roots (the roots of the Sindhi language) in Sanskrit, Semitic, or Arabic languages. Gautama Buddha belonged to the ‘Sakya’ people or tribe. The word ‘Saak’ is still used today in rural areas with the same meaning, and there is also a common saying asking what kind of relationship or ‘syako’ one has with someone. Or in a folk song, this verse appears:

Kaharo Sangg Siyako,, Jeejal tann Jattan saan

Salahuddin further writes that “Shah Latif himself used this word with the same meaning in Sur Sassui. Another most important point is that the links of civilization, culture, social life, and customs move from west to east. The Hindus claim that the foundation of their civilization lies in the Vedas, which were written in the land of the Indus Valley and then gradually spread to Bihar and Bengal. If so, is it impossible that Gautama Buddha belonged to the Sindhi people? Especially when Greek writers have indirectly identified Chandragupta Mauryan as the ruler of ‘Patala’ (Moeris). This clearly indicates that Pali is essentially the same Sindhi language in which Gautama Buddha expressed his thoughts.” (Salahuddin: 2010: 277).

If serious research is conducted to discover evidence or traces of the Pali language in Sindh, it can be stated with confidence that clear and substantial traces of Pali can indeed be found in Sindh.

References

1. Mallah Mukhtiar, 2023, Sindhi Boli Journal, Sindhi language Authority, Hyderabad
2. Kingrani Aziz, 2019, Indus Script in Stone, Peacock publishers, Karachi
3. Jairam Das, Daulatram, 2011, Sindhi Boli aen Lippi jo Ethas, Sindhi Language Authority, Hyderabad
4. Baloch Dr N. A, 1990, Sindhi Boli aen Adab ji tareekh, Center Jamshoro
5. Salahuddin Muhammad, 2o10, Pataleni, Rawar and Pāli, Zyn publication Karachi

Read: Sindhi and Pāli: A comparative Study

______________________

Aziz Kingrani, hailing from village Haji Manik Kingrani, Johi, Dadu District, Sindh, Pakistan, is poet, short story writer, playwright and a researcher. He has been contributing in the fields of history and literature. He has served as a professor as well. His 17 books are published in English and Sindhi language. 

The post Traces of the Pali Language in Sindh first appeared on Sindh Courier.

• As a primarily religious language, Pāli may also have functioned as a vernacular among the common people of Sindh.
• Pāli does not possess its own independent alphabet. Pāli manuscripts have historically been written using Sinhalese, Burmese, Thai, and Cambodian scripts, as well as several ancient scripts derived from Brāhmī characters

Aziz Kingrani

The purpose of this comparative study of Pāli and Sindhi is to demonstrate their close morphological, syntactic, phonetic, and lexical relationship. Many Pāli scholars have overlooked the Sindhi origins of several words attested in Pāli, leading to uncertain or incomplete etymological interpretations. This oversight is significant, particularly given that Sindh was a major center of Buddhism in pre-Islamic times (Kalhoro, 2013: 115), and that Buddhism spread widely across the region during the Mauryan period, especially under Aśoka (Kingrani, 2019: 57). As a primarily religious language, Pāli may also have functioned as a vernacular among the common people of Sindh.

Toponymic correspondences such as Pāli ‘Macchko’ (“fish”) and ‘Kāccho’ (“armpit” “marshy land”) with present-day Machhko and Kachho in Sindh further suggest a strong linguistic connection between Pāli and Sindhi. Pāli is generally classified as a Middle Indo-Aryan language and is best known as the language of the Theravāda Buddhist canon, preserved through religious and scholarly traditions (Bimala, 1933: V; Gruyter, 1996: 3). Childers describes Pāli as a Prakrit vernacular spoken in the sixth century BCE and preferred by the Buddha for communicating with ordinary people (Childers, 1875: vii; Thera, 2013: 1).

Similarly, Sindhi has historically been the language of common people, though it lacks early written records, apart from loanwords in the Rigveda and Pāṇini’s grammar. Despite being classified as a Modern Indo-Aryan language, Sindhi retains extensive lexical and structural connections with Proto-Dravidian and Dravidian languages. Grierson’s view, cited by Salahuddin, links Pāli to the ancient language of Takṣaśilā and notes its resemblance to Paiśācī Prakrit (Salahuddin, 2012: 256). Salahuddin further argues that the language of Mohenjo-daro gradually evolved into Pāli, Sindhi, and Sanskrit, and that shared vocabulary between Sindhi and Pāli indicates a stage predating Prakrit (Salahuddin, 2012: 256–262). These perspectives support the view that Sindhi and Pāli represent two ancient branches of a common linguistic heritage.

Lexical Similarities between Pāli and Sindhi

There is significant lexical similarity between Pāli and Sindhi, indicating a close historical relationship. Due to changes in script, religious context, and lexical attrition, many Sindhi-origin words found in Pāli are no longer used in modern Sindhi. Despite this loss, the remaining shared vocabulary—showing both identical meanings and phonological variation—clearly demonstrates the linguistic affinity between the two languages. The examples presented are drawn from selected Pāli–English dictionaries.

Pāli                                        Sindhi                                               English

Akkhara (اکر)                             Akharu    (اکر)                                        Letter

Akkha/Akkhi (اک)                      Akha    (اک)                                          Eye

Tārā     (تارا)                   Taaraa   (تارا، دوڏا، ماڻڪي)                 Pupil of eye

Aggh   (اگھ)                                 Aghu (اَگھُ، مُلھ)                                 Price

Aggi      (اگ)                                  Aag   (آڳ)                                          Fire

Aṅgaņa (انگن)                          Angann (اڱڻ)                  Courtyard, Open space

Aṅga (انگ)                Angu (عضوو، جسم جو حصو)                 limb, bofy pards

Aṅgār (انگار)                           Angaar (اڱار، ڪوئلو)                  Coal, Charcoal

Aṅguṭṭha (انگوٺا)                    Angutho (آڱوٺو)                        Thumb, finger

Aṅguli (انگولي)                             Aangur (آڱر)                                Finger

Pabba (پب)                                 Pabu (پَٻُ)                                 Part of foot, toe

Acchā/Acch (اڇ، اَڇا)         Achho/Achh (اڇو، اَڇُ)             white, bright

Nāḷi (نالي)                                       Naali (نالي، نلي)                             Pipe

Ațțha (8)                                        Atha (8)                                       Eight

Aṅu (انو/اڻو)                             Ano/Uno (اُڻو)                             An atom

Addh (اڌ)                                          Adh (اڌ)                                      Half

Anāpucchā (انا پُڇا)                 Anpuchha (اڻ پُڇا)                 without asking

Abala (اَبَلَ)                        Abala (اَٻَلُ، ڪمزور)                         weak

Mitt (امِٽ)                                      Mitt (مائٽ)                          not relative

Amba (امب)                               Ambu/nbu (امبُ)                               Mango

Ambara (امبر)                    Ambaru (امبرُ، آڪاس)                        Sky

Ammā (اما)                                       Amaan (امان)                               Mother

Putt (پوٽ)                                                 Putt (پُٽ)                Mother’s son, brother

Ayyā (ايا)                        Aaya (آيا، ٻار سنڀالڻ وارِي)             Lady

Arūpa (اروپ)                     Aroop (اَ رُوپ، بد شڪل)                Formless

Sacca (سچ)                                          Sach (سچ)                                      Truth

Are (اري!)                                     Are (اڙي!)                                    Hey!, Hello!

Arog (اَرُگ)                Arog (اَروڳ، روڳ نه، صحتمند)         healthy

Alajjī (اَلَجي)                     Alajji (اَلَڄي، لجي نه، بي شرم)            Shameless

Alasa (اَلَس)                        Aalas (آلس يا آرس)                       Lazy, Laziness

Arūpī (اَروپِي),                              Aroopi (اَروپِي، بدصورت)                     Formless

Alābba (اَلاڀ)                      Alaabh (اَلاڀ، بي فائدو)                        Loss

Alla (اَلَ)                                Aalo (آلو، گھِميل)                        Wet, Moist

Avatār (اوَتار)                                 Aotaar (اوتار)                               a deity

Daru (دَرو)                           Daar (ڏارُ، وڻ جو ٽار)                  green wood

Avera (اَوير)                          Averu (اَويرُ، ويرُ نه)                      not enmity

Avella (اَويل)                      Avellu (اَويلُ، اَويرُ، ڪُمهلو)       improper time

Dharā (ڌارا)                                 Dhaara (ڌارا)                         stream, flow, line

Ākas (آڪاس)                               Aakaas (آڪاس)                            Sky

Āsa (آس)                                 Aas (آس، اميد)                               Wish, desire

Ucca (اُچ)                                 Ucho (اوچو، مٿانهون)                    High

Ujjala (اُجل)                                   Ujaalo (اُجالو)                              Bright

Unna (اُن)                                              Unna (اُن)                                   wool

Bhūmi (ڀومي)                              Bhoomi (ڀُومي)              ground, earth

Ussūra (اُسور)                             Asur (اَسُر)                          Sunrise

Kaccha (ڪَڇَ)             Kachh (ڪَڇَ، بغل)     armpit, marshy land

(Probably Kachho?)

Kadā (ڪَڊا)                                               Kadahan (ڪڏ، ڪڏهن)              When

Vikkaya (وڪيه)                   Vikyo (وڪيو، وڪرو)      buying, selling, Trade

Chhatta (ڇَٽ)                           Chhatt (ڇَٽُ، ڇٽي)       Umbrella, sun shed

Chakkā (ڇڪا)                            Chhako (ڇڪو)                set of six

Jana (جَن)                                    Jano (ڄڻو، هڪ ڃڻو)          man, person

Pacāraka (پچارڪ)                       Parcharik (پرچارڪ)                   preacher

Paccana (پچن/پچڻ)                      Pachan (پچڻ، ٻڙڪڻ)            boiling

Bala (بَل)                                                  Balu (ٻَلُ)                            Power of insight

Dhan (ڌن)                                               Dhan (ڌن)                              Treasure

Pani (پنِي)                                                 Pani (پڻِي)                                        Trader

Paniya (پنيا)                     Paniyo (واپار جو وکر)              Item of trade

Dhātu (ڌاتو)                                Dhatoo (ڌاتُو)                             Metal

Ghara (گھر)                                           Ghar (گھر)                                 Home

Paputta (پَپوٽ)                                   ParPoto (پڙپوٽو)                          Grandson

Pabbat (پَبَتَ)                     Parbat (پربت، جبل)                        Mountain

Maraņā (مرنا/مرڻا)                      Marano (مرڻو)                    Death, after death

Pāda (پاڊ)                                       Paar (پاڙ)                               Root

Para (پَرَ)                                  Par (پَرَ، ڌاريو)                     other, out sider

Kāra (ڪار)                         Kaar (ڪار، ڪم)                 Action, work

Ghātī or ghāta (گھات)                Ghaat (گھات)                      destroying life

