HYDERABAD: Theirs is a tale of bouncing back from adversity. Originally from Sindh province of Pakistan, the Sindhi community migrated to India after Partition. Being industrious, the Sindhis, with few resources, has over the years established successful businesses across many sectors.
In the process, Sindhis emerged as one of the affluent communities in India, with rags-to-riches tales aplenty. Prominent institutions in the city include Karachi Bakery, Royal Hotel Group, Meena Bazar Group, LCH Sadhuram Eye Hospital among others. Sindhis also have established ‘Sind Bank’, with branches at PG Road, Secunderabad and Bank Street, Koti.
The Sindhi community in Hyderabad is spread across different areas, while in Secunderabad, many of them have made their home at Sindhi Colony. Humility personified, Pandit Deepak Sharma (Raja Maharaj) warmly receives us at his house and speaks about the community, festivals, cuisine and upcoming events. A Purohit of the community, Pt. Deepak Sharma also holds regular ‘Katha Pravachan’ sessions in Hindi. And being environmentally conscious, he creates eco-friendly Ganesha idols made of clay and immerses them at home itself! Embodying the principle of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’, it is no exaggeration to say that Sindhis are beacons of Hinduism at its most humane level. The ‘Kul Devta’ or ‘Ishta Dev’ of Sindhis is Jhulelal (Varun Dev, the Lord of Oceans and Lord of Water).
Founded in 1950, there are two Sindhi associations – Sree Sindhi Guru Sangat Sabha Association at King Koti in Abids, and Sree Sindhi Satsang Darbar Association at Sindhi Colony in Secunderabad. These two associations conduct activities such as rituals, pujas, etc. “The Abids association has nearly 1,500 members, while the Secunderabad association has over 900 members. Membership is open only to Sindhi community members, with a lifetime enrollment fee of `500. However, the temples on the premises of both associations are open for all Hindu communities. Overall, there are nearly 60,000 Sindhis in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad,” says Pt. Deepak Sharma.
The new year of Sindhi community is known as ‘Cheti Chand’ (similar to Ugadi for Telugus), celebrated during April. After elaborate prayer and ritual sessions, Sindhi women perform ‘Chhej’, a folk dance. Sindhis also celebrate other festivals such as Makar Sankranti, Shivaratri, Holi, Raksha Bandhan, Dasara, Deepavali, Gurunanak Jayanti and many others. “We follow all Hindu rituals,” adds Pt. Deepak Sharma.
He also assists Sindhi families in matchmaking, helps them conduct marriages, does social service activities and collects funds to help community members in need. Once every two years, he narrates the ‘katha’ in Hindi for ‘Shrimad Bhagwat Puran’, at an event held at Hira Hall, Abids. The upcoming ‘katha’ is slated to be held on January 5, 2020, and would continue till January 12, 2020.
When it comes to cuisine, some of their favourite dishes are kadhi-chawal, dal-pakwan, koki-papad, lola, sai bhaji, seyun-patata, lotus stem curry, tairi (sweetened rice), seero malpuro, among others. Tairi is prepared for all auspicious occasions and offered to their family deity Jhulelal.
For performing last rites, the Sindhi association of the twin cities has an area earmarked at Bansilalpet in the city, where cremation takes place. On upcoming activities, Pt. Deepak Sharma informs, “We have plans for creating a Sindhi community member directory of all those living in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. The aim of the Sindhi community is to uplift Sindhi community members who are not economically well-off.”
(With inputs from Seema Rajpal)
shyam@newindianexpress.com @shyamyadagiri