Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Punjabis in Australia
There are thousands of Punjabis in Australia, from Perth to Sydney, Renmark to Cairns and even Darwin. Punjabis live and breed in the country where the English first came to drop off their ‘unwanted’ criminals- the convicts. Nowadays we (Punjabi citizens of Australia) look at students from India and think ‘Why?? Why are they here dressed in that fobbish way?? Why are they all together in one massive group?? Why do they need to stare at me?? Haven’t they seen a Punjabi girl before??’ and so on.
But do these same people think that once we ourselves came into this land of opportunity looking for a chance to earn our share of dollars?? That our parents and forefathers struggled with times and racism issues to make a better home for us in a foreign land away from their own support network? If they had not come, we would have come as that FOB (fresh of the boat) we detest or married someone who had a good ILETs score so we could have dollars instead of rupees. This doesn’t come to our minds. We only think of ourselves these days, and not of anything other than our own friends, family and interests.
However, seeing a fellow Punjabi on the street in a land full of people from all backgrounds and walks of life makes us somewhat connect with each other. Even if we are fully white inside...deep down there is a sense of connection. Maybe we look at them and think ‘oh ho...I hope that Aunty doesn’t know Mum, otherwise she will find out I have a gori girlfriend’ or play games such as ‘Bingo’ (where we go out in our normal day-today lives and spot the Desis) or look at the student at the payphone and think ‘must be calling India...phonecards are heaps cheaper than direct.’ We all recognise one another...maybe for a split second, or maybe for a full ten minutes we see them and think, ‘eh apna hai’ (they are one of us).
There is so much that one can discuss and talk about regarding Punjabis in Australia, from the first Punjabi (from District Jalandhar, he did not settle in Australia but returned home after a period of time) to the Annual Sikh Games held during the Easter holidays to the developments of Punjabi music over the years and how Australian Punjabis have influenced the industry, just to name a few. All of this and more cannot not possibly be outlined in one piece of article...so stay tuned and find out more about saade apne ‘talia de vich (our own in Australia)
Saturday, September 5, 2009
What is Punjabi Gurmukhi?
Writing system developed by the Sufis and Sikhs in India for the sacred literature. It seems to have been modified from the Landa script, which is used to write the Punjabi, Lahnda, and Sindhi languages. Landa, Gurmukhi, and two other scripts used in northwestern India, Sharada and Takri, make up a related group that is probably descended from a common ancestor.
Linguistic composition Punjabi Gurmukhi,is mainly used in India. In Pakistan, Punjabi is mainly spoken rather than written; it is also a predominantly rural rather than an urban language. Urdu, rather than Punjabi, is the first language taught in schools in Punjab, so that every educated Punjabi reads and writes Urdu. There was a movement for the promotion of the Punjabi language in the 1980s and '90s, and some Punjabi literature is being published using the Urdu script; among the works published are Punjabi classics that have hitherto been available in Gurmukhi script or preserved in oral tradition.
About Ludhiana's Famous Places
Ludhiana, the site of a great battle in the First Sikh War (1845) is now Punjab's most populated metropolitan city. This city situated on the banks of the Sutlej River, was founded in 1480 by Lodhi princess from Delhi.Although Manchester has changed, but, Ludhiana still is called the Manchester of India. It is a major textile and
light engineering centre. Its hosiery goods are in great demand in all the markets of the east and the west. It exports woolen garments, machine tools, dyes, cycle parts, mopeds, sewing machines and motor parts to all over the world. The famous Punjab Agricultural University is situated on the outskirts of Ludhiana. It has a large grain market and is famous for rural Olympics. Best time to visit Ludhiana is November to Mid April.
Gurudwara Shrimanji Sahib Alamgir Situated 10 Km from Ludhiana, the gurudwara commemorates the place where the Muslim devotees Nabi Khan and Ghani Khan had carried Guru Gobind Singh to safety during the battle. Guru Gobind Singh (1666-1708), the last of the Sikh Gurus, transformed the pacifist Sikh sect into a martial community. He introduced rites of initiation into well-organised Sikh army known as the 'Khalsa'. There is a tank where it is believed that the Guruji had shot an arrow into the parched earth to pierce a sub-terrain stream of water. A fair is held there in every December.
Pir-I-Dastgir shrine The fort to the north-west of Ludhiana includes the shrine of Pir-I-Dastgir, also known as Abdul Kadir Galani which draws both Hindu and Muslim pilgrims.
Phillaur Fort The fort was designed by Dewan Mohkam Chand, the brave general of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. It is police training center now.
Punjab Agricultural University Museum The world famous, Punjab Agriculture University founded in 1962 is situated on the outskirts of the city. It is patterned after the Land Grant College of America.