Pāra (پار)                           Paar (پار، ٻئي ڪناري)         Opposite Shore

Pāpa (پاپ)                               Paapu (پاپ، ڏوھ)                   Sin

Puccha (پوڇ)                                Puchh (پُڇ)                      Tail

Puchhā (پوڇا)                              Puchha (پُڇا)             Asking, questioning

Pițțha (پِٺ)                                                  Puthh (پُٺ)                        back

Putt (پوٽ)                                                    Putt (پُٽ)                              son

Pura (پور)                                          pur (پُر، پُور)                               town, city

Bala (بَلَ)                                                 Balu (ٻَلَ)                                strength

Bāla (بال)                                                Baal (ٻال، ٻار)                              Child

Bāhā (باها)                               Banhan (ٻانهن)                          Arm

Bahira (بَهِر)                              Baahir (ٻاهر)                     outer, external

Bila (بِلَ)                                               Bilu (ٻِل، ٻِرُ)                                     Hole

Bij (بِج)                                                   Biju (ٻِجُ)                                          Seed

Bhaga/Bhāg (ڀگ/ڀاگ)                 Bhaagu (ڀاڳُ)                               Luck

Bhikkhu (ڀِڪُو)                                   Bhikshoo (ڀِڪشُو)                Buddhist monk

Bhitti (ڀِتِ)                                           Bhiti (ڀِتِ)                                    wall

Bhū (ڀُو)                                                Bhoon (ڀُون)                             earth

Bhūri (ڀورِي)                      Bhori (ڀورِي، ڀورائي)                       Wisdom

Bheri (ڀيرِ)                                            Bheri (ڀيرِ)                               Drum

Maccha (مڇ)                                        Machh (مڇ)                        big fish

Macchi (مڇي)                            Machhi (مڇي)                       Fish

Mati (مَت)                                            Mati (مَت)                              Wisdom

Mana (مَن)                                           Manu (مَن)                              Mind

Sara (سَرَ)                                            Sar (سَرَ، ڍنڍ)                            Lake

Māņa (ماڻ)                            Maan (ماڻُ، ماپو)           measurement

Mīna (مِينَ)                                           Meen (مِينَ)                     Fish

Mun̄ja (مُج)                                  Munjj (مُڃ)               Type of Grass

Mora (مور)                                             Morre (مور)                  Peacock

Ratta (رَت)                                             Ratt (رَت)                        blood, red

Ruņņa (روڻ)                                           Ru’an (رُئڻ)                        weeping

Rog (روگ)                                              Rog (روڳ، درد)                 disease pain

Rūpa (روپ)                                             Roop (روپ)                           feature

Rogī (روگي)                           Rogi (روڳي، دردمند)                         Patient

Lābbh (لاڀ)                                          Laabh (لاڀ)                              gain

likkhan̦a (لکڻ)                                     Likhan (لکڻ)                 to write, Writing

lin᷾ga (لنڱ)                                             Ling (لِڱ)                     Parts of body

Lipī (لِپِي)                                              Lipi (لِپِي)                            Alphabet, letters

Lipīkāra (لِپِيڪار)                                Lipikaar (ليکڪ)                 writer

Lubbh, Lobbh (لُڀ)                           lobh (لوڀ)                         greediness

Lūņa or Loņņa (لُڻ)                             Lunan (لُڻڻ)                            to reap

Lekhanī (ليکڻي)                   Likhani (لکڻي، ڪلڪ)                       Pen

lekh (ليک)                         Lekh (ليک)                        Article, writing

Wagga (وَگ)                Wag (وَڳ، اُٺن جو)             group (of camels)

Lok (لُڪ)                                             Loke (لوڪ)                          World, People

Loha (لُھَ)                                               Loh (لوھ)                         Iron

Lohkāra (لُهڪار)                   Lohaar (لوهار)                    Blacksmith

Vacch (وَڇ)                                           Vachh (وَڇ)                   Calf (of buffalo)

Vaņījjā (وَڻج)                                          Vanj (وَڻج)                      Trade

Vicār (وِچار)                                        Vichaar (ويچار)            thought

Virāga (وِراگ)                     Veraag (ويراڳ)         having no desire

Visāl (وسال)                            Vishal (وِشال)                  Wide

Vejja (ويج)                                Vejj (ويڄ)                         Doctor

Vera (وير)                                    Veru (ويرُ)                       Enmity

Sajjan (سَجن)                                  Sajjanu (سَڄڻ)              well-wisher

Velā (ويلا)                                Velo (ويلو)                      Time

Saț̦̦țha (60)                                   Sath (60)                       Sixty

Satī (سَتِي)                                                     Sati (سَتِي)                       Virtuous

Satthi (سَٿِ)                                    Sathar (سٿر)                       Thigh

Sabala (سَبل)                                             subalu (سُٻَلُ)                          strong

Sabbh (سَڀ)                                              Sabhu (سَڀ)                            All

Sappa (سَپ)                                     Sapu (سَپ)                               Snake

Sarīra (سَرير)                                              Sarir (سَرير)                               Body

Sassu (سس)                                   Sasu (سس)               Mother in law

Sadhu (سَڌ)                                         Saadhu (ساڌ)                Good

Sāla (سال)                                    Salo (سالو)                 Brother in law

Sināna (سنان)                                      Sanan (سنان)                     Bathing

Sikhana (سِکن)                                        Sikhanu (سکڻ)                 To Learn

Sikhā (سِکا)                                   Sikhiya (سِکيا)               Study, learning

Siņga (سِگ)                                         Singu (سِڱ)                             Horn

Sigh (سِگھ)                                     Sagh (سَگھ)                             Power

Soņņa (سوڻ)                                                     Sonu (سون)                                  Gold

Siṅgī (سِنگِي)                                                       Singi (سِڱِي)                         Horny stick, Mandhani

Subha (سُڀ)                                                   Sobh (سوڀ)                     Luck, success

Hatha (هٿ)                                                    Hath (هٿ)                             Hand

Hala (هل)                                                           Har (هر)                             Plough

Hiṅga (هِنگ)                                                       Hing (هنڱ)                         A plant

(Mahāthara: 1949)

Abhyās (اڀياس)                                              Abhyaas (اڀياس)                            Study

Māgg (ماگ)                                             Maag (ماڳ، جڳھ)                     Distance, place

Ăddhāra (آڌار)                                     Aadharu (آڌار)                                    Support

Addha (اڌ)                                              Adhu (اڌ)                                             Half

Agho (اگھُ)                                               Aghu (اگھُ)                                            Price

Ajja (اج)                                                     Ajju (اڄ)                                         today

Alāpo (اَلاپ)                                       Aalaap (آلاپ)                            melody voice

Alobbha (اَلُڀ)                  Alabh (اَلوڀ، بي لالچ)                                not greedy

An-Āriyo (ان-آريو)                        AnAriyo (اڻ آريو)                 not noble, un-Ariya

Aņņik (اڻيڪ)                                      Anek (انيڪ)                          Countless

Ārām (ارام)                          Araam (آرام، سڪون)                  Rest, joy

Aphalo (اَڦل)                                      Aphal (اڦل)                                  fruitless

Anto (انتُ)                                       Antu (انت)                                           End

Āsa (آس)                                      Aas (آس،)                                      wish, desire

Akko (اڪ)                                     Akk (اڪ)                                   a plant

Āsacc (اسچ)                                Asach (اَسچ، ڪوڙ)              not truth, lie

Āsā (آسا)                                            Asa (آسا)                                  Wish

Sāddu (ساڌو)                                      Sadhoo (ساڌو)                   religious leader

Āsādhu (اَساڌو)                     Asaadhoo (اَساڌو)                  Not religious

Atul (اَتول)                                       Atul (اَتول/اتور)                           incomparable

Bāhu (باھو)                                           Baah (باھ)                               Fire, arm

Bhaggu (ڀگو)                                  Bhago (ڀڳ، ڀڳل)                            Broken

Chintā (چنتا)                          Chinta (چنتا، ڳڻتي)                        worry, though

Cunno (چونُ)                          Choono (چونو، سيڙهي)                      Lime

Danbho Dambha (دنڀ)                       Danbh (ڏنڀ)                             Deceit

Deso (ديس)                                         Des (ديس)                                  country

Digho (دگھو)                                           Digho (ڊگهو)                                   long

Duhalo (دوهلُ)                  Duhal (دُهل)        Abdomen of pregnant woman, Drum

Dukkho (دوکُ)                            Dukh (ڏُک)                     pain, painful

Dhatu (ڌاتو)                             Dhatu (ڌاتو)                     base of word

Dudho (دڌ)                                Dudh (ڏڌ)                     butter milk, lassi

Dukaro (دُڪر)                      Dukaru (ڏُڪر، ڏُڪار)          famine or drought

Dukhi (دُکِي)                               Dukhi (ڏُکارو)                  Sorrowful

Gabho (گڀ)                               Gabhu (ڳڀ)                      womb, pregnancy

Gaj (گج)                                        Gaj, Gaj (گج، گاج)                 Roar

Ganbhiro (گنڀير)                     Ganbhir (گنڀير، ڳنڀير)                   Solemn

Giti (گيت)                                           Geet (گيت)                          Song

Goro (گورو)                              Goro (گورو، ڀُورو)                         white

Guņ (گوڻ)                                           Gun (گُڻ)                             goodness

Kambalo (ڪمبلُ)                            Kambal (ڪمبل)                  Blanket

Kami (ڪَمِي)                               Kami (، ڪَمِي، مزور)                         laborer

Kaņņa (ڪاڻا)                                     Kanno (ڪاڻو)                                Blind

Kāno (ڪَانُ)                                     Kanu (ڪَنُ)                                Ear

Kņraņa (ڪرڻ)                               Karan (ڪرڻ)                             to do

Kari (ڪَرِ)                                        Kari (ڪَرِ)                               do

Kavi (ڪَوِي)                                    Kavi (ڪَوِي)                               Poet

Khāro (کارو)                                   Kharo (کارو)                              Salty

Hath (هٿ)                                   Hath (هٿ)                                     Hand

Jala (جل)                                      Jal (جل)                                        Water

Jețțh (جيٺ)                                Jethu (ڄيٺ)                    name of month

Kāl (ڪال)                                     Kaal (ڪال)                Time

Joyā (جويا)                                   Joe (جوءِ)                      wife

Lobho (لُڀَ)                                 lobha (لوڀ، لالچ)         greediness

Macchko (ماڇڪو)                     Machhako (ماڇڪو)       fish

(Probably, Machhko, a name of an area of fishermen which is still in Panjab, Pakistan)

Maccho (مڇ)                              Machh (مڇ)                              catfish, crocodile

Kummo (ڪومُ)                          Kumi (ڪُمِي)                                  Tortile

Lābbho (لاڀُ)                             Laabh (لاڀُ)                                 benefit

