November 2021 Issue

The Diwali Spark!

By Vini Melwani-USA

 

Many happy childhood memories include the festivities of Diwali. The long awaited gift envelope, the sparkling fireworks, the scrumptious sweets, and of course the never-ending poojas!

 

Family traditions and the celebrations of our festivals are the corner stone of every family, lovingly inherited from one generation to another. To some degree they define who we are, our ideas, ideals and attitudes.

 

Few of us, however, stop to understand the significance and symbolisms of our festivals and traditions. Diwali is a time for a new beginning, for a revival, but a renewal of what?

 

The villain in our story is not Ravana but our EGO, held captive is not Sita but our DESIRES and the hero is not Ram but KNOWLEDGE. It is only by the destruction of our ego we are able to be selfless in our actions, thereby upgrading our desires and enabling the light of knowledge, to attain a free and divine state of SELF.

 

Ego and Self stand on the opposite side of our Ayodhya. Ego gives us a sense of “I” and “mine” and constantly imprisons us in the conscious state of ourselves as individuals. Just like Ravana, the ego is the master player of our present mental arena. Our spiritual journey begins when we start to inquire and question the existence of ego in our self, culminating in the realization of the Self.

 

Trapped in the same arena are our desires, in the conative tendencies of our instincts, prompting almost a subtle involuntary action. Born of complete ignorance, our desires rule our life oscillating between fulfillment and frustration depending on if our desires have been satisfied or unsatisfied. We are trapped just like Sita, in the castle of our mind made of cravings and expectations.

 

Just as Ram freed Sita, so too the power of Knowledge sets us free from life’s pendulum and establishes us in our native and pristine state of divine glory and splendor.  The light of knowledge removes all darkness and shows us the pure transcendent plane of Brahman in which there are no desires.

 

Let us pause for a moment this Diwali to light a spark of awareness and realign our purpose in life, let us start our new year and realize a higher cause, let us rise above the negative and reach for the positive, let our desires be that of recognizing the supreme cosmic spirit in us, let us find our Absolute Reality!

 

Happy Diwali!

 

Vini Melwani is author/founder of a blog Hinduism Symbolism @HinduismSymbols. She also writes for a non-profit One Bread Foundation Inc and on the editorial team of Sindhi Samachar 

 Simran Sharma, daughter of Deepak Sharma and Vandana Sharma has won TIGP Miss India 2021 and will be representing India on an international platform as Ms. International World Supermodel India in Miami, USA.


She has also bagged the subtitle of “Glamorous Goddess” at The International Glamour Project.
Simran Sharma used this platform to support and raise funds towards Mental Health as she is passionate about it and believes that we can create a better world, for our minds, together. She garnered over 60 supporters and raised closed to Rs. 85,000 (USD 1133.43) This was a 90 day fundraiser.


The pre finale week was from 31st August to 2nd September in Mumbai. Prior to this she had 2 virtual rounds which were held via zoom for her personal interview and Queen’s statement. The Finale event was held at Marriott Hotel in Mumbai on the 3rd of September! She has represented Bangalore, Karnataka at the national level. There were a total of 50 contestants where she was announced as the 1st place winner and was crowned by Celina Jaitly ma’am and sashed by Dr. Aditi Govitrikar ma’am. This was Simran Sharma’s first Pageant.

 

Simran is a digital influencer, entrepreneur and is into pageantry and modeling.
She has launched her first store amidst the pandemic, dealing with organic health products, dry fruits, nuts and seeds to enable people to get a strong immunity in fighting COVID-19 which has shown good results from the response t
he store has received.

 

She is also a co-founder of a Charitable Trust called Being Sindhi Charitable Trust and help people who are in need, during the pandemic with her team she has conducted various vaccination drives which are free of cost for the people who cannot afford it, provided ration kits, medicines, clothes, oxygen concentrators, nebulizers, oximeters, thermometer (digital & infrared), hygiene kits and other daily items.

 

Simran Sharma has always found happiness whilst helping another human, which is also one of the primary reasons why the idea came up to co-found the Charitable Trust.

 

 

We hope her journey inspires you to chase after your goals and dreams! To stay determined, dedicated and discipline in achieving them.

 

We congratulate and wish Simran Sharma all the best for the international level when she represents India as Ms. International World Supermodel in The United States of America in 2022.

