DR. KAJAL JETHANAND SADHWANI VOLUME I ISSUE I INFINITY JOURNALS ARTICLE 1. INFINITY JOURNAL DR. KAJAL JETHANAND SADHWANI ABSTRACT: Lord Jhulelal is the principal deity of Sindhi community. He is described as 'Ishta Dev' of Sindhis. He is believed to be an incarnation of Lord Varuna, a powerful God in Vedic period. He was born around 950 A.D. in a small town Nasarpur in Sindh which is about 90 miles away from Hyderabad in today’s Pakistan and which was a part of undivided India before 1947. He was born in a Lohana family and his mother’s name was Mata Devaki and father’s name was Ratanrai Thakkar.Lord Jhulelal gave a message of brotherhood, love and harmony which is so relevant in today's time when the world seems to be divided in the name of different religions, caste and creed. In Pakistan and in India, this name Jhulelal refers to a number of sacred figures also known as Udero Lal, Lal Sain, Amar Lal, Khwajah Khizr, and even Lal Shahbaz Qalandar. Mata Devki delivered a male child who had an enchanting smile on his face and his face was so bright as if Sun had risen (Uday = Rise), hence the name of the child was kept Uderolal. In the 16th century joint Muslim-Hindu shrine complex at Udero Lal, near the city of Tando Adam Khan, dedicated to Saint Sheikh Tahir for Muslims and Lord Jhulelal for the Hindus was constructed which has has a unique architectural history. This all-white painted shrine complex that had largely been inspired by the Central Asian architecture, ‘Caravanserai’, the Udero Lal shrine is a symbol of interfaith harmony. These were mostly built by traders in Central Asia as a roadside inn where travellers could rest and recover from the day’s journey. The Sindhi Hindu community pays reverence by celebrating ‘Chetichand’ on the eve of Hindu New Year which signifies as the day of birth for Jhulelal, who is associated with water [the source of life] and is considered a savior, especially for those who travelled by sea or River Indus. Jhulelal never disclosed which faith he belonged to. The Hindu and Muslim followers of Jhulelal continue the tradition of religious co-existence at one shrine, where the holy flame has been burning for over 400 years now. Lord Jhoolay Lal was the saviour of the Sindhi community in the tenth century when they faced persecution at the hands of Mirkha Shah, a fanatical ruler of Thatta region in Sindh. The Sindhi community went to the banks of Sindhu and prayed to Lord Varuna to send a saviour and protect them. In answer to their prayers, a child was born to Rattan Rao Luhana and his wife Mata Devaki in the town of Nasarpur. This miraculous child saved the Sindhi community by performing a number of miracles. He emerged as a warrior from the Sindhu river and convinced the ruler to treat all his subjects with equality. The silver swing or Jhoola or Peengho in which he was seen as a child is INFINITY JOURNAL responsible for his name. He is also seen in a flowing white beard seated on a fish. Even today, temples are built in his honour and to describe his glory a particular five-line poetry which is known as panjaras is sung. The culture and heritage of India are so rich in values and it teaches the principle of ‘Vasudhaiva Kuṭumbakam’ which means the whole world is one family or in other words, all the people of the world belong to one family. As per a well-known story in Sindh, an important place for Nathpanthis is ‘Uderolal’. A young boy of twelve years of age from here was transformed into an armored knight riding a horse and set on a journey to punish the ruler of Thatta, a province of Sindh. This miraculous man is known by names such as Jinda Pir, Daryashah etc. Being an incarnation of Lord Varuna, the water God, it appears quite appropriate that Lord Jhulelal is sitting on Pala fish which can be called his Vahana (vehicle). The Pala fish indicates that the origin of the deity is water. The white colour clothing of Lord Jhulelal is representative of the calm nature, the colourful kurta adds to the beauty, the golden lining to Kurta is indicative of grandeur of the deity. The crown on his head is indicative of authority and the feather of peacock adds beauty to the crown. An umbrella or Chhatra found over the head is indicative of Kingly status of the deity. A garland of Rudraksha5 beads (Rudraksha Mala) reflects renunciation of worldly things and indicates his spiritual nature. A rosary in hand indicates faith and devotion and would encourage a devotee to chant the holy name of God. An aura seen around the head