The Museum of Rural history of Punjab is on the University campus. The museum building resemble the traditional houses of rural Punjab. A 100 yard long path, flanked on both sides by water channels, leads to the finely carved doors of the museum. There are exhibits of old bronze utensils, farming equipment etc. Open from 9 am to 1.00 pm and 2 pm to 5 pm.
Christian Medical College Established in 1895, Christian Medical College was the first school of medicine in Asia. This college has a partnership with CMC in Vellore. Both these colleges together form one of the South Asia's major teaching and research hospitals.
Bilwanwali Masjid Mosque of Kamal-ud-din Khan/Sarai Doraha on the main highway, dates back to Emperor Jahangir's time. Rectangular in shape it has rooms and varandahs on all sides. Two great double storied gates are profusely decorated with coloured tiles and intricate brick carvings Bhir has the famous mosque built by Mohammad Ghori in 1911.
Famous Tombs
Mausoleum of Alawal Khan built during Shah Jehan's reign is octagonal in shape, surmounted by double pear shaped dome.
The tomb of Bahadur Khan has sloping walls
Tomb of Husain Khan is 2 storied tomb.
Gurudwara Charan Kamal This Gurudwara situated in village Machhiwara, 35 km from Ludhiana, commemorates the place where Sri Guru Gobind Singh had rested while fighting a guerrilla war against a massive Mughal force.
Gurudwara Nanaksar Jagraon It is located 38 km from Ludhiana, a remarkable memorial of the Sikh Saint, Baba Nand Singh Kaleranwale. A five days fair is held here in his memory in August every year.
About Ludhiana
Ludhiana, the site of a great battle in the First Sikh War (1845) is now Punjab's most populated metropolitan city. This city situated on the banks of the Sutlej River, was founded in 1480 by Lodhi princess from Delhi.Although Manchester has changed, but, Ludhiana still is called the Manchester of India. It is a major textile and
light engineering centre. Its hosiery goods are in great demand in all the markets of the east and the west. It exports woolen garments, machine tools, dyes, cycle parts, mopeds, sewing machines and motor parts to all over the world. The famous Punjab Agricultural University is situated on the outskirts of Ludhiana. It has a large grain market and is famous for rural Olympics. Best time to visit Ludhiana is November to Mid April.
Gurudwara Shrimanji Sahib Alamgir Situated 10 Km from Ludhiana, the gurudwara commemorates the place where the Muslim devotees Nabi Khan and Ghani Khan had carried Guru Gobind Singh to safety during the battle. Guru Gobind Singh (1666-1708), the last of the Sikh Gurus, transformed the pacifist Sikh sect into a martial community. He introduced rites of initiation into well-organised Sikh army known as the 'Khalsa'. There is a tank where it is believed that the Guruji had shot an arrow into the parched earth to pierce a sub-terrain stream of water. A fair is held there in every December.
Pir-I-Dastgir shrine The fort to the north-west of Ludhiana includes the shrine of Pir-I-Dastgir, also known as Abdul Kadir Galani which draws both Hindu and Muslim pilgrims.
Phillaur Fort The fort was designed by Dewan Mohkam Chand, the brave general of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. It is police training center now.
Punjab Agricultural University Museum The world famous, Punjab Agriculture University founded in 1962 is situated on the outskirts of the city. It is patterned after the Land Grant College of America.
The Museum of Rural history of Punjab is on the University campus. The museum building resemble the traditional houses of rural Punjab. A 100 yard long path, flanked on both sides by water channels, leads to the finely carved doors of the museum. There are exhibits of old bronze utensils, farming equipment etc. Open from 9 am to 1.00 pm and 2 pm to 5 pm.
Christian Medical College Established in 1895, Christian Medical College was the first school of medicine in Asia. This college has a partnership with CMC in Vellore. Both these colleges together form one of the South Asia's major teaching and research hospitals.
Bilwanwali Masjid Mosque of Kamal-ud-din Khan/Sarai Doraha on the main highway, dates back to Emperor Jahangir's time. Rectangular in shape it has rooms and varandahs on all sides. Two great double storied gates are profusely decorated with coloured tiles and intricate brick carvings Bhir has the famous mosque built by Mohammad Ghori in 1911.
Famous Tombs
Mausoleum of Alawal Khan built during Shah Jehan's reign is octagonal in shape, surmounted by double pear shaped dome.
The tomb of Bahadur Khan has sloping walls
Tomb of Husain Khan is 2 storied tomb.
Gurudwara Charan Kamal This Gurudwara situated in village Machhiwara, 35 km from Ludhiana, commemorates the place where Sri Guru Gobind Singh had rested while fighting a guerrilla war against a massive Mughal force.