 

To Follow her journey further and see her prepare for International, her Social Media handles are:

 

Instagram 

Twitter 

Facebook

Snapchat - Simrandsharma

Clubhouse - Simrandsharma

SIMPLY SINDHI…By Barkha.J.Khushalani - Mumbai

 

“Always focus on how far you’ve come, not how far you have left to go.”

This is the feeling we Sindhis have adopted and moved on in life. Hence it’s futile to talk about the historical events and the sorrow and wounds of partition of our community.

 

Here are a few qualities that make us Sindhis stand out in a crowd, the ABC of a Sindhi, if you may like.

 

A - ACHIEVER – ADAPTABLE – AJARAK

B - BROAD MINDED - BUILDING FORTUNES – BHORI

C - CHETICHAND – CHOWNKI – CHHOLA

D - DABAL DAISPORA – DIAMOND – DAAL PAKWAN

E - ENTERPRISING – EMOTIONAL – ECONOMICAL

F - FOLK SONGS – FASHIONABLE – FALOODA

G - GENEROUS – GORGEOUS – GHEEYAR

H - HARAPPA - HARDWORKING – HOSPITALITY

I - INDUS VALLEY – INTELLIGENT – IDEALISTIC

J - JHULELAL – JESTFUL – JOLLY

K - KNOWLEDGE – KHES – KHAT

L - LANGUAGE – LITERATURE – LEGENDS

M - MOHEN-JO-DARO – MOTHER TONGUE – MYSTIC MUSIC

N - NOBLE – NOSTALGIC – NAANO

O - OPTIMISTIC – OVERWEIGHT – OUTSPOKEN

P - POLITE – PALO – PAPPAD

Q - QALANDAR - QATAL SWEETS – QUARRELS A BIG NO

R - RELIABLE – RESILIENT – RAZAAI

S - SINDHU RIVER – SHAH – SHACHAL

T - TRADERS – TASTEFUL – THRIVING

U - UDEROLAL – UNIQUE – UNSHAKABLE

V - VALAINT – VENDORS – VAANYAA

W - WARM – WELCOMING – WITTY

X - XTRA WORK – XTRA MONEY – XTRA FOOD

Y - YOUTHFUL – YIELDING – YUMMY FOOD

Z - ZINDAH PIR – ZEALFUL – ZAMINDARS

 

The trend amongst our youth is changing, and I find the many of them involved in trying to reach their roots. A Jhulelal Tirth Sthan has being made and media too is flooded with a fresh and new kind of Sindhionism.

*SINDHI BUSINESS MANAGEMENT*

 

An old Sindhi merchant had a small shop in Kalyan for years,

 

One day a huge corporate supermarket set up shop across the road from his little shop.

They put up signs advertising their prices, including one that said "Butter - 100 rupees".

 

In response, the Sindhi merchant added a sign to his own window, "Butter - 90 rupees".

 

The next day, the big supermarket had a new sign, "Butter - 80 rupees".

Sure enough, the Sindhi merchant's sign now read "Butter - 70 rupees".

 

This went on for a while, until eventually one of the Sindhi merchant's customers pointed to the sign and said, "Sir, you cannot keep your prices so low for long. These big companies can use their buying power to sell products cheaper, but a little store like yours can never compete."

 

In response, the old Sindhi merchant bent forward conspiratorially and muttered,

 

"Arre Baba, I don't even sell butter!!!"

Susuee Punhoon

By Raj Dawani

 

 

Once a King named Dilorao ruled the South East district of Karachi in Sindh. In that Kingdom one Brahmin named Naoon used stay on the banks of Bambrah canal. The name of his wife was Mandhur. After along wait in their middle age they were blessed with a daughter. She was as beautiful as the moon itself.

 

As was customary the astrologers were called to read her future. After all the planetary calculations it was predicted that she was destined to marry a Muslim. As Naoon was a Brahmin this was not acceptable to him.

 

A big wooden box was made; the child was put in it and set afloat in the canal. The box kept with the flow of current and reached near the city of Bambhor. There the chief of washer man’s clan named Mohammed used to stay. He had about five hundred people working under him. When they got the box the same was brought to their chief. In the box they found a beautiful girl child. Since he did not have any child of his own he thought her as a gift from God and adopted her as his own daughter.

