Sindhi Culture

Culture is the identity of a group of people living in a specific place; they have their own sketch of life what the culture says they follow that.

Every young Sindhi has heard stories from their grandparents about growing up in Sindh in undivided India, and the difficult journey across the border and the loss of life during Partition when Hindu Sindhis had to journey over the border and look for suitable land all over India where they could settle down, often in the face of resistance.

The word “Sindh” is derived from its lifestream, the river Indus, known to the people by the name of “Sindhu”. The roots of Sindhi culture and civilization are believed to trace back to one of the world’s oldest civilization, the Indus Valley Civilization.

Post the 1947 partition, thousands of Sindhis sailed from Pakistan to India. Leaving behind their wealth, land and all earnings, they started from scratch to rebuild their lives, literally.

Sindhi is one of the oldest languages of the sub-continent, with a rich and extensive folklore and literature. It is one of the major languages of Pakistan, spoken mainly in the province of Sindh.

Sindhi cuisine also reflects the influence of culinary cultures of the Rajputs, the Mughals, the Sikhs and even the Arabs.
The dishes which they make are unique in taste as well as in the names. The spices which they use are general and regular, but the way of using different vegetables and spice is unique in itself.

Sindh has been shaped by the largely desert region having lots of natural resources including agricultural land as well as the Indus River, which is called Sindhu Daryaa in the Sindhi language, that passes through the land.

What also adds to the distinct flavours of the Sindhi cuisine are three things: slow cooking, layering of garam masala and a penchant for combining sweet and savoury flavours. A love for amchoor (dry mango powder) and basar (onions that have been sautéed white instead of brown) are some other characteristic features of this rustic and robust cuisine.

Sindhi breakfast packed with flavours, dal pakwan is a culinary couple made in heaven. It’s basically lightly spiced yellow lentils served with deliciously crisp and thick deep-fried flatbread.

For most Sindhis, a lazy Sunday afternoon is often synonymous with a bowl of hot steaming rice and fragrant Sindhi kadhi (a besan-based preparation loaded with okra, drumsticks and cluster beans). Garnished with juicy, sweet boondi and crisp alu tuk, this combination is much-loved comfort food for the Sindhi community.

To complete the meal is the Papad which Sindhis are really known for, I cannot see a meal complete without papad. Papad dough is made up of Urad flour and other masalas, rolled and dried in the sun and stored. This is then roasted (most of the time) or fried (sometimes) with almost every meal be it breakfast/lunch/dinner. It is a good digestive and completes the meal of a Sindhi.

Thadri, which essentially means ‘cold’ in the Sindhi language is a day dedicated to Shitala Devi, one who is believed to cure poxes, sores, ghouls, pustules and diseases.

While Thadri is celebrated 8 days post the auspicious festival of Rakshabandhan, the preparations actually begin a day in advance. Delicacies including koki (sweet floured cakes), Lola (fried cakes) and dry cooked dishes such as potato, bhindi, karela are prepared a night before and then prayers are offered in front of the gas stove. Once the prayers are made, a few drops of water are sprinkled on the main stove in order to appease Shitala Devi Mata. On the main day, neither the stove is lit nor is any meal cooked.

Celebration of the birth of the Avatar of Water god (Varun Devta) Sai Uderolal, popularly known as Jhulelal. So much has been said and written about it that it would be superfluous to mention the event again. In Sindh, the beginning of the New Year was considered Cheti Chand.