Gurudwara Nanaksar Jagraon It is located 38 km from Ludhiana, a remarkable memorial of the Sikh Saint, Baba Nand Singh Kaleranwale. A five days fair is held here in his memory in August every year.
light engineering centre. Its hosiery goods are in great demand in all the markets of the east and the west. It exports woolen garments, machine tools, dyes, cycle parts, mopeds, sewing machines and motor parts to all over the world. The famous Punjab Agricultural University is situated on the outskirts of Ludhiana. It has a large grain market and is famous for rural Olympics. Best time to visit Ludhiana is November to Mid April.
Gurudwara Shrimanji Sahib Alamgir Situated 10 Km from Ludhiana, the gurudwara commemorates the place where the Muslim devotees Nabi Khan and Ghani Khan had carried Guru Gobind Singh to safety during the battle. Guru Gobind Singh (1666-1708), the last of the Sikh Gurus, transformed the pacifist Sikh sect into a martial community. He introduced rites of initiation into well-organised Sikh army known as the 'Khalsa'. There is a tank where it is believed that the Guruji had shot an arrow into the parched earth to pierce a sub-terrain stream of water. A fair is held there in every December.
Pir-I-Dastgir shrine The fort to the north-west of Ludhiana includes the shrine of Pir-I-Dastgir, also known as Abdul Kadir Galani which draws both Hindu and Muslim pilgrims.
Phillaur Fort The fort was designed by Dewan Mohkam Chand, the brave general of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. It is police training center now.
Punjab Agricultural University Museum The world famous, Punjab Agriculture University founded in 1962 is situated on the outskirts of the city. It is patterned after the Land Grant College of America.
The Museum of Rural history of Punjab is on the University campus. The museum building resemble the traditional houses of rural Punjab. A 100 yard long path, flanked on both sides by water channels, leads to the finely carved doors of the museum. There are exhibits of old bronze utensils, farming equipment etc. Open from 9 am to 1.00 pm and 2 pm to 5 pm.
Christian Medical College Established in 1895, Christian Medical College was the first school of medicine in Asia. This college has a partnership with CMC in Vellore. Both these colleges together form one of the South Asia's major teaching and research hospitals.
Bilwanwali Masjid Mosque of Kamal-ud-din Khan/Sarai Doraha on the main highway, dates back to Emperor Jahangir's time. Rectangular in shape it has rooms and varandahs on all sides. Two great double storied gates are profusely decorated with coloured tiles and intricate brick carvings Bhir has the famous mosque built by Mohammad Ghori in 1911.
Famous Tombs
Mausoleum of Alawal Khan built during Shah Jehan's reign is octagonal in shape, surmounted by double pear shaped dome.
The tomb of Bahadur Khan has sloping walls
Tomb of Husain Khan is 2 storied tomb.
Gurudwara Charan Kamal This Gurudwara situated in village Machhiwara, 35 km from Ludhiana, commemorates the place where Sri Guru Gobind Singh had rested while fighting a guerrilla war against a massive Mughal force.
Gurudwara Nanaksar Jagraon It is located 38 km from Ludhiana, a remarkable memorial of the Sikh Saint, Baba Nand Singh Kaleranwale. A five days fair is held here in his memory in August every year.
About Punjab
Punjab is a land hallowed by saints and scarred by battles, an ancient land yielding archaeological treasures, a land of palaces and museums. A visitor to Punjab can see the Golden Temple at Amritsar, the sword of Hazrat Ali at Anandpur Sahib, the world-s highest straight gravity dam at Bhakra, India’s Steel City – Gobindgarh, and the world‘s biggest grain market at Khanna. No one has ever gone back
from Punjab without leaving a part of himself behind and taking part of Punjab with him.
Access : Punjab is easy to reach by road, rail or air. From Delhi, Chandigarh, the state capital is 246 km and Amritsar, the northernmost city of the state is 446 Kms.
By Road : The total road mileage in Punjab is 35,501 Kms of state roads and rural link roads. In addition, the length of national highways is 964 Kms. All the 12,342 villages in the state are linked by all-weather roads and major towns of all adjoining states are connected by national highways. One can drive from one extreme end of the state to the other in six hours. Road travel time from Delhi is about four hours. All districts and sub-divisional towns have direct bus services to the state capital, Chandigarh. All villages have bus services linking them with the sub-division and district headquarters towns. In addition, there are excellent deluxe bus services between New Delhi and Patiala, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar and Chandigarh. Air conditioned luxury buses ply at almost hourly intervals between New Delhi and Chandigarh. Taxi services between various towns and Chandigarh and to New Delhi are dependable and comfortable.