Laddho (لڌُ)                             Ladho (لڌو)                              saw or seen

Lajji (لج)                                     Lajja (لڄ)                                 Shame

Lațț̦hi (لٺ)                                Latha (لٺ)                                   Stick

Lekhako (ليکڪ)                    Lekhaku (ليکڪ)                       to draw line, writer

Lekho (ليکُ)                          Lekhu (ليک)                                     wright-up, article

Lepo (ليپُ)                            lepo (ليپو)                              Whitewash with mud

Madhu (مَڌو)                        MadhU (مَڌُ، شراب)                                   Vine

Mahā (مها)                            Maha (مها)                                              big

Manjjhando (منجهند)        Majhand (منجهند)                              midday

Nadi (ندي)                            Nadi (ندي)                                         River

Mala (مَل)                             Malh (مَلَ، ملھ)                            Sindhi wrestling

Mando (مندو)                      Mando (مبڊو)                                lame

Sadd (سد)                            Sadd (سڏ)                                            call

Māni (مانِ)                           Maan (مانُ)                                          respect

Mano (مَنُ)                            Manu (مَنُ)                                         Mind

Māro, Maro (مَرُ، مار)          Maar, maru (مارُ، مَرُ،موت)                  death

Masi (مَسِ)                              Mai (مَسِ)                                      Ink

Mās (ماس)                             Maas (ماس)                              flesh, meat

Meghu (ميگھ)                      Meghu (ميگھ، مينهن)                     rain

Nād (ناد)                                Naad (ناد)                                 roar, an instrument

Nagari (نگري)                       Nagari (نگري)                             hamlet, village

Nāggo (ناگُ)                         Nango (نانگو)                                 naked, bare

Nāri (ناري)                        Naar (ناري)                             female

Nar/Nār (نر، نار)                      Nar (نر، نار)                               male

Nava (9)                               Nanva (9)                                         nine

Nāvā (ناوا)                            Naav (ناوَ، ناءٌ)                                boat

Navo (نَوُ)                             Naon (نئون)                                       new

Nibbhogo (نِڀُگَ)        Nibbhago (نِڀَگُ)   Nibhagu (نِڀاڳ)          unlucky, bad luck

Nīca (نچا)                         Neech (نيچ)                                   mean, low

Nikkammo (نِڪمُ)         Nikamo (نڪمو)                               lazy, workless

Nilajjo (نِلَج)                     Nilajo (نِلَڄو)                                  shameless

Pāpo (پاپُ)              Papu (پاپُ، ڏوھ)                         sinless

Oțțho (اُٺ)                     utha (اُٺ)                                             camel

Pāpi (پاپِي)                       Papi (پاپِي)                                        Sinner, Cruel

Patanֺ҆go (پتنگ)              Patangu (پتنگ)                               a moth

Pāti (پاٽِ)                        PaatI (پاٽ)                                       earthen pot

Phan (ڦن)                        Phan (ڦڻ)                                        hood

Puccho (پوڇ)                    Puchh (پُڇ)                                       tail

Pucchā (پوڇا)                  Puchha (پُڇا)                               asking, quarry

Purāno (پورانُ)                 Purano (پُراڻو)                             old

Raso (رسُ)                         Rasu (رَسُ)                            juice type

Ratha (رَٿَ)                       Rath (رَٿَ)                                 Cart

Ripu (رِپو)                            Ripu (رِپُ)                            Powerful, enemy

Rosano (رُسَنُ)                 Rusanu (رُسَڻُ)                                 angry

Sabbho (سڀ)                  Sabh (سڀ)                                  All

Sadā (سدا)                        Sada (سدا)                                   always

Saddo (سَدُ)                     Sadd (سڏ)                                     call

Sanjhā, Sājh (سنجها، سجھ)   Sangho (سنجهو)          evening, twilight, dusk

Sappo (سَپُ)                  Sappu (سَپُ)                             Snake

Sigho (سِگھُ)                 Sigho (سِگھو)                                 quick

Sikkho (سِکُ)                Sikhu (سِکُ)                                    learn

Sundaro (سُندرُ)            Sunder (سُندر، سُهڻو)                     beautiful

Tarano (تَرنُ)                   Taranu (تَرڻُ)                                  to swim

Vāro (وارُ)                        Varu (وارُ)                                      day

Vijju, Vijjū (وِجو)            Viju (وِڄُ)                                lightning

(Childers: 1875)

Asubbha (ااَسوڀ)          Asobh (اَسوڀ، ناڪامي)               foulness

Dāna (دانَ)                      Daan (دانُ، بخشش)                                 Almsgiving

Dhātu (ڌاتو)                   Dhatu (ڌاتو)                           element, metal

Dosa (دُس)                        Dauns (دونس)                         Hatred, Anger

Kalyāņa (ڪلياڻ)                       Kaylan (ڪلياڻ)                     good, peace

(Nyanatiloka.Ven: 1980)

Akkhāyin (اکايِن)                        Aakhan (آکڻ)                      telling, saying

Agaro (اَگَرُ)                    Agaro (اَڳرو، ڳرو نه، هلڪو)           weightless

Angaņa (اگڻَ)                Aganu (اَڱڻ)                               Courtyard

Atala (اٽل)                     Atalu (اٽل)                                      Firm

Akhāta (اَکاٽَ)            Akhatu (اَکاٽ، نه کوٽڻ)                  undug

Ajgara (اجگر)              Ajgara (اجگر، ازدها)                                rock snake

Andha (انڌَ)                Andhu (انڌُ)                        Blinded, blinding, priding

Amara (امر)             Amar (امر)                      Immortal

Alagga (الگ)            Alag (الڳ)                     not attached

Avasa (اَوَسَ)               Avas (اَوَسُ، بيوس)               powerless

Avijjā (اَوِجا)                 Avija (اَوِڄا، بي عِلمي)             ignorance

Kathā (ڪَٿا)                Katha (ڪَٿا)                      to tell, to talk   (story)

Khāta (کاٽ)              Khaat (کاٽ، کاٽ هڻڻ)                          digging

Khādā (کادا)                Khadho (کاڌو)                                  food

Khīra (کِير)                   Khir (کِير)                                     milk, milky

Khura (کور)                 Khur (کُر)                           hoof of animal

Gandhāra (گنڌار)        Qandhar (قنڌار)                    Qandhar city

Garu (گرو)                    Garo (ڳرو)                                 heavy

Cakk (چَڪ)             Chak (ڪُڀارڪي چَڪ)              quell to turn round

Candan (چندن)             Chandan (چندن)                      Sandal like tree

Camma (چَمَ)               Chamu (چَمُ، چمڙي)                              skin

Cintā (چِنتا)              Chinta (چِنتا، فڪر)        act of thinking

Cora (چور)                  Chore (چور)                 thief

Jagat (جگت)               Jagat (جڳت)               world

Jagga (جگ)                Jaag (جاڳ)                 wakefulness

Jāgara (جاگر)          Jagar (جاڳر، جاڳ)          waking, watchful

Jāgarata (جاگرت)     Jaarta (جاڳرتا)           Watchfulness

Jita (جيت)              Jeet (جيت)                   conquer, victory

Jivhā (جِوَھ)            Jibh (ڄِڀ)                          tongue

Joti (جوتِ)              Jot (جوت)                          brightness

Than (ٿن/ٿڻ)           Thann (ٿڻ)             breast of woman or animal teat

Thambbha (ٿنڀ)       Tanbh (ٿنڀ)                 Pillar

Thāla (ٿال)                  Thaalh (ٿالھ)                dish, plate

Thālī (ٿالي)                   Thalhi (ٿالھي)            earthen pot, plate

Doha (دُھَ)                   Duh (ڏُھَ، ڏُهڻ)              milking

Dvāra (دُوار)                 Duvaar (دُوار)                 door

Dhuta (ڌوت)                 Dhoto (ڌوتو)             washed cleaned

Nagara (نگر)             Nagaru (نگر)             village, township

Nacca (نَچ)                Nachu (نَچ)                 dancing, nautch

Naccana (نڇن/نچڻ)    Nachan (نچڻ)          to dance

Natthu (نٿو)               Nathu (نَٿُ)                  Nose (ornament of nose)

Nabha (نَڀ)               Nibhu (نِڀ)                       Sky

Nāsa (ناس)                 Naas (ناس، فنا)                 ruin

Nilajja (نِلَج)                Nilajj (نِه لڄُ)               shameless

Nilobha (نِه لُڀ)         Nilobh (نِه لوڀ)          No greedless, free from desire

Pkka (پَچَ/پَڪَ)             Pakk/pach (پَڪَ/پَچَ)       cook, bake

Paggharaņa (پگهرڻَ)     Paghran (پگهرڻ)            trickling, oozing

Paccaņa (پچڻ)               Pachan (پچڻ)            cook, boil

Paņya (پڻيا)                   Pani (پڻي)        trader, article of trade, to be sold

Pabbhāta (پَڀات)         Pirbhaat (پرڀات)            Dawn, dawning

Parikkhā (پَرِکا)          Parkh (پرک)              examination, investigation

Bunda (بوند/بونڊ)      Bund (بُنڊ)             stem or root of tree

Bhagga (ڀگ)              Bhag (ڀڳ)                    broken

Bhatta (ڀَتَ)           Bhat (ڀَتَ)         feeding, food, meal (Sindhi: food of rice)

Bhitti (ڀِتِ)                  Bhit (ڀِتِ)                              wall

Bhukk (ڀوڪ)             Bhaunk (ڀونڪ)                  to bark

Bheri (ڀيرِ)                 Bher (ڀيرِ، چڙو)            A kettle-drum, drum of ruler or lord

Makkhaņa (مکڻ)            Makhan (مکڻ)             butter, oil

Maņa (مڻ)                Mann (مڻ)           a gem type thing gotten from head of snake

Matha (مٿ)                Matho (مٿو)                head, skull

Madhura (مَڌور)           Madhur (مَڌُر)              sweet

Madhuratta (مَڌورتا)      Madhurta (مَڌُرتا)      sweetness

Mandira (مندر)               Mandir (مندر)               Temple, house

Malla (مَلَ)                      Malh (ملھ)                      wrestler

Rakkha/Rakkhā (رَکَ)       Rakh (رَکَ، رک ڪرڻ)       care,   Guarding

Ranga (رَنگَ)                       Rang (ربگ)                       color, paint

Racchā (رَڇا)                      Rachh (رَڇ)         net for fishing, carriage road

Randha (رنڌ)            Radhu (رِنڌُ، رِنڌڻ، رِڌڻ)                 cooked

Lakkhī (لَکِي)                Lakhi (لَکِي)               Luck, good fortune

Lajjā (لجا)                    Lajju (لڄا)                          Shame, shamefulness

Labha (لڀن)                  Labhan (لڀڻ، لهڻ)                         to be received