 

Due to her exceptional beauty she was named Sasuee (like a moon). As she grew day by day her beauty also increased with every passing day. She was an apple of eye of all the people. Mohammed the washer man was also a very happy. 

 

As he was chief of his tribe and had no dearth of money he had one beautiful palace with a vast garden around it, which he had built for Sasuee, where she would play carefree with her mates and would some times spin cotton thread on the spinning wheel. 

 

As Bambhor lay on the trade route to Thatta and other commercial centers many a mercantile caravan would pass through it. The caravans from Kech Makran a Kingdom situated in South West of Sindh also used to pass from there.

 

Sasuee’s beauty reached the ears of Punhoon the prince of Kech Makran, who was son of Aari Jaam the ruler. He was anxious to see such a beauty. In the guise of a musk trader and other scented perfumes he came to Bambhor. When Sasuee learnt of this caravan carrying rare scents she came with her friends to purchase the same. When eyes of Sasuee and Punhoon met some thing inexpiable happened.

As if two souls who were in search of other half to complement itself had found each other and become one. All said and done it was a love at first sight.

 

Both would long for the company or even glimpse of each other. Sasuee confided the secret of her heart to her friend who went and informed about the situation to her father so that both may be married. Mohammed the washer man sternly refused, saying ‘He does not belong to our caste.’ Her friend was deeply attached to Sasuee and to counter that objection said, ‘He is from our caste.’

 

On hearing this Mohammed wanted to test Punhoon and gave him a sackful of clothes to wash.

Punhoon was not a washer man. In his desperation he tore all the clothes that were given to him for washing. Seeing this Sasuee suggested to him to put one gold coin in every piece of cloth and give it to the owners. On getting a gold coin no one would complain. Punhoon followed her advice and this strategy succeeded. This convinced Mohammed that Punhoon was washer man indeed!

 

Sasuee and Punhoon both were married with befitting pomp. Before marriage he got an undertaking from Punhoon that he would stay in Bambhor only. Chunro a brother of Punhoon who was with him tried his best to dissuade him but miserably failed. He returned back to Kech Makran and related the entire episode to his father, Jaam Aari who sent his special messenger to Punhoon telling him if did not return immediately he would die in his separation. When messenger reached Bambhor he found Punhoon washing clothes along with other washer men. He pleaded with Punhoon to return but to no avail.

 

Ultimately Punhoon’s brothers Chunro, Hotu, and Notu consoled their distraught father and promised to bring Punhoon back. When all the three brothers reached Bambhor they were received by all the warmth by Sasuee and Punhoon. They were lavishly entertained with choicest food and wines.

 

One day while Sasuee was asleep and brothers were reveling Punhoon’s brothers’ conspired to intoxicate him to the extent of unconsciousness. Thus in this state they took Punhoon away on the back of fast running camels. Next day early morning when Sasuee woke up she did not find Punhoon.

On enquiring she came to know that Punhoon’s brothers had carried him away during the night. She became inconsolable. Her parents as well as her friends tried to calm her down, separation from Punhoon was unbearable for her. She abandoned everything and set out in pursuit of her beloved Punhoon.

 

In her pursuits through difficult terrain she would some times blame herself for sleeping and some times her brothers in law who had treacherously abducted Punhoon and some time she bemoaned her luck!

 

In the words of Shah Latif:

‘All are enemies, camels, camel men and brothers in law; fourth enemy is wind that removed the foot prints of Punhoon, fifth enemy is sun which delayed its setting, sixth enemy is sky which did not make travel easy, seventh enemy is moon which did not shine longer.’

 

Sasuee was dead tired, all her limbs badly ached; she was hardly able to move but she resolved, ‘to Punhoon she must go and she has to continue to move’ and she fortified herself with the thought: ‘You have to keep moving all the time, be it a bitter cold or scorching heat,’ (Shah Latif) Again she wants to entreat Punhoon; ‘I would bow and touch his feet, entreat him to stay for a night at Bhambor,’ (Shah Latif)

 

After the tortuous journey when she reached near Pubba Mountain she fell down totally exhausted. Miraculously a water spring appeared there; Sasuee drank water and rested for a while. (Still That water spring is there in Bhambor for any one to see). She moved again in pursuit of he beloved Punhoon. When she reached near Mabuhur canal, she saw a hut of a shepherd at the top of the hill. She asked the shepherd if he had seen any caravan passing that way. Seeing her beauty and her being alone the shepherd made advances towards her. She asked him for some water. As shepherd went to his hut to fetch water, Sasuee prayed god to save her chastity. God granted her prayer- the hill broke into two and Sasuee found eternal refuge in its womb.