By Rail : All major towns and district headquarters have excellent rail links for both passenger and goods traffic. Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Ferozepur and Jalandhar are on the main line and have excellent daily train services to New Delhi including convenient overnight trains. Super fast Shatabdi Express trains connect Delhi to Chandigarh (a comfortable three-hour trip) and Delhi to Amritsar via Ludhiana (equally comfortable and just a little less than six hours). The Shan-e-Punjab train links Amritsar and New Delhi, the Himalayan Queen links Chandigarh and New Delhi and there are numerous trains from Jammu / Amritsar, linking these towns as well as Ludhiana and Jalandhar with New Delhi
By Air : The state capital, Chandigarh has excellent air service, linking with New Delhi, Srinagar, Kulu, Shimla etc. Ludhiana and Amritsar also have daily air services to New Delhi. Amritsar also has become an airport is an international airport. By air, from Delhi one can reach any city in Punjab within two hours.
from Punjab without leaving a part of himself behind and taking part of Punjab with him.
Access : Punjab is easy to reach by road, rail or air. From Delhi, Chandigarh, the state capital is 246 km and Amritsar, the northernmost city of the state is 446 Kms.
By Road : The total road mileage in Punjab is 35,501 Kms of state roads and rural link roads. In addition, the length of national highways is 964 Kms. All the 12,342 villages in the state are linked by all-weather roads and major towns of all adjoining states are connected by national highways. One can drive from one extreme end of the state to the other in six hours. Road travel time from Delhi is about four hours. All districts and sub-divisional towns have direct bus services to the state capital, Chandigarh. All villages have bus services linking them with the sub-division and district headquarters towns. In addition, there are excellent deluxe bus services between New Delhi and Patiala, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar and Chandigarh. Air conditioned luxury buses ply at almost hourly intervals between New Delhi and Chandigarh. Taxi services between various towns and Chandigarh and to New Delhi are dependable and comfortable.
By Rail : All major towns and district headquarters have excellent rail links for both passenger and goods traffic. Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Ferozepur and Jalandhar are on the main line and have excellent daily train services to New Delhi including convenient overnight trains. Super fast Shatabdi Express trains connect Delhi to Chandigarh (a comfortable three-hour trip) and Delhi to Amritsar via Ludhiana (equally comfortable and just a little less than six hours). The Shan-e-Punjab train links Amritsar and New Delhi, the Himalayan Queen links Chandigarh and New Delhi and there are numerous trains from Jammu / Amritsar, linking these towns as well as Ludhiana and Jalandhar with New Delhi
By Air : The state capital, Chandigarh has excellent air service, linking with New Delhi, Srinagar, Kulu, Shimla etc. Ludhiana and Amritsar also have daily air services to New Delhi. Amritsar also has become an airport is an international airport. By air, from Delhi one can reach any city in Punjab within two hours.
The City of Toba Tek Singh
Toba Tek Singh (Urdu: ٹوبہ ٹیک سنگھ) a district in the Punjab province of Pakistan is one of the older towns of Pakistan. It is in Punjab and separated from the Faisalabad District in 1982. Named after a Sikh religious figure Tek Singh. Legend has it that Mr. Singh a kind hearted man served water and provided shelter to the worn out and thirsty travellers passing by a small pond ("TOBA" in Punjabi) which eventually was called Toba Tek Singh, and the surrounding settlement acquired the same name. During 1970's, when many Pakistani cities were renamed in an effort to "Islamize", Toba Tek Singh remained one of the very few cities to maintain it's original name.
Toba Tek Singh occupies 3252 square kilometers and is made up of large areas of lowlands that flood regularly during the rainy season; the floods originate frequently from the Ravi River that runs along the southern and southeastern borders.toba tek use to have a big sikh population but majority of them where whiped out in the set up riots.
A census carried out in 1998 reported a population of 1,621,593 of which 18.43% were urban.[1]
Administration
The district has three tehsils: Kamalia, Gojra and Toba Tek Singh itself.
Toba Tek Singh is district of Faisalabad division and other district of Faisalabad division is Jhang and Faisalabad itself.
Major towns in Toba Tek Singh District are: Toba Tek Singh, Gojra, Kamalia, Pirmahal, Rajana, Snadhilianwali,
Famous People
Sadat Hasan Manto, an Urdu Novelist [2] who wrote a screenplay "Toba Tek Singh" [3] which was directed by Afia Nathaniel [4] in 2005.
Chaudhry Mukhtar Ahmed Nusrat, a politician who started the first free medical hospital and donated prime land for the school.
Mohammad Sarwar (born 18 August 1952, Toba Tek Singh), a politician in the United Kingdom who served as the Labour member of Parliament for Glasgow Central, Scotland. He was the UK's first Muslim MP, and an opponent of the 2003 Iraq war.
Chaudhry Faisal Qazafi, a politician and businessman who started a new trend in politics to solve people's problems at their door step.
