African Pakistanis and a Festival with 150 Crocodiles
In the southern region of Pakistan, there lives a community named ‘Sheedi’. These African descendants settled in Pakistan around 650 AD.
The population of Sheedis in Pakistan is around 250,000. They mostly live in Sindh and Makran areas of Pakistan.
Fishing is their main source of income because they live on the coast of Arabian Sea. They are also famous for their football players. Unlike the rest of Pakistan, Sheedi youth loves to play football more than cricket.
This community is living in Pakistan for centuries but they still face discrimination on the basis of their ethnicity. Sheedis are keeping their African identity alive through some festivals and rituals though most of them are Muslims now.
A very famous festival celebrated only by Sheedis is, ‘Sheedi Mela’. During this festival, the Sheedi community comes together to celebrate and worship almost 150 crocodiles that live in a sanctuary in Karachi city. The patron saint of the Sheedis, is Mangu Pir. His shrine is the home to these crocodiles and that’s where this festival is celebrated. No one exactly knows about the history of these crocodiles or when…
