So today is the Cheti Chand..Happy New Year to Sindhis!

Cheti Chand A new year for Sindhis, to be celebrated with much pomp and show,

It’s the day to get kharchi from elders and to wear new clothes and go to visit relatives and get more kharchi.

 In the evening to go to some entertainment show where they will sing those same songs that they have brought from Sindh (with little alteration here and there). Those same song, sung long ago by Ram Punwani and Bhagwanti Navani etc. songs like Ek soun jo rupeeo allah ree allah. and songs like ‘Lal ja jati chau Julelal Bera hi paar, Sadai Sahukar’ (now u know how Sindhis get rich? If you chant Sadai Sahukar in front of Lal Sahi, and keep such positive energies all the time and then naturally you will get rich na? JuleLal always listen to people who are hard working and hold such positive energies. Lage raho …lage raho.. Sadai Sahukar. JULELAL!

 Okay this much information is enough for a child of seven year old to understand. But I need to know more about what else do they do? So I asked my sister to give me some insight.

She asked me to accompany her to Julelal mandir and she promised me lunch (good enough reason to go, free lunch? Why not! I went to Lal Sahiji’s mandir with her. The mandir was full of Sindhi ladies in late 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. There were few children (probably the grand children) but the youngsters were not there at all. Array Baba, who will go to these Mandirs after, say next 20 years from now? Our culture is dying na! With youngster, who are not in the least interested? ‘.Lal Sahi. Are You Listening? Days are numbered…..no youngsters visiting you? Eh?’

 Anyways we reached mandir and there were some ladies making the dough of flour and shaping it into diya (lamp), (each diya was stuffed with cloves and cardamom) and another dough mould (decorated with silver vark, dry fruits like almonds and cashew nuts) to hold the misri (rock sugar), they were placed in thali (a big steel plate) and given it to those who did not bring any from their home. But my sister believes in doing everything herself, so she had come prepared bringing with her all the things in her potli (bag). She only borrowed the thali from the mandir and one by one she removed from her potli and started placing items into the thali , things like diya (Filling it with pure Ghee and cotton wick), miisri, rice, fruit, biscuit and flowers, vermillion, and few coins. She then stood in a long queue to present this thali to the guryani (a woman priest) who would light the lamp, read the prayers and bless her thali. After the prayers she placed the thali (now, after prayers, this thali is called Barano Sahib) on her head and turned 360 degrees (three times) before she went outside the mandir and place the thali in front of huge picture of JuleLal (which had many more similar thalis) for the final blessing. She started praying once more (her own method this time) putting rice in her own thali, plus in other thalis and staring at the picture then shutting her eyes again.

 I meekly asked where the free lunch is. Eh? I followed the glance of my sister which rested on the long queue, waiting in line to get the food. Queues like you see at refugee camps…or those queues that you see in movies where the prisoners wait for food. Are we supposed to stand in this queue? I remembered that dialogue in some movie where protagonist says ‘hum judar khare ho jate hai.. vahi se line suroo hoti hai….’ I wondered if I could use that dialogue here…and cut this long queue…but alas!….with my sister around, nothing will work.. Disciple comes first!

So I quietly stand behind her and wait for Prasad. Delicious Prasad! Indeed! Peas pulau, bhee aloo. Salad. Puri, achar, fried bhajiysa, sweet rice, boiled channa, and sayoo and to drown it all with rose sherbet. (all fattening….my nutrition analyst would not approve of this meal.) Never mind, its new year na! …Lal ja Jati chau JULELAL bera hi Paar Sadai sahukar! Now I am getting some idea about this Cheti Chand According to the Hindu calendar,

Cheti Chand is celebrated on the first day of the Chaitra month known as Chet in Sindhi. Hence it is known as CHET-I-CHAND The Sindhi community celebrates the festival of Cheti Chand in honour of the birth of Ishtadeva Uderolal, popularly known as Jhulelal, the Patron Saint of the Sindhis. This day is considered to be very auspicious and is celebrated with pompous and gaiety. On this day, people worship water – the elixir of life. Followers of Jhulelal observe Chaliho Sahab. It suggests that for forty long days and nights they underwent rituals and vigil on the bank of Sindhu. They did not shave, nor did they wear new clothes or shoes. They did not use soap or oil or any opulent thing. They just washed their clothes, dried them and wore them again. In the evening, they worshipped God Varun, sang songs in his praise and prayed for their solace and salvation. After 40 days of Chaaliho, the followers of Jhulelal celebrate the occasion with festivity as 'Thanks Giving Day' even till today. A lamp is lit on a bronze plate, and this ritual is called Jyot Jagan. One lamp, akshaoil and vermillion are kept on this plate . A procession is taken out to the river front or sea shore. Lakhs of people participate in the long processions taken out in different cities, with colourful floats, depicting the life of the Saint and other aspects of Sindhi culture. The Sindhi folk dance called "Chhej" is performed with the procession. People go to a river or a lake and Bahrano Saheb is immersed in the water along with rice and sugar prasad called "Akho". It is customary to sing Lal Sain's Panjras and Palav to seek his grace. New ventures are started on this day. After the worship of Jhulelal, the Sindhi community display and present their rich culture through dance, drama, music and folk arts that are preserved and passed on to…next generation..?

  If only, our new generation can show some interest, then maybe. the lamp will continue to be lit…….!