Ali Akbar A well educated man. Worked in Habib Bank for a very long time. Is now retired and is father of 8 children. Also is father of 2 children that are in US. Their names are Nighat and Mohammad Rashid Mahmoud. Now lives in Gojra. Is about 65 years old.
Iqbal Chaudry A man from the village of 290. Is currently residing in Jersey City, NJ. Owns his own trucking business and has three children. He is about 43 years old. He also has property in Toba Tek Singh and also has a brother in U.S.A. whose name is Yousaf Chaudry. They both donated money for Toba Tek Singh. Also his brother named Qasim is chairman.
Toba Tek Singh occupies 3252 square kilometers and is made up of large areas of lowlands that flood regularly during the rainy season; the floods originate frequently from the Ravi River that runs along the southern and southeastern borders.toba tek use to have a big sikh population but majority of them where whiped out in the set up riots.
A census carried out in 1998 reported a population of 1,621,593 of which 18.43% were urban.[1]
Administration
The district has three tehsils: Kamalia, Gojra and Toba Tek Singh itself.
Toba Tek Singh is district of Faisalabad division and other district of Faisalabad division is Jhang and Faisalabad itself.
Major towns in Toba Tek Singh District are: Toba Tek Singh, Gojra, Kamalia, Pirmahal, Rajana, Snadhilianwali,
Famous People
Sadat Hasan Manto, an Urdu Novelist [2] who wrote a screenplay "Toba Tek Singh" [3] which was directed by Afia Nathaniel [4] in 2005.
Chaudhry Mukhtar Ahmed Nusrat, a politician who started the first free medical hospital and donated prime land for the school.
Mohammad Sarwar (born 18 August 1952, Toba Tek Singh), a politician in the United Kingdom who served as the Labour member of Parliament for Glasgow Central, Scotland. He was the UK's first Muslim MP, and an opponent of the 2003 Iraq war.
Chaudhry Faisal Qazafi, a politician and businessman who started a new trend in politics to solve people's problems at their door step.
Ali Akbar A well educated man. Worked in Habib Bank for a very long time. Is now retired and is father of 8 children. Also is father of 2 children that are in US. Their names are Nighat and Mohammad Rashid Mahmoud. Now lives in Gojra. Is about 65 years old.
Iqbal Chaudry A man from the village of 290. Is currently residing in Jersey City, NJ. Owns his own trucking business and has three children. He is about 43 years old. He also has property in Toba Tek Singh and also has a brother in U.S.A. whose name is Yousaf Chaudry. They both donated money for Toba Tek Singh. Also his brother named Qasim is chairman.
The love story of Mirza Sahiban
Mirza–Sahiban, a love-lore is a treasure of Punjabi literature. It is a romantic tragedy. Sahiban was another love-lorn soul. Shayer Pillo raves about her beauty and says," As Sahiban stepped out with a lungi tied around her waist, the nine angels died on seeing her beauty and God started counting his last breath…"
Mirza and Sahiban who were cousins and childhood playmates, fell in love with each other. But when this beauty is about to be wedded forcibly to Tahar Khan by her parents, without any hesitation she sends a taunting message to Mirza, whom she loves, to his village Danabad, through a Brahmin called Kammu.
"You must come and decorate Sahiban’s hand with the marriage henna."
This is the time you have to protect your self respect and love, keep your promises, and sacrifice your life for truth. Mirza who was a young full-blooded man, makes Sahiba sit on his horse and rides away with her. But on the way, as he lies under the shade of a tree to rest for a few moments, the people who were following them on horseback with swords in their hands catch up with them.
Sahiba was a virtuous and a beautiful soul who did not desire any bloodshed to mar the one she loved. She did not want her hands drenched in blood instead of henna. She thinks Mirza cannot miss his target, and if he strikes, her brothers would surely die. Before waking up Mirza, Sahiban puts away his quiver on the tree. She presumes on seeing her, her brothers would feel sorry and forgive Mirza and take him in their arms. But the brothers attack Mirza and kill him. Sahiban takes a sword and slaughters herself and thus bids farewell to this world.
Innumerable folk songs of Punjab narrate the love tale of Sassi and Punnu. The women sing these songs with great emotion and feeling, as though they are paying homage to Sassi with lighted on her tomb. It is not the tragedy of the lovers. It is the conviction of the heart of the lovers. It is firmly believed that the soil of the Punjab has been blessed. God has blessed these lovers to. Though there love ended in death, death was a blessing in disguise, for this blessing is immortalized.
Waris shah who sings the tale of Heer elevates mortal love to the same pedestal as spiritual love for God saying," When you start the subject of love, first offer your invocation to God". This has always been the custom in Punjab, where mortal love has been immortalized and enshrined as spirit of love.