Labhana (لڀڻ/لڀن)          Labhan (لڀڻ)                     receiving, taking

Likhana (لکڻ/لکن)          Likhan (لکڻ)                 to write, writing

Likhata/Likhati (لکت)       Likhat (لکت)              writing, carving

Vattu (وتو)                          Vaat (وات)                     the mouth

Vadh (وڍ)                        Vadh (وڍ، وڍڻ)              cutting, killing

Vallī (وَلِ)                            Vali (وَلِ)                      a climber plant

Vasati (وستي)                  Vasti (وستي)          dwelling, abode, residence

Vassa (وس)                      Vass (وس، مينهن)                rain

Vāk (واڪ)            Vaak (واڪ، وڪري وقت واڪ ڏيڻ)   voice, speech, talk

Virāga (وِراگ)         Veraag (ويراڳ)       dispassionateness, absence of desire

Velā (ويلا)                   Velo (ويلو)                       Time

Sakhī (سَکِي)                  Sakhi (سَکِي، سهيلي)          female friend

Satī (سَتِي)                    Sati (سَتِي)                   a good or chaste woman

Samudda (سَمود)         Samund (سمُنڊ)           sea, ocean

Sādhu (ساڌو)                Sadhu (ساڌُ، پاڪ)          Virtuous, pious

Sārasa (سارس)                Saras (سارس)                   water bird

Sālī (سالِي)                          Sali (سالِي)                      sister in law

Sīsa (سِيس)                       Sisu (سِيس، سِرُ)                    head

(Davids T.W Ryhs and William Sted: 1921)

Phonology

Phonology studies how languages organize and pattern sounds, focusing on abstract rules and mental representations rather than physical sound production, which belongs to phonetics. Words are articulated in syllables, each consisting of a vowel alone or a vowel with one or more consonants. For example, the Pāli word aLābho has three syllables (a-lā-bho): the first contains only a vowel, while the latter two consist of a consonant plus a vowel (Rahman, 2009: 4). The same word, with identical meaning and syllabic structure, also occurs in Sindhi.

Alphabet

Pāli does not possess its own independent alphabet. Pāli manuscripts have historically been written using Sinhalese, Burmese, Thai, and Cambodian scripts, as well as several ancient scripts derived from Brāhmī characters. In modern usage, Pāli is also written in the Romanized script (Walder, 2001: 1). Most commonly today, the Roman script is used to write Pāli (Bomhard, 2018: 1).

According to Parniola (1997: 2), the Pāli alphabet consists of 42 letters, divided into eight vowels, thirty-three consonants, and one nasal sound. Charles Duroiselle, however, states that the Pāli alphabet consists of 41 letters: six vowels, two diphthongs, thirty-two consonants, and one auxiliary sound known as Niggalūta (Duroiselle, 1997: 1).

In contrast, the Sindhi language consists of 52 letters, largely due to the influence of Arabic and Persian, and has ten vowels:

a (ا), o (و), e (ي), i (اِ), ȃ (اَ), ǎ (اُ), ā (آ), ū (اَو), ō (اُو), ǃ (اِي).

With regard to prefixes and suffixes, both languages show considerable similarity, though with slight differences (Parniola, 1997: 86). Several prefixes are identical in both languages, such as a, su, ku, nir or ni, and aņ.

The aspirated consonants in Sindhi and Pāli are largely identical, such as bh, gh, jh, th, kh, ch, dh, d̦h, lh, vh, mh, nh, and ņh. Overall, there is a high degree of similarity between the vowel and consonant systems of Pāli and Sindhi.

Genders, Cases, Numerals, and Gerunds

Pāli, like Sindhi, primarily employs two grammatical numbers—singular and plural—with only limited remnants of the dual, likely influenced by Sanskrit. It uses grammatical rather than natural gender (Bomhard, 2018: 9), similar to languages such as Brahui, Balochi, and English. Pāli has eight grammatical cases, whereas Sindhi has five, and recognizes three genders—masculine, feminine, and neuter (Bomhard, 2018: 9), compared to four in Sindhi. Noun, pronoun, and adjective declensions in Pāli are based on vowel and consonant endings and show strong similarities to Sindhi. Despite some differences in numeral formation, notable parallels remain (Bomhard, 2018: 47–48). Verbal tense formation, including participles and gerunds, is also largely similar in both languages (Bomhard, 2018: 53, 83).

Morphology

Morphology studies the internal structure and formation of words, examining how roots, prefixes, suffixes, and inflections combine to express grammatical meaning (Schemid, 2015: 1). The morphological systems of Pāli and Sindhi are closely related, differing only in minor respects, and both languages modify word forms to express categories such as gender, number, case, tense, and person.

Sindhi words are classified into primary (simple) and secondary forms, a division that also applies to Pāli (Rahman, 2009: 74). Examples of primary words include Sindhi Akk (اڪ) “a plant” and Pāli Citta (Sindhi چِتُ) “mind.” Secondary words include complex and compound forms. Complex words are formed through prefixes and suffixes; for instance, Sindhi Lajju (لڄ) “shame,” with the prefix Nir-“without,” becomes Nirlajjo (بي شرم) “shameless,” and with the suffix -ai forms Nirlajjai (نِر لڄائي / نرجائي / نرڄائي) “shamelessness,” corresponding to Pāli Nīrlajjatā (Rahman, 2009).

1. Nouns (Gender and Number)

Pāli:

Kāko (nominative singular masculine) means “crow.”

Kākā (nominative plural masculine) means “crows.”

Sindhi:

ڪانءُ (Kānū / Kākā) means “crow” (singular masculine).

ڪانءَ (Kānū) means “crows” (plural masculine).

2. Verbs (Tense and Person)

Pāli:

Gacchati means “he/she goes” (present tense, third person).

Agamāsi means “he/she went” (past tense, third person).

Sindhi:

هيءُ ڪري ٿو (kare tho) means “he does” (present tense, third person).

ڪنداسين (kandāsīn) means “we will do” (future tense, first person plural).

3. Adjectives (Agreement)

Pāli:

Sappuriso means “a good man” (masculine).

Sappurisā means “good women” (feminine).

Sindhi:

سٺو (sutho) means “good” (masculine).

سٺي (suthi) means “good” (feminine).

4. Compound Morphology

Pāli:

Dhamma + desanā → dhammadesanā (“teaching of the Dhamma”).

Sindhi:

Hatho + kar̦i → Hathkar̦i (هٿڪڙي) (Rahman, 2009: 74).

Syntax of the Sentence

The sentence structure in Pāli and Sindhi is the same, following the Subject–Object–Verb (SOV) order.

1. Pāli: Buddho dhammaṃ deseti.

Sindhi: Buddh dharamo d̦asey tho.

(ٻُڌ ڌرم ڏَسي ٿو)

2. Pāli: Satthā āyasmante āmanteti.

Sindhi: Ustad mūʿziz bhikshun khe khitāb karey tho.

(استاد معزز ڀِڪشُن کي خطاب ڪري ٿو)

3. Pāli: Ācariyo dārake sikkhāpeti.

Sindhi: Ustad bāṛan khe sikhāre tho.

(استاد ٻارن کي سيکاري ٿو)

Conclusion

This study demonstrates a strong linguistic affinity between Pāli and Sindhi, with over 40% shared vocabulary, often retaining identical meanings and closely related pronunciation. Parallels in phonology, morphology, grammar, and syntax further confirm their close relationship. These similarities suggest either that Pāli developed as a branch of Sindhi or that both languages emerged as parallel descendants of a common linguistic source. As Pāli functioned primarily as a religious language rather than a native vernacular, and Buddhism prevailed in Sindh until the seventh century CE, sustained contact between the two languages is likely. Additionally, Sindhi shares significant lexical and structural features with Proto-Dravidian and Dravidian languages, indicating deep historical roots. Consequently, Sindhi should not be viewed as a relatively recent Indo-Aryan language but as one with origins extending to the Proto-Dravidian period.

Read: Influence of Sanskrit on Sindhi language

_______________________

Aziz Kingrani, hailing from village Haji Manik Kingrani, Johi, Dadu District, Sindh, Pakistan, is poet, short story writer, playwright and a researcher. He has been contributing in the fields of history and literature. He has served as a professor as well. His 17 books are published in English and Sindhi language. 

The post Sindhi and Pāli: A comparative Study first appeared on Sindh Courier.

Park Jong-hyun, President of the Journalists Association of Korea

I congratulate The AsiaN on the publication of its Russian edition. With this launch, readership is expected to grow not only in Russia but also in Central Asia and Mongolia. Alongside the simultaneous release of the Sindhi edition (a major language in Pakistan), The AsiaN, which was first launched in 2011, is now being published in four languages.

If the Arabic and Indonesian editions are launched by the end of 2025, and the Persian and Hindi editions in 2026, The AsiaN will truly establish itself as a global media outlet.

The launch of the Russian edition of The AsiaN goes beyond language expansion—it is a step toward broadening the horizons of Eurasian journalism. I hope The AsiaN, which has continued its rare and bold experiments since its inception, will continue its journey embracing relativistic perspectives and global diversity.

مان The AsiaN جي روسي ايڊيشن جي اشاعت تي دل جي گهراين سان مبارڪون ڏيان ٿو. هن لانچ سان نه رڳو روس ۾ پر مرڪزي ايشيا ۽ منگوليا ۾ به پڙهندڙن جو انگ وڌڻ جي اميد آهي. پاڪستان جي اهم ٻولي سنڌيءَ ۾ ايڊيشن جي ساڳي وقت ۾ اشاعت سان گڏ، 2011ع ۾ شروع ٿيندڙ The AsiaN هاڻ چئن ٻولين ۾ شايع ٿي رهي آهي.

جيڪڏهن 2025ع جي آخر تائين عربي ۽ انڊونيشي ايڊيشن، ۽ 2026ع ۾ فارسي ۽ هندي ايڊيشن شايع ٿين ٿا ته The AsiaN يقينا هڪ عالمي ميڊيا بڻجي ويندو.

The AsiaN جي روسي ايڊيشن صرف ٻولين جي واڌاري نه پر يورايشيائي صحافت جي حدن کي وڌائڻ جو قدم آهي. مون کي اميد آهي ته هي ميڊيا، جيڪو پنهنجي قيام کان وٺي ناياب ۽ بهادر تجربن سان اڳتي وڌي رهيو آهي، اهو نسبي نڪتئه نظر ۽ عالمي تنوع کي قبول ڪندي پنهنجي واٽ جاري رکندو.

Jang-Beom Park, President & CEO of KBS

I sincerely congratulate The AsiaN on the launch of its Russian and Sindhi language editions.

It is truly delightful to see The AsiaN, which began in 2011 with Korean and English, now expanding into four languages with the addition of Russian, thereby opening a broader horizon in connecting Asia.