 

In this entire incident a portion of her upper garment remained visible outside. Shepherd when returned not only with the water but milk also was astonished to see this miracle of nature. As repentance for his deed he became a caretaker of the grave of Sasuee.

 

On the other hand when Punhoon regained consciousness he pleaded with his brothers to free him and allow him to return to Bambhor. His brothers refused his pleas and brought him back to Kech Makran and handed him over to Aari Jam. Punhoon was all the time sad and restless, and he lost his health and reached a perilous condition. Seeing this Aari Jam told him ‘go with your brothers and bring Sasuee back here with you.’ He went out in the search of Sasuee, and when he reached Mabuhur canal, seeing the fresh grave he thought it is possible this grave may be of some saint. Thinking so he went there.

Shepherd related the entire episode of Sasuee to him. Thinking it to be a grave of an ardent lover he prayed that he should also meet his beloved.

 

Lo and behold! The hill again parted and he eternally joined his beloved. 

 

True lovers do not hesitate to sacrifice their life to meet their beloved

POEM ON MY ONE AND ONLY BROTHER KISHORE JAGTAINI

By his one and only sister Harshita Thadhani 

 

A KIND AND GENTLE SOUL YOU WERE
AN ENTERPRISING BROTHER YOU WERE
A BRILLIANT STUDENT OF XAVIERS YOU WERE
A GIVING HUMAN BEING YOU WERE.
AN NINETEEN WHEN GOD CALLED UPON YOU
DEVASTATED WERE WE TO NOTHINGNESS
THE APPLE OF THE EYE OF DAD, MOM AND I
A HELPING HAND TO RESOLVE ALL AMISS.
HANDSOME, GOODLOOKING, SMART AND INTELLIGENT
AS FEW WORDS DESCRIBING THE LARGER THAN LIFE, YOU.
OUR LIFE ENDED THE MOMENT YOU WERE TAKEN AWAY
OUR SMILES VANISHED
OUR HEARTS STOPPED BREATHING
OUR MIND HAD ALL GONE ASTRAY.
AS YOUR BIRTHDAY BEFALLS ON FOURTH OF JULY
I REMINISCE CELEBRATING THIS SPECIAL DAY TOGETHER
MY DARLING SIBLING AS MY WORLD FELL APART
YOU REMAIN IN MY HEART FOREVER.
WISHING YOU A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY IN HEAVEN
I LOOK UP TO GOD AND ASK HIM WHY ?
WHY GOD DID YOU TAKE MY ONLY SIBLING ? MY ONLY BROTHER FROM ME ?
AWAITING HIS ANSWER PATIENTLY
AS HE WHISPERS…..
YOU DID LOVE HIM VERY DEARLY BUT
I LOVE HIM EVEN MORE

Shrikhand

 

 

Ingredients:

 

1kg thick yogurt

3/4-cup sugar

Few strands of saffron

1 tbsp. warm milk

2 tbsp. cardamom powder

Chopped pistachios and almonds

 

Method

 

Hang the curd in a muslin cloth in a cool place for about 3hrs till all the liquid is drained

 

Place saffron into milk to release its colour and flavour

 

Mix together the hung curd, sugar, saffron mixture and cardamom in a bowl and churn with a hand blender

 

Decorate with the chopped pistachios and almonds and place in the fridge till ready to serve 

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Launched with love for everything Sindhi, our newsletter, Sindhi Samachar, aims to be circulated amongst our Sindhi family and friends intended to forge unity and interaction within our community. We hope our brothers and sisters globally participate and contribute towards it with your views, Sindhi news, Sindhi jokes, or Sindhi recipes, which we will be happy to publish under your name.

 

Editorial Content

Raj Daswani

Vini Melwani 

Geeta Raj

 

Disclaimer:The views and opinions expressed in Sindhi Samachar by our contributors are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the editorial team of Sindhi Samachar. Any content provided by our contributors, bloggers or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual or anyone or anything.

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