Just as every society has dual moral values, so does the Punjabi community. Everything is viewed from two angles, one is a close up of morality and the other is a distant perspective. The social, moral convictions on one hand give poison to Heer and on the other make offerings with spiritual convictions at her tomb, where vows are made and blessings sought for redemption from all sufferings and unfulfilled desires.
But the Sassis, Heers, Sohnis and others born on this soil have revolted against these dual moral standards. The folk songs of Punjab still glorify this rebelliousness.
"When the sheet tear,
It can be mended with a patch:
How can you darn the torn sky?
If the husband dies, another one can be found,
But how can one live if the lover dies?"
And perhaps it is the courage of the rebellious Punjabi woman, which has also given her a stupendous sense of perspective. Whenever she asks her lover for a gift she says,
" Get a shirt made for me of the sky
And have it trimmed with the earth"
Mirza and Sahiban who were cousins and childhood playmates, fell in love with each other. But when this beauty is about to be wedded forcibly to Tahar Khan by her parents, without any hesitation she sends a taunting message to Mirza, whom she loves, to his village Danabad, through a Brahmin called Kammu.
"You must come and decorate Sahiban’s hand with the marriage henna."
This is the time you have to protect your self respect and love, keep your promises, and sacrifice your life for truth. Mirza who was a young full-blooded man, makes Sahiba sit on his horse and rides away with her. But on the way, as he lies under the shade of a tree to rest for a few moments, the people who were following them on horseback with swords in their hands catch up with them.
Sahiba was a virtuous and a beautiful soul who did not desire any bloodshed to mar the one she loved. She did not want her hands drenched in blood instead of henna. She thinks Mirza cannot miss his target, and if he strikes, her brothers would surely die. Before waking up Mirza, Sahiban puts away his quiver on the tree. She presumes on seeing her, her brothers would feel sorry and forgive Mirza and take him in their arms. But the brothers attack Mirza and kill him. Sahiban takes a sword and slaughters herself and thus bids farewell to this world.
Innumerable folk songs of Punjab narrate the love tale of Sassi and Punnu. The women sing these songs with great emotion and feeling, as though they are paying homage to Sassi with lighted on her tomb. It is not the tragedy of the lovers. It is the conviction of the heart of the lovers. It is firmly believed that the soil of the Punjab has been blessed. God has blessed these lovers to. Though there love ended in death, death was a blessing in disguise, for this blessing is immortalized.
Waris shah who sings the tale of Heer elevates mortal love to the same pedestal as spiritual love for God saying," When you start the subject of love, first offer your invocation to God". This has always been the custom in Punjab, where mortal love has been immortalized and enshrined as spirit of love.
Just as every society has dual moral values, so does the Punjabi community. Everything is viewed from two angles, one is a close up of morality and the other is a distant perspective. The social, moral convictions on one hand give poison to Heer and on the other make offerings with spiritual convictions at her tomb, where vows are made and blessings sought for redemption from all sufferings and unfulfilled desires.
But the Sassis, Heers, Sohnis and others born on this soil have revolted against these dual moral standards. The folk songs of Punjab still glorify this rebelliousness.
"When the sheet tear,
It can be mended with a patch:
How can you darn the torn sky?
If the husband dies, another one can be found,
But how can one live if the lover dies?"
And perhaps it is the courage of the rebellious Punjabi woman, which has also given her a stupendous sense of perspective. Whenever she asks her lover for a gift she says,
" Get a shirt made for me of the sky
And have it trimmed with the earth"
The love story of Sassui Punnun
Sassui Punnun (or Sassui Panhu or Sassui Punhun) Urdu سسی پنوں; Sindhi سسئي پنھون; Hindi सस्सी-पुन्हू; Punjabi Gurmukhi ਸੱਸੀ ਪੁੰਨ੍ਹੂੰ is one of the seven popular tragic romances of the Sindh and four of the most popular in Punjab. The other six are Umar Marvi, Momal Rano and Sohni Mahiwal, Laila Chanesar, Sorath Rai Diyach, Noori Jam Tamachi commonly known as Seven Queens of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai .
Sassui Punnun was written by the Sindhi and Sufi poet, Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai in (1689-1752).
Sassui Sassui was the daughter of the King of Bhambour (it is in Sindh whose ruins can be seen today). Upon Sassui's birth, astrologers predicted that she was a curse for the royal family’s prestige. The King ordered that the child be put in a wooden box and thrown in the river Indus. A washerman of the Bhambour village found the wooden box and the child in the box. The washerman believed the child was a blessing from God and took her home. As he had no child of his own, he decided to adopt her.