Russian is not only spoken in Russia but also widely used in many Central Asian countries, making it a highly important language. Similarly, the Sindhi language has also great importance being spoken not only in Sindh province but also in some other provinces of Pakistan, India and around the world. This multilingual expansion is more than the mere addition of a language—it reflects The AsiaN’s sincere effort to offer deeper insights into the politics, society, history, and culture of Asian countries.

Although languages and backgrounds may differ, The AsiaN’s philosophy of connecting Asia with “people” at the center resonates deeply with the values pursued by public broadcaster KBS.

I am especially impressed by the fact that veteran journalists in each language edition take editorial responsibility and capture the local sensibilities and contexts.

I look forward to The AsiaN continuing to grow as a platform of communication that connects Asia through fair and in-depth journalism.

مان The AsiaN جي روسي ايڊيشن جي لانچ تي دل جي گهراين سان مبارڪون ڏيان ٿو.

2011ع ۾ ڪوريائي ۽ انگريزي ٻولين سان شروع ٿيندڙ The AsiaN هاڻ روسي زبان جي اضافي سان چار ٻولين تائين وڌي چڪو آهي، جيڪو ايشيا کي ڳنڍڻ لاءِ نئين افق کولڻ جو ثبوت آهي.

روسي نه رڳو روس ۾ پر ڪيترن ئي مرڪزي ايشيائي ملڪن ۾ به وڏي پيماني تي ڳالهائي ويندي آهي، ان ڪري اها هڪ انتهائي اهم ٻولي آهي. هي ٻولين جو واڌارو صرف اضافو نه پر The AsiaN جي سنجيده ڪوششن جو عڪاس آهي ته هو ايشيائي ملڪن جي سياست، سماج، تاريخ، ۽ ثقافت کي وڌيڪ گهرو انداز ۾ سمجهي سگهن.

جيئن ته ٻوليون ۽ پس منظر مختلف ٿي سگهن ٿا، پر The AsiaN جو “ماڻهو” کي مرڪز ۾ رکي ايشيا کي ڳنڍڻ وارو فلسفو، KBS جي عوامي ميڊيا جي قيمتن سان گهري طور تي هم آهنگ آهي.

مون کي خاص طور تي اهو ڏسي متاثر ٿيو آهي ته هر ٻولي واري ايڊيشن جا تجرباڪار صحافي اداري جي ذميواري سنڀالي مقامي جذبات ۽ پس منظر کي خوبصورتي سان اجاگر ڪن ٿا.

مان اميد ٿو ڪريان ته The AsiaN منصفاڻو ۽ گہرائيءَ وارو صحافتي ڪم جاري رکندي ايشيا لاءِ رابطن جو پل بڻجي وڌندو.

Ahn Hyung-joon, President & CEO of MBC

Central Asia is the origin of our history. It is the source of our language and spirit, and it is deeply connected to us through cultural figures such as “Cheoyong” from ancient Silla songs. Today, the region stands at the center of political tension, while also being recognized as a land of boundless opportunity for the future of the global economy. That is why accurate information and in-depth understanding of this region are more important than ever.

The AsiaN has already provided diverse and compelling articles covering politics, economy, and culture, while also offering policy insights to the new government. These achievements are the result of strong collaboration between Publisher Lee Sang-ki and veteran local journalists.

I look forward to The AsiaN further expanding its influence through the Russian edition and delivering high-quality journalism to a wider audience.

مرڪزي ايشيا اسان جي تاريخ جي شروعاتي جاءِ آهي. اها نه رڳو اسان جي ٻولي ۽ روح جي ماخذ آهي، پر قديم شلا جي گيتن جي ڪردار “چويونگ” جهڙن حوالن وسيلي اسان سان گهاٽو تعلق به رکي ٿي. اڄ، هي علائقو سياسي تناؤ جي مرڪز ۾ آهي، ساڳئي وقت اها عالمي معيشت جي مستقبل لاءِ لا محدود موقعن جي ڌرتي طور سڃاتي وڃي ٿي.

ان ڪري هن خطي بابت صحيح معلومات ۽ گهري سمجهه اڳ کان به وڌيڪ ضروري ٿي چڪي آهي.

The AsiaN اڳ ئي سياست، معيشت، ۽ ثقافت تي مختلف ۽ متاثر ڪندڙ مضمون شايع ڪري چڪو آهي، ساڳي وقت نئين حڪومت لاءِ پاليسي بابت بصيرت به فراهم ڪئي آهي.

اهي سڀ ڪاميابيون پبلشر لي سانگ-ڪي ۽ تجربيڪار مقامي صحافين جي ويجهڙائيءَ واري سهڪار جو نتيجو آهن.

مان اميد ٿو ڪريان ته The AsiaN روسي ايڊيشن جي ذريعي پنهنجي اثر کي وڌيڪ وڌائيندو ۽ اعليٰ معيار جي صحافت کي وڌيڪ وسيع پڙهندڙن تائين پهچائيندو.

Kang Kyung-hee, Editor-in-Chief of Chosun Ilbo

It is often said that this is the era of Asia. Asia accounts for about 60% of the world’s population. Until the 1960s, it was the poorest continent after Africa, but today, it surpasses North America and Europe in GDP.

Asia is home to both ultra-rich countries like Singapore and some of the poorest, such as North Korea, Yemen, and Afghanistan. This makes life in Asia fierce, dynamic, and diverse.

South Korea, in particular, has become a country of interest, having successfully achieved both industrialization and democratization in the 20th century.

However, we Koreans have not always paid sufficient attention to the lives of our Asian neighbors.

That’s why in 2011, a Korean journalist launched The AsiaN with a grand vision: to explain hidden Asian issues and broaden understanding across the continent.

Now, 13 years later, it’s remarkable to see The AsiaN expanding into Russian and Sindhi editions, with plans to launch Arabic and Indonesian editions by the end of 2025, and Persian and Hindi in 2026.

With support from the Asia Journalist Association, which includes reporters from 30+ Asian countries, The AsiaN will only deepen its distinct voice and offer uniquely Asian perspectives to the world.

I sincerely support Publisher Lee Sang-ki and The AsiaN’s boundless growth and congratulate you once again on this multilingual expansion.

عام طور تي چيو ويندو آهي ته هي زمانو ايشيا جو آهي. دنيا جي آبادي جو لڳ ڀڳ 60٪ ايشيا ۾ رهي ٿو. 1960ع تائين، ايشيا آفريڪا کانپوءِ سڀ کان غريب کنڊ هو، پر اڄ اهو GDP جي لحاظ سان اتر آمريڪا ۽ يورپ کي به مات ڏئي چڪو آهي.

هتي سنگاپور جهڙي امير ملڪ کان وٺي، اتر ڪوريا، يمن، ۽ افغانستان جهڙن غريب ملڪن تائين سڀ موجود آهن.ايشيا جي زندگي ان ڪري ڏاڍي سخت، حرڪتي، ۽ متنوع آهي.

جنوب ڪوريا خاص طور تي هڪ اهڙو ملڪ بڻجي ويو آهي جيڪو 20هين صديءَ ۾ صنعتي ۽ جمهوري ترقيءَ ۾ ڪامياب ٿيو.تنهن هوندي به، اسان ڪوريائي ماڻهن هميشه ايشيا جي ٻين ملڪن جي زندگيءَ تي مناسب ڌيان نه ڏنو.ان ڪري ئي 2011ع ۾ هڪ ڪوريائي صحافي The AsiaN جو بنياد رکيو ته جيئن ايشيا جي ڳجهن مسئلن کي عام فهم ۾ پيش ڪري سڄي براعظم ۾ سمجهه وڌائي وڃي.

هاڻي، 13 سالن کانپوءِ، The AsiaN جو روسي ۽ سنڌي ايڊيشن جي شروعات ڏسي حيرت انگيز لڳي ٿو، ۽ 2025 جي آخر تائين عربي ۽ انڊونيشي، جڏهن ته 2026ع ۾ فارسي ۽ هندي ايڊيشن شايع ڪرڻ جا منصوبا به موجود آهن.

30 کان وڌيڪ ايشيائي ملڪن جي صحافين سان گڏجندڙ ايشيا جرنلسٽ ايسوسيئيشن جي حمايت سان،  The AsiaN جي الڳ سڃاڻپ ۽ ايشيائي نظرئي کي دنيا تائين پهچائڻ جي سگهه وڌيڪ وڌندي.

مان دل جي گهراين سان لي سانگ-ڪي صاحب ۽ The AsiaN جي لا محدود واڌاري جي حمايت ڪريان ٿو ۽ هن گهڻ ٻوليءَ واري واڌاري تي ٻيهر واڌايون ڏيان ٿو.

Park Chan-soo, Senior Journalist, The Hankyoreh

I sincerely congratulate the launch of the Russian and Sindhi language editions of The AsiaN, a media outlet that symbolizes solidarity and joint development among Asian journalists.

Since its founding in 2011, The AsiaN has served admirably as a platform for sharing Asia’s values and amplifying its voice globally.

The launch of these new editions is a major step in expanding those values and connecting the region.

While the 20th century saw democracy and freedom spread, the 21st century faces rising nationalism and isolationism—especially since Trump’s presidency.

With U.S.-China tensions and regional wars escalating, peace is under threat.

Now more than ever, it is meaningful for Asian journalists who share values of democracy and human rights to unite and offer diverse, in-depth stories to readers.

These new editions will foster mutual understanding and cooperation among the peoples of Asia.

I hope Asia’s solidarity leads to unity and peace for the global civil society.

The AsiaN جي روسي ۽ سنڌي ايڊيشن جي شروعات تي مان دل جي گهراين سان مبارڪون ڏيان ٿو، جيڪو ايشيائي صحافين جي يڪجهتي ۽ گڏيل ترقيءَ جو علامت بڻجي چڪو آهي.

2011ع ۾ قيام کان وٺي، The AsiaN ايشيائي قدرن کي حصيداري ڪرڻ ۽ انهن جي آواز کي عالمي سطح تي پهچائڻ جو بهترين پليٽفارم رهيو آهي.

انهن نون ايڊيشنن جو آغاز انهن ئي قدرن جي واڌاري ۽ خطي کي ڳنڍڻ لاءِ اهم قدم آهي.

20هين صدي ۾ جمهوريت ۽ آزادي ڦهلجڻ لڳي، پر 21هين صدي ۾ قومپرستي ۽ الڳت پسندي وڌي رهي آهي—خاص طور تي ٽرمپ جي صدارت کان پوءِ.

آمريڪا ۽ چين جي وچ ۾ ڇڪتاڻ ۽ علائقائي جنگن سان امن کي سنجيده خطرو پيش اچي رهيو آهي.

اهڙي وقت ۾، انهن قدرن کي مڃندڙ ايشيائي صحافين لاءِ هڪ ٿي، مختلف ۽ گهرو ڪهاڻيون پڙهندڙن تائين پهچائڻ جي معنيٰ وڌيڪ اهم ٿي چڪي آهي.