shows supremacy and authority of the deity. A hand in blessing position is ever ready to bless devotees assuring them to show the path of spiritualism, devotion and faith. The serene face of Lord Jhulelal gives a feeling of peace and tranquillity After migration when Sindhis were given shelter in temporary colonies which were specially established by Government of India, they once again reposed and re-established their faith in their Ishtadeva Lord Jhulelal. This gave them strength and power to overcome the misery that they were facing in a new environment that they were placed into. Their trust in Lord Jhulelal provided them with much needed mental fortitude and tenacity to face difficult times and situation. A popular greeting says it all in just two lines. Jeko Chavando Jhulelal, Tahinja Theenda Beda Paar! Talking about the Sindhi community today in a modern society in India and abroad one can associate almost the entire community with vibrancy and dynamism and a sense of sound business acumen, one has to take cognizance of the great influence of Lord Jhulelal on Sindhi community. This is after going through various hardships during their difficult journey from Sindh to newly established colonies. They have emerged as a charismatic and a potent force in the face of adversity. Their driving force has been Lord Jhulelal. In fact, it can be said as well as witnessed that Sindh is no longer seen on the map of India as it has merged into the region of Pakistan, but the concept of Sindhyat elaborates the fact that although Sindh is no longer seen on the map, Sindh still exists all over the world. This existence can be seen through the Sindhis who are found even in the remote places of the world. Sindhyat reflects the culture which is indirectly spread through the Sindhis all over the world. Before going on a voyage by sea, the Sindhis offer their worship to Uderolal for their safe return to home. Therefore, they worship Jhulelal or Uderolal as the incarnation of the God of the waters and as their own ‘patron deity’. KEYWORDS: Lord Jhulelal, Muslim-Hindu shrine,Udero Lal,Interfaith harmony, Sindhyat. INFINITY JOURNAL WHO WAS JHULELAL? Jhulelal as popularly depicted sitting on a fish on the River Indus The famous song, “Lal Meri Pat.” In the song’s refrain, the line goes, “Jhule lal, Jhule lal, Mast Qalandar, Jhule lal.” The word “Jhule lal” means “swinging red,” popularly referring to the associations between Lal Shahbaz and his red cloak. However, the term equally refers to the deity Jhulelal. Jhulelal was a water deity who was said to have emerged from the Indus River in the form of a palla fish. When Lal Shahbaz Qalandar travelled to Sindh in the 1200s, he did not define himself as Muslim (just as Jhulelal did not call himself Hindu). Lal Shahbaz’s stories became entangled with those of Jhulelal’s. “Hindus look upon him as their saint - their incarnation of the god, and Muslims look upon him as a Sufi saint,” said Arieb. While Muslims revered Lal Shahbaz as a saint, Hindus saw him as an incarnation of Jhulelal. According to legend, in the 1000s, the region was under the rule of the Soomro dynasty. The Muslim leader Mirkh Shah ordered all Hindus to convert to Islam, threatening to kill anyone that did not convert. After much convincing from the Hindu population, Mirkh Shah gave them forty days before they would be forced to convert. Fearing for their lives, the Hindus prayed at the banks of the river to the god Varuna for forty days, and on the fortieth day Varuna told the people he would come down in the form of a baby born in Nassarpur. Their prayers were answered with the birth of Jhulelal on Cheti Chand (celebrated as the first day of the Sindh New Year). At his birth, Jhulelal the child turned into an old man, and was sitting on a palla fish, a fish indigenous to the Indus River. Once news of Jhulelal’s birth reached Mirkh Shah, he dismissed the idea that a child could pose a threat to him. He was confident that Jhulelal would convert to Islam, and then the Hindus who had prayed for their saviour would be disheartened by their god and would turn to Islam as well. However, Mirkh Shah still sent his advisor to see whether the prophecy of the Hindus had any merit. To be on the safe side, the advisor took a poisoned rose petal with the intention of killing the child. When he reached Nassarpur, he saw Jhulelal and offered him the rose petal. Jhulelal blew the petal away in a single breath, and turned into an old man and back to a child in front of the advisor.