Sassui and Punnun meet When Sassui became a young girl, she was as beautiful as the fairies of heaven. Stories of her beauty reached Punnun and he became desperate to meet Sassui. The handsome young Prince of Makran therefore travelled to Bhambour. He sent his clothes to Sassui's father (a washerman) so that he could catch a glimpse of Sassui. When he visited the washerman's house, they fell in love at first sight. Sassui's father was dispirited, hoping that Sassui would marry a washerman and no one else. Sassui's father asked Punnun to prove that he was worthy of Sassui by passing the test as a washerman. Punnun agreed to prove his love. While washing, he tore all the clothes as, being a prince, he had never washed any clothes; he thus failed the agreement. But before he returned those clothes, he hid gold coins in the pockets of all the clothes, hoping this would keep the villagers quiet. The trick worked, and Sassui's father agreed to the marriage.
Punnun’s father and brothers were against the his marriage to Sassui(Punnun being a prince and she being a washerman's daughter), and so, for their father's sake, Punnun's brothers traveled to Bhambhor. First they threatened Punnun but when he didn't relent, they tried more devious methods. Punnun was surprised to see his brothers supporting his marriage and on the first night, they pretended to enjoy and participate in the marriage celebrations and forced Punnun to drink different types of wines. When he was intoxicated they carried him on a camel’s back and returned to their hometown of Kicham.
The lovers meet their end The next morning, when Sassui realized that she was cheated, she became mad with the grief of separation from her lover and ran barefoot towards the town of Kicham. To reach it, she had to cross miles of desert. Alone, she continued her journey until her feet were blistered and her lips were parched from crying "Punnun, Punnun!". The journey was full of dangerous hazards, which lead to her demise. Punnun’s name was on Sassui's lips throughout the journey. She was thirsty, there she saw a shepherd coming out of a hut. He gave her some water to drink. Seeing her incredible beauty, dirty lustful thoughts came into his mind, and he tried to force himself on Sassui. Sassui ran away and prayed to God to hide her and when God listened to her prayers, land shook and split and Sassui found herself buried in the valley of mountains. When Punnun woke he was himself in Makran he could not stop himself from running back to Bhambhor. On the way he called out "Sassui, Sassui!" to which the shepherd replied. The shepherd told Punnun the whole story. Then Punnun also lamented the same prayer, the land shook and split again and he was also buried in the same mountain valley as Sassui. The legendary grave still exists in this valley. Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai sings this historic tale in his sufi poetry as an example of eternal love and union with Divine.
Sassui Punnun (or Sassui Panhu or Sassui Punhun) Urdu سسی پنوں; Sindhi سسئي پنھون; Hindi सस्सी-पुन्हू; Punjabi Gurmukhi ਸੱਸੀ ਪੁੰਨ੍ਹੂੰ is one of the seven popular tragic romances of the Sindh and four of the most popular in Punjab. The other six are Umar Marvi, Momal Rano and Sohni Mahiwal, Laila Chanesar, Sorath Rai Diyach, Noori Jam Tamachi commonly known as Seven Queens of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai . Sassui Punnun was written by the Sindhi and Sufi poet, Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai in (1689-1752).
Sassui Sassui was the daughter of the King of Bhambour (it is in Sindh whose ruins can be seen today). Upon Sassui's birth, astrologers predicted that she was a curse for the royal family’s prestige. The King ordered that the child be put in a wooden box and thrown in the river Indus. A washerman of the Bhambour village found the wooden box and the child in the box. The washerman believed the child was a blessing from God and took her home. As he had no child of his own, he decided to adopt her.
Sassui and Punnun meet When Sassui became a young girl, she was as beautiful as the fairies of heaven. Stories of her beauty reached Punnun and he became desperate to meet Sassui. The handsome young Prince of Makran therefore travelled to Bhambour. He sent his clothes to Sassui's father (a washerman) so that he could catch a glimpse of Sassui. When he visited the washerman's house, they fell in love at first sight. Sassui's father was dispirited, hoping that Sassui would marry a washerman and no one else. Sassui's father asked Punnun to prove that he was worthy of Sassui by passing the test as a washerman. Punnun agreed to prove his love. While washing, he tore all the clothes as, being a prince, he had never washed any clothes; he thus failed the agreement. But before he returned those clothes, he hid gold coins in the pockets of all the clothes, hoping this would keep the villagers quiet. The trick worked, and Sassui's father agreed to the marriage.
Punnun’s father and brothers were against the his marriage to Sassui(Punnun being a prince and she being a washerman's daughter), and so, for their father's sake, Punnun's brothers traveled to Bhambhor. First they threatened Punnun but when he didn't relent, they tried more devious methods. Punnun was surprised to see his brothers supporting his marriage and on the first night, they pretended to enjoy and participate in the marriage celebrations and forced Punnun to drink different types of wines. When he was intoxicated they carried him on a camel’s back and returned to their hometown of Kicham.