اهي نوان ايڊيشن ايشيائي قومن جي وچ ۾ هڪٻئي جي سمجهه ۽ تعاون کي فروغ ڏيندا.

مون کي اميد آهي ته ايشيائي يڪجهتي عالمي شهري سماج جي اتحاد ۽ امن ڏانهن واٽ کولي ڏيندي.

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Read: AsiaN Launches Russian, Sindhi Editions

The post Launch of The AsiaN’s Sindhi and Russian Editions Hailed first appeared on Sindh Courier.

Aziz Kingrani

This article presents a comparative analysis of aspirated consonants in the Sindhi and Brahui languages, with a focus on the phonological parallels between them. The study posits that the presence of similar aspirated consonants in Brahui, particularly those not traceable to Sanskrit or other Indo-Aryan sources, indicates a direct phonetic and lexical influence from Sindhi. Through etymological analysis and comparative phonology, the research highlights that a significant number of Brahui lexical items containing aspirated sounds are of Sindhi origin. Furthermore, it explores historical and sociolinguistic factors that may have facilitated this phonological convergence. Although Sindhi is currently classified as an Indo-Aryan language, it retains substratal influences from Dravidian and Proto-Dravidian languages. Brahui, traditionally considered a Dravidian language, is geographically isolated from the other Dravidian languages of South India. This study contributes to the broader discourse on areal linguistics and language contact in South Asia by emphasizing the aspiratic influence of Sindhi on Brahui.

The language of the Indus Valley Civilization (IVC) is widely hypothesized to have been Dravidian in nature, with Mohenjo-Daro—located in present-day Sindh—as a key center (Virkerk, 2018). Among the Dravidian languages, Brahui is the only one spoken in Pakistan, with its speakers primarily located in Balochistan but also present across districts of Sindh (Shakir, 2015). Given the geographical and historical proximity between Sindhi and Brahui speakers, it is plausible that the Sindhi language has exerted significant phonological and lexical influence on Brahui.

It is believed by some scholars that Brahui speakers migrated westward from the Indus region during the Aryan invasion. As a result, Brahui retained its Dravidian structure with limited Indo-Aryan influence for a significant period. Some researchers suggest that Brahui speakers may have arrived from India around a thousand years ago (Kolichala, 2015). Simultaneously, linguistic data indicates Dravidian loanwords in Indo-Aryan languages dating back to the Middle Rigvedic Period (c. 1200 BCE), suggesting a possible area of contact in present-day Sindh (Kolichala, 2015). Proto-Dravidian elements in Brahui substantiate its antiquity.

Dravidian and Proto-Dravidian Lexicon

Examples of Proto-Dravidian (PDr) words present in Brahui include:

• Xarãs (Kharãs) – “bull” (PDr kaṭac)
• Heṭ – “she-goat”; Malṭ – “son”
• Nìr – “water” (often misinterpreted as “blood” by Kolichala); Dìr as a phonetic variant meaning “water” (cf. Nìr in Sindhi, meaning both “water” and “tears”)

These examples demonstrate the persistence of Proto-Dravidian roots in Brahui, and their parallels in Sindhi lend credence to sustained linguistic interaction.

Aspirated Consonants in Brahui and Sindhi

Aspirated consonants are speech sounds articulated with a forceful burst of air. Brahui contains voiced aspirated consonants such as gh, jh, dh, bh, which are not native to Persian or Arabic. Their presence in Brahui has traditionally been attributed to Indo-Aryan influence (Krishnamurti, 2003), but this paper argues that Sindhi, rather than Hindi or Sanskrit, is the more likely source due to its proximity and stronger historical interaction.

Steever (1998) notes that Malayalam also contains similar voiced aspirates, e.g., bhāram (weight), indicating a broader Dravidian capacity to integrate such sounds. Hafizullah Sarporah (2017) states that aspirated consonants in Brahui emerged through contact with Hindi. However, given the linguistic history of the region, it is more probable that Sindhi played the primary role in this phonological transfer.

Examples of Aspirated Consonants in Brahui and Their Sindhi Counterparts:

• Bh (بھ، ڀ)
• Bhalo (Br) – “big”
• Bhãz (Br) – “a lot”
• Th (تھ، ٿ)
• Thar (Br) – “to slaughter”; Thri-aa – “horned”
• Thãl (Br) / Thãlh (Sd) – “kneading vessel”
• Thamb (Br) / Thanbh (Sd) – “pillar”
• Ṭh (ٹھ، ٺ)
• Thope (Br) / Tope (Sd) – “cap”
• Thap (Br, Sd) – “wound”
• Jh (جھ)
• Jhatt (Br, Sd) – “sudden, sometime”
• Jhamar (Br) – “cloud”
• Chh (چھ، ڇ)
• Chutaf (Br) / Chutto (Sd) – “ended”
• Chuna, Chiva, Churo (Br) – “little”, “when”, “urine”
• Kh (خ)
• Yakh (Br) / Yakh (Sd) – “cold”
• Khan (Br) – from PDr Kan – “eye”
• Kano (Sd) – “one-eyed”
• Dh (دھ، ڌ)
• Dhul (Br) / Duhul (Sd) – “drum”
• Dhar (Br) – “to descend”
• Ḍh (ڈھ، ڍ)
• Dhor (Br) / Dhoro (Sd) – “pond”
• Dhagi (Br, Sd) – “cow”
• Dher (Br, Sd) – “heap”
• Dhul (Br) – “large bite”
• Ph (پھ، ڦ)
• Phagã – “tomorrow”
• Phut – “hair”
• Phal – “day after tomorrow”
• Kh (کھ، ک)
• Khad (Br) / Khadu (Sd) – “pit”
• Khodãl (Br) / Kodar (Sd) – “digging implement”
• Gh (گھ)
• Gatt (Br) – “stuck”

Syntax

The syntactic structure of Brahui and Sindhi also shows similarities, particularly in their Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) word order:

• Brahui: Anwar eragh kunek
• Sindhi: Anwar ma’ani khãe tho
• English: “Anwar eats a meal”

This syntactic parallel further supports the hypothesis of long-standing linguistic contact.

Conclusion

The comparative study reveals substantial phonological and syntactic similarities between the Sindhi and Brahui languages. The prevalence of aspirated consonants in Brahui—largely absent in native Dravidian phonology but common in Sindhi—indicates a significant influence from Sindhi. While Brahui has been influenced by Persian and Arabic as well, the aspirated consonants appear to be a product of its prolonged interaction with Sindhi. This analysis contributes to the broader understanding of language contact, diffusion, and convergence in South Asia.

References

• Virkerk, Annemarie. (2018). Study of Dravidian Language Family.
• Shakir, Nazir. (2015). Brahui va Balochi.
• Kolichala, Suresh. (2015). Dravidian Languages and Linguistics.
• Steever, B. Sanford. (1998). The Dravidian Languages. Routledge, London.
• Sarporah, Hafizullah. (2017). Brahui aur Farsi Sarf-o-Nahv ka Taqabuli Mutalia.
• Krishnamurti, Bhadriraju. (2003). The Dravidian Languages. Cambridge University Press.

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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 researcher. He has been contributing in the fields of history and literature. He has served as a professor as well. His 17 books are published in English and Sindhi language. 

Read: Indus Script etched in Stones

The post Aspirated Consonants in Sindhi and Brahui first appeared on Sindh Courier.

• Sindhi hospitality, rooted in love, tradition, and honor, offers the world a glowing example of what it means to be open-hearted
• Hospitality is one of the most powerful expressions of our shared humanity. It transcends language, religion, borders, and class

By Abdullah Usman Morai | Sweden

In many cultures, a guest is not just welcomed—they are revered. “A guest is a blessing from God” is not merely a phrase; it is a living principle in homes across the world. Hospitality is one of the most ancient and universal human values, and in our increasingly divided and digital world, it has become more relevant than ever. Whether practiced in tribal deserts, bustling metropolises, or remote villages, the act of opening one’s door to a traveler or stranger represents hope, trust, and shared humanity. This article journeys through the international expressions of hospitality—interwoven with personal stories from Iceland to Morocco—and places a special lens on the deeply rooted and soulfully practiced hospitality of the Sindhi people.

Hospitality in the Global Context: A Universal Gesture with Local Flavors

Hospitality is more than comfort and care. It is a reflection of how a society treats the “other.” Across continents, it takes on unique forms—yet the essence remains the same. In Italy, hospitality might be expressed through a three-hour dinner of local dishes and wine. In Japan, it is ritualized through precise gestures of respect and service. In Morocco, it means sweet mint tea served in elaborately decorated glasses, a symbol of warmth and welcome.

From diplomatic state visits to simple homestays, hospitality also functions on a broader stage, shaping tourism, guiding ethics in service industries, and even playing roles in peace-building. It demands awareness of cultural sensitivities, respect for difference, and attention to human dignity.

My Personal Journey with Global Hospitality

Having had the privilege to travel extensively, I have experienced firsthand the beauty of global hospitality. From being warmly received by friends in Iceland, Sweden, Germany, Belgium, Turkey, Iran, and France, to sharing stories over home-cooked meals in Italy, Australia, and Morocco, the generosity of hosts across the world has left a lasting impact on me. These were not just stays—they were invitations into people’s lives, their kitchens, their laughter, and their stories. In Pakistan, too, I’ve been welcomed into homes where tea is never served alone—it’s accompanied by a plate of empathy, pride, and heartfelt connection.

Each experience reminded me that hospitality is a universal language—one spoken without translation, understood across borders, and felt in the heart.

Sindhi Hospitality: A Tradition of the Heart

Among the most enduring traditions of hospitality I’ve encountered is that of the Sindhi people. In Sindh, hospitality is not an act of obligation—it is a source of pride and identity. Guests are received like royalty, often with Ajrak—a block-printed traditional shawl—and the Sindhi Topi, symbols of immense honor and respect. These tokens are not merely decorative; they embody centuries of culture, heritage, and the Sindhi philosophy of mehmaan-nawazi (guest reverence).

When Sindhis welcome a guest, they often greet them with joined palms, fingertips pointing upward, and the word “Sain” spoken with heartfelt warmth. This one word—“Sain”—carries with it the weight of respect, honor, and reverence. It’s not just a greeting; it’s a recognition of the guest’s value. Whether spoken to elders, travelers, or strangers, “Sain” is a cultural embrace, as sacred as the food served or the khaat / charpai offered for rest.

From offering freshly prepared saag and bajhri/ kanrk/ joer ji mani to insisting guests take the best spot on the khat / charpai under the shade of a nim tree, hospitality here is a full-sensory, emotionally sincere experience. Even those with little to spare will serve generously, believing that guests carry blessings and spiritual merit.

Sindhi Hospitality Abroad: A Global Tradition in Motion

What’s remarkable is that Sindhi hospitality is not limited to geographical Sindh. Whether living in Moro, Sukkur, Nawabshah, Mirpurkhas, Ghotki, Mithi, Karachi, Dubai, Europe, South East Asia, the Middle East, or North America, Sindhis carry their culture of warmth wherever they go. I’ve seen Sindhis abroad organizing dinners, opening their homes to visiting friends and strangers alike, sharing traditional dishes like Sindhi Biryani and khirni, and even presenting Ajrak or Sindhi Topis during international cultural gatherings.

Even in the digital age, when travel and distance are bridged by screens, Sindhis are known for real-time virtual hospitality—inviting people to online mehfils, sending food via delivery to others in different cities, and celebrating moments of connection with sincerity. For many of us, a Zoom gathering with tea in hand still holds the energy of a real bethak.

Hospitality’s Many Roles: From Culture to Diplomacy

Whether in a Sindhi village or a Parisian apartment, hospitality performs multiple societal functions:

1. Cultural Preservation: Hospitality showcases and protects the customs, cuisine, language, and traditions of a people.
2. Tourism and Identity: For countries and regions, hospitality is crucial in shaping national identity and reputation.
3. Diplomacy and Trust: From state banquets to community exchanges, hospitality lays the groundwork for peace and dialogue.
4. Humanizing the Other: Welcoming someone from another place or background can challenge stereotypes and build empathy.
5. Community Strength: Hosting guests brings people together, reinforcing community values of cooperation, sharing, and responsibility.

The Shadows of Generosity: Challenges of Hospitality

Yet, hospitality is not without its dilemmas. In the global hospitality industry, genuine care can sometimes be replaced by superficial service driven by profit. Workers may be overburdened and underpaid, while cultural experiences are packaged and commodified.

In the Sindhi context, the intense cultural pressure to be hospitable, sometimes beyond one’s financial capacity, can create stress and social imbalance. Families may overextend themselves to host weddings, Eid guests, or travelers from afar, driven by social expectations rather than affordability. Additionally, hospitality in tight-knit communities may clash with changing values around privacy, boundaries, and personal space.

Hospitality in the Digital Era: Changing, Not Disappearing

In the era of platforms like Airbnb, Couchsurfing, and Zoom, hospitality is taking new forms. Technology allows strangers to connect and cultures to be shared across distances. Yet the soul of hospitality—offering without expectation, welcoming with humility—must remain intact. Whether it’s a traditional bethak in a Sindhi home or a shared kitchen in Barcelona, the heart of hospitality is timeless.

Welcoming the World with Wisdom

Hospitality is one of the most powerful expressions of our shared humanity. It transcends language, religion, borders, and class. It is a bridge between people, between histories, and between futures. My own journey—from the snow-covered warmth of Icelandic homes to the spice-filled kitchens of Sindh—has shown me that hospitality is not about perfection or luxury. It is about the willingness to open one’s door and say, “You are welcome here.”

Sindhi hospitality, rooted in love, tradition, and honor, offers the world a glowing example of what it means to be open-hearted. But like any powerful force, it must be practiced with awareness—balancing tradition with mindfulness, generosity with sustainability, and pride with compassion.

In a world often divided by fear and mistrust, hospitality remains a quiet, enduring revolution—one that begins not with policy or technology, but with a warm smile, an Ajrak-draped shoulder, joined palms, and the sacred word: “Sain.”

Read: Timeless Principles of Power

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Abdullah Soomro, penname Abdullah Usman Morai, hailing from Moro town of Sindh, province of Pakistan, is based in Stockholm Sweden. Currently he is working as Groundwater Engineer in Stockholm Sweden. He did BE (Agriculture) from Sindh Agriculture University Tando Jam and MSc water systems technology from KTH Stockholm Sweden as well as MSc Management from Stockholm University. Beside this he also did masters in journalism and economics from Shah Abdul Latif University Khairpur Mirs, Sindh. He is author of a travelogue book named ‘Musafatoon’. His second book is in process. He writes articles from time to time. A frequent traveler, he also does podcast on YouTube with channel name: VASJE Podcast.

The post Beyond Borders and Thresholds first appeared on Sindh Courier.

By Dr. Muhammad Mataro Hingorjo | Ireland

Being Sindhi is not a matter of race, religion, language, or lineage. It is a matter of love, loyalty, and a deep-rooted connection to the land, the people, and the timeless traditions of Sindh. Anyone who commits themselves to the soil of Sindh, embraces its Sufi ethos, respects its tolerant and secular society, and contributes to its peace and prosperity—that person is a true Sindhi.

Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, the soul of Sindhi thought and spirituality, prayed: “O Allah, O beloved! Keep Sindh safe and prosperous—and the entire world as well.” This prayer reflects a unique kind of nationalism—one that does not exist in isolation. It recognizes that the safety of Sindh is intrinsically tied to the safety and harmony of the wider world. This is not narrow nationalism; it is universal humanism rooted in Sufi values.

Sindh has always embraced the trials of history with grace and resilience. Its people, guided by love of God and humanity, have endured oppression, injustice, and marginalization, yet they have never surrendered their values. That is why Sindhi culture, language, and traditions have survived for centuries—and continue to thrive.

This land has long been a refuge for migrants from all corners of the world. Many came here seeking safety or opportunity, and Sindh welcomed them not just with shelter, but with dignity. Over time, they didn’t just live in Sindh—they became Sindhi. They adopted the Sindhi way of thinking, contributed to its progress, and stood with its people in good times and bad.

However, a small segment of those who arrived after 1947 have chosen to remain separate—by design, not by destiny. These are not natural migrants. These are the ones who have been politically and socially planted—disconnected from the soul of Sindh, and often working against the interests of its people. History shows that such artificial separations never survive for long. The sustainable future lies in integration, not isolation.

This land has long been a refuge for migrants from all corners of the world. Many came here seeking safety or opportunity, and Sindh welcomed them not just with shelter, but with dignity. Over time, they didn’t just live in Sindh—they became Sindhi.

There is still time for reflection, reconciliation, and renewal. The ongoing people’s movement in Sindh against the illegal water blockade of the Indus River and the systematic land grabbing by the Pakistani establishment is a historic moment. It is a spring of awakening—a call for unity, dignity, and justice. This is the time to stand with Sindh. It is not just a protest; it is a path to a glorious merger with the soul of this land.

Those who join hands with the people of Sindh today—regardless of their past—will be welcomed. Forgiveness, not vengeance, is the Sindhi way. The future can be shared, and the past can be healed.

A shining example of this spirit is Aamir Waraich. He is not Sindhi by blood or language, but he is Sindhi by his courage and his loyalty to the land he lives in and serves. His example proves that the bond of belonging is not inherited—it is earned.

Sindh belongs to all who belong to Sindh. And Sindh will thrive when all who live on this land choose to thrive with it.

Read: Historic Awakening against Indus Water Theft

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Dr. Muhammad Mataro Hingorjo is a Family Physician based in Limerick, Republic of Ireland.

The post Sindh Belongs to All Who Belong to Sindh first appeared on Sindh Courier.

Dr. Vinod Asudani is a renowned scholar, multilingual author and a significant literary voice from the Indian subcontinent who writes in Sindhi, Hindi, and English

English Short Story

Silent Lips

Dr. Vinod Asudani

There was nothing special about that street, but I didn’t know why I preferred to walk down to my office only by that route. My office was not far from my place. It hardly took me twenty to twenty-five minutes to get there. Instead of hiring any vehicle, I considered it better to walk on foot to the office. In my opinion, it was not only a good exercise but it offered me plenty of time to meditate over the issues of life as well. After crossing the market area, there was a turn towards the left. Here there was not much traffic. To both sides of the road, there were residential houses. On my right, many new apartments had sprung up and on to my left, there was a row of old houses. Many of them must have been constructed in the nineteenth century. They looked quite spacious like Victorian houses. They had thick walls with wide iron gates; some still retained carvings. I guessed officers of East India Company or Nawabs must have been the initial occupants of these houses.

Among these, there was one; the outer walls of which were painted with red color. In the last few days, this house especially had come to my notice. Whenever I passed by that house, I could not help myself noticing a young girl standing on the doorstep staring at me. Initially, I did not take much heed of her and regarded it merely a coincidence. Some days rolled by, however, unmistakably, every day, I would find her standing on the doorstep of her house staring at me. She was tall and slender with dark deep eyes and long curly hair. Though she was average-looking, there was an innocent charm about her face. And by now it had become almost a habit for me to have a glance at her. Days passed by but this continued.

Both of us had accepted it as a routine to stare at each other. My steps would automatically slow down near the red house. My eyes would turn invariably towards the left and look at her. Gradually, I became fond of looking at her. It seemed that she too liked to stare at me. There was something concealed within her lips. All these days she had not uttered a single word. I too had not mustered courage to say anything. I was being irresistibly drawn towards her. Though we saw each other for a moment in a day, her dark deep eyes haunted me day in and day out. It was difficult to push her innocent face off my mind. I wondered why she did not open up her lips ever. Was there nothing that she wanted to say, was she too reticent to give verbal expression to her feelings? What was holding back her lips?  There should have been something that I was getting impatient to listen to. Though she hadn’t uttered a word, still it was a consoling fact that without failure she would present herself on the doorstep of her red house every day. Now it was the most precious moment of the day for me when, for a few seconds, I would stand still before the red house to exchange a glance with her.

Gradually my endurance seemed to be exhausted. Now the language of silence which so far had delighted me seemed to loosen its hold. One day, I told myself that the hour had come when I must break the silence. It was going to be a confession for me; really, a holy confession. I wanted to confess my feelings and in return had a hope to hear a similar confession from her. But at the same time, there was an intrinsic, mysterious fear that would not allow me to translate my decision into reality. Probably, both of us had started enjoying the charm of silence. It seemed a word uttered by either of us would profane that silence. For the first time, I realized in that silence was mightier than words. Though I found myself perfectly in communion with her in those moments of silence, still now and then, I would feel the necessity of manifestation of it which would eternalize the sense of this silence. I was determined to break the ice.

That day, I woke up with hope and determination; determination to communicate with her, and hope of hearing something from her. I wanted to finish up all my morning tasks as quickly as possible I had rehearsed a couple of sentences in my mind hundreds of times as I did not want my words would create any poor impression. I got ready much earlier than my usual time. I glanced at the wall clock and felt a little irritated as there was still a lot of time to set out. It seemed that time passed slower than its speed. Finally, I was on my way to the office. I crossed the market area at a quicker pace and took a left turn. Now I was a few yards away from the red house. I slowed down, rehearsed the sentences once again in my mind, gathered my confidence, and cleared my throat. Now I was all prepared for the moment which was to determine my fate. My eyes noticed her standing on the doorsteps as usual, without any anxiety, without any indication, other than the characteristic innocent smile. She was utterly unaware of my intentions, of my determination, of my hope, and of my confessions. Gradually, I came nearer the red house. Unlike the other days, I did not stop on the roadside but took a few steps and went closer to her. She was a little bit startled to see me coming her way. She looked at me with great curiosity; probably she was slightly perturbed by my behavior. I had a fear that she would withdraw herself into the house. Thanks, this did not turn out to be true. She stood there, looking at me with inquisitive eyes. Now I was quite close to her from where she could easily hear me. With great efforts, I tried to articulate my words but it was no less than a surprise that all my rehearsal, my determination had evaporated, my confidence had melted and hope had disappeared. Nothing came to my rescue. All the sentences so carefully rehearsed had fallen into oblivion. Now it was with gigantic efforts that I could move my lips and could not say anything but, “Can I know your name?” I was not certain whether she heard my fumbling voice but there was a strange glow visible in her dark deep eyes which had hardly lasted for a fraction of a second, then she lowered her eyes and looked at the ground. I had started repenting; I did not know whether I had offended her. I did not know whether she was pleased with this question. She raised her eyes and looked at me but I could not decipher the emotion visible in her eyes. Whether it was coyness, acceptance, reciprocal confession, indifference or contempt? There was something, certainly something which despite my will and desire could not comprehend. Certainly, a few moments had passed but she had not uttered even a single word. Today I had determined to break the silence with all my efforts but it seemed that she preferred silence to words. I did not know whether she waited for the more appropriate occasion. I did not know why she loved silence so much but there was one thing which I felt with great intensity, that there was sense in her silence, there was meaning, nay there was mystery in it. Once again she looked straight into my eyes without uttering a single word. She seemed to be triumphant as if I had been defeated; defeated by my utterance, defeated by the words and defeated by her silence. Some more moments passed in silence. Now, even the thought of asking anything more or repeating my earlier question did not cross my thoughts. There was hardly any need for words. There was nothing to be communicated, to be said, to be expressed. The entire language seemed to be dwarfed before this silence.

Today, it was certainly longer than usual that we had been together in this mysterious silence. I realized that, now, I should move gradually. I started walking ahead. After this incident, it seemed that I was more prepared to accept the silence. But at the same time, my curiosity could not be pacified. I wanted to know more about her. I wanted to tell her about myself. I wanted to say a thousand things and was desirous of listening to a thousand. I did not know the way to substitute the silence with words. My attempt had failed; my words had proved to be devoid of any meaning. They had failed to extract any response; perhaps, they had further deepened the silence, made it more profound, more intense, and mysterious. Throughout the day in the office, I kept thinking about her, about silence, about the ways to break it. However, nothing seemed to offer any ray of hope.

The next day, when I passed by the red house, as usual, she was standing on the doorstep. It was the same innocent smile on her lips, I slowed down, stood for a while, and we exchanged glances. A few days passed by. There was no second attempt on my part to break the silence. There were no efforts on her part to say something. She seemed to be perfectly contented with silence.

I had to be out of the town for some days for official work. I was back on last Sunday evening. After a gap of a few days, once again I was walking on the familiar path. After crossing the market, I took a left turn towards my office. I was expecting to see her standing on the doorstep like any other previous day. I was startled to see a crowd of people in front of the red house. I quickened my pace and came closer to the crowd. My eyes started searching for her. However, she was not to be seen anywhere. How could have I asked anybody about her as I didn’t know her name? Instead of inquiring about her, it seemed to be more urgent at the present moment to know why people had gathered there. Putting my hand upon the shoulder of a young man who was standing in the crowd, I asked, in a hushed tone, “What’s the matter?” The young man looked at me and said, “A young girl who was living in this red house has ended her life by committing suicide. They say she was disgusted with life. She was dumb since birth”. I could hardly believe my ears. My feet began to tremble. My throat was choked. I wanted to cry. Despite my efforts, my eyes couldn’t hold back the intense flow of tears. Looking at my condition, the young man in the crowd asked. “Was she related to you?”

Read: M. Kamal – A Legend of Sindhi Literature

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Dr. Vinod Asudani is a significant literary voice from the Indian subcontinent who writes in Sindhi, Hindi, and English. He has 37 books to his credit including 18 translations from Sindhi into English. He has earned a reputation as a poet, writer, translator, cultural critic, academician, motivator, life coach, thinker, counselor, and psychologist. He was the first visually challenged writer in India to receive the coveted Sahitya Akademi award for Sindhi language on his collections of ghazals “Hathu Pakadjaan” (Lend me thy hand) in 2023. Other awards and honors include a lifetime achievement award from Maharashtra Sindhi Sahitya Akademi (2023), Best Teacher-writer award from RTM Nagpur University (2015), NCPSL Literary Award (2013), Yuva Puraskar from Bhartiya Bhasha Parishad Kolkata (2012) and many more. He holds a doctorate in English and Psychology from RTM Nagpur University. He has been conferred with Honorary D.Litt. from the University of South America. He works as an Associate professor at Ramdeobaba University Nagpur. Email: asudanivinod@yahoo.com

The post Silent Lips – A Short Story by Dr. Vinod Asudani first appeared on Sindh Courier.

• Breathing life into poetry by reading it out loud to patient listeners revives this almost-extinct message of love, much needed in these troubled times.

By Jyoti Bachani

For five years now, I have hosted monthly poetry readings in my living room, which, starting in March 2020, with the onset of the pandemic, transitioned to weekly online meetings by popular request. It has proven to be a sanctuary for us regulars. We read poems in different languages, with impromptu translations, to find shelter in poems. We have read poems to process the major public tragedies in these unusual times, be it the pandemic, the murder of George Floyd and protests in its aftermath, California’s largest wildfires with darkness at noon over San Francisco and ash raining down from the skies, India’s major floods and the largest migration of daily workers who walked from all major Indian cities to their villages, the very divisive presidential election with the prolonged wait for the results, to the history-making Biden-Harris team winning the White House from Trump, and beyond. Thanks to the patient listening and open minds, we have grown closer and our personal experiences are also shared through the poems we read.

The shrine of Odero Lal in Sindh is one of the few places where Hindus and Muslims continue to pray together under the same roof.

In July 2020, I suffered a personal tragedy, as my mother passed away in India. As an only child, it was especially hard to not be near her as she bid farewell to this life. The strong independent woman she was, she had made plans for her mortal remains to be donated to the local hospital for the cause of science. Due to COVID restrictions, the hospitals were no longer accepting cadavers. My maasi’s daughter and her son, and their spouses, took care of the last rites. My grief was expressed in the poetry circle as I sang an old Sindhi prayer that I first heard as a child from my grandmother. It is an aarti, sung at the end of most prayer rituals in Sindhi households. We call it pallo as we sing it while holding open a scarf or end of a saree or hands open in front of the body, in supplication. The ‘pallo’ starts with…

Pallo payan ti maan Zinda-Pir te

Muhenji bedi athayee vich seer te 

Pallo payan ti maan Zinda-Pir te

Baasiyu baasan ti maan Zinda-Pir te

Jyotin-wara Lal-Odera

Kayee kan ta, to dar phera

Tuhenje meher ameer fakir te

I am seeking at Zinda-Pir

My boat is mid-stream

I am seeking at Zinda-Pir

Wishing for my wishes at Zinda-Pir

O enlighted Lal-Odera

Many come seeking at your door

For your blessings, the rich and the poor

Sindhi is spoken mostly by Sindhis living in Sindh, Pakistan. The majority of them are Muslims as the Hindu Sindhis, like all four of my grandparents, migrated to India in 1947, due to the partition of the country. My parents were about ten years old as they became child refugees in India. Their generation assimilated by adopting the local languages and customs, and by inter-marrying people of different faiths and languages. The partition destroyed the rich cultural and literary heritage of Sindhis as we became displaced people. My mother was the only person I could speak in Sindhi with. With her passing the reality of Sindhi as a dying language hits home personally. Most of my cousins can’t even speak it, and I never learned to read or write it. It is written in the Arabic script and growing up in Delhi, there was no access to learning it in school or elsewhere.

Sindhis have been global traders from the times when rivers were the highways and boats were planes.

As I sang the pallo, one of the poets in our circle, who reads extensively in Urdu, another language written in Arabic script, told me about Shah Latif, the best-known poet of Sindh. A classic book of his poems, Latif-jo-Rassolo, was published in 1866, almost 100 years after he passed away. With curiosity aroused and information a few clicks away, I discovered so much about the land of my ancestors and Sindhi culture that I might never have otherwise.

For example, I always knew that we Sindhis worship Jhulelal, the river god, who is depicted sitting on a fish. That seemed fitting for a people named after the river Sindhu, called Indus in English that flows through Sindh. Sindhis have been global traders from the times when rivers were the highways and boats were planes. The typical Sindhi greeting ‘bedo paar’ literally means ‘may your boat land safely’.

What I never knew was that Jhulelal is a poet who lived in the mid-tenth century. He is called by many other names, such as Lal Sai (because he wore red robes), Odero Lal (Flying one, as he traveled a lot), Zinda-Pir (Living Saint), Sheikh Tahir, Shahbaz Kalandar, amongst them. He is part of the rich Sufi tradition that originated in Sindh. The richness of the culture is hinted at in the fact that India is named after a bastardization of Indus, the land of the ancient Indus Valley civilization.

One of the major archeological sites of that ancient civilization, called Mohan-jo-Daro, is simply Sindhi for Mound-of-the-Dead. The locals knew of it always, way before the British engineers trying to lay the railroad through the soft sand of Sindh were led to it, to steal and reuse the 5000+ year old bricks from the Great Wall of Sindh, to stabilize the sand for 90 miles of railroad tracks to be laid on it. To this day, the shrine of Odero Lal in Sindh is one of the few places where Hindus and Muslims continue to pray together under the same roof.

Read – Personal Price of Politics: Sindhis

I have sung the pallo many times in my life, but only now deciphered the coded message in it. Today Zinda-Pir would be considered a Muslim name and Odero-Lal a Hindu name, but in the song, we seek blessings from the same poet, best known as Jhulelal, the Sindhi God. The most popular song that every qwaali concert ends with, when everyone dances, is an ode to Jhulelal, Dum-a-dum Mast Qalandar, made popular in the 70s by Bangladeshi singer Runa Laila, but also sung by Abida Parveen, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Fareed Ayaz, and many others that continues to build bridges of love as iconic singers from Bangladesh, Pakistan and India continue to sing it to appreciative audiences. Breathing life into poetry by reading it out loud to patient listeners revives this almost-extinct message of love, much needed in these troubled times.

Read – Memoirs: Academic Journey of an Immigrant

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Dr. Jyoti Bachani is an Associate Professor of Strategy and Innovation at Saint Mary’s College of California. She is a former Fulbright Senior Research Scholar, with degrees from London Business School, UK, Stanford, USA, and St. Stephen’s College, India. She translates Hindi poems and edited a poetry anthology called ‘The Memory Book of the Poetry of Diaspora in Silicon Valley’.

Courtesy: India Currents (Posted on June 29, 2021)

The post Pallo: Sindhi Poetry to Discover Oral History first appeared on Sindh Courier.