The lovers meet their end The next morning, when Sassui realized that she was cheated, she became mad with the grief of separation from her lover and ran barefoot towards the town of Kicham. To reach it, she had to cross miles of desert. Alone, she continued her journey until her feet were blistered and her lips were parched from crying "Punnun, Punnun!". The journey was full of dangerous hazards, which lead to her demise. Punnun’s name was on Sassui's lips throughout the journey. She was thirsty, there she saw a shepherd coming out of a hut. He gave her some water to drink. Seeing her incredible beauty, dirty lustful thoughts came into his mind, and he tried to force himself on Sassui. Sassui ran away and prayed to God to hide her and when God listened to her prayers, land shook and split and Sassui found herself buried in the valley of mountains. When Punnun woke he was himself in Makran he could not stop himself from running back to Bhambhor. On the way he called out "Sassui, Sassui!" to which the shepherd replied. The shepherd told Punnun the whole story. Then Punnun also lamented the same prayer, the land shook and split again and he was also buried in the same mountain valley as Sassui. The legendary grave still exists in this valley. Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai sings this historic tale in his sufi poetry as an example of eternal love and union with Divine.
Sassui Sassui was the daughter of the King of Bhambour (it is in Sindh whose ruins can be seen today). Upon Sassui's birth, astrologers predicted that she was a curse for the royal family’s prestige. The King ordered that the child be put in a wooden box and thrown in the river Indus. A washerman of the Bhambour village found the wooden box and the child in the box. The washerman believed the child was a blessing from God and took her home. As he had no child of his own, he decided to adopt her.
Sassui and Punnun meet When Sassui became a young girl, she was as beautiful as the fairies of heaven. Stories of her beauty reached Punnun and he became desperate to meet Sassui. The handsome young Prince of Makran therefore travelled to Bhambour. He sent his clothes to Sassui's father (a washerman) so that he could catch a glimpse of Sassui. When he visited the washerman's house, they fell in love at first sight. Sassui's father was dispirited, hoping that Sassui would marry a washerman and no one else. Sassui's father asked Punnun to prove that he was worthy of Sassui by passing the test as a washerman. Punnun agreed to prove his love. While washing, he tore all the clothes as, being a prince, he had never washed any clothes; he thus failed the agreement. But before he returned those clothes, he hid gold coins in the pockets of all the clothes, hoping this would keep the villagers quiet. The trick worked, and Sassui's father agreed to the marriage.
Punnun’s father and brothers were against the his marriage to Sassui(Punnun being a prince and she being a washerman's daughter), and so, for their father's sake, Punnun's brothers traveled to Bhambhor. First they threatened Punnun but when he didn't relent, they tried more devious methods. Punnun was surprised to see his brothers supporting his marriage and on the first night, they pretended to enjoy and participate in the marriage celebrations and forced Punnun to drink different types of wines. When he was intoxicated they carried him on a camel’s back and returned to their hometown of Kicham.
The lovers meet their end The next morning, when Sassui realized that she was cheated, she became mad with the grief of separation from her lover and ran barefoot towards the town of Kicham. To reach it, she had to cross miles of desert. Alone, she continued her journey until her feet were blistered and her lips were parched from crying "Punnun, Punnun!". The journey was full of dangerous hazards, which lead to her demise. Punnun’s name was on Sassui's lips throughout the journey. She was thirsty, there she saw a shepherd coming out of a hut. He gave her some water to drink. Seeing her incredible beauty, dirty lustful thoughts came into his mind, and he tried to force himself on Sassui. Sassui ran away and prayed to God to hide her and when God listened to her prayers, land shook and split and Sassui found herself buried in the valley of mountains. When Punnun woke he was himself in Makran he could not stop himself from running back to Bhambhor. On the way he called out "Sassui, Sassui!" to which the shepherd replied. The shepherd told Punnun the whole story. Then Punnun also lamented the same prayer, the land shook and split again and he was also buried in the same mountain valley as Sassui. The legendary grave still exists in this valley. Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai sings this historic tale in his sufi poetry as an example of eternal love and union with Divine.
Sassui Punnun (or Sassui Panhu or Sassui Punhun) Urdu سسی پنوں; Sindhi سسئي پنھون; Hindi सस्सी-पुन्हू; Punjabi Gurmukhi ਸੱਸੀ ਪੁੰਨ੍ਹੂੰ is one of the seven popular tragic romances of the Sindh and four of the most popular in Punjab. The other six are Umar Marvi, Momal Rano and Sohni Mahiwal, Laila Chanesar, Sorath Rai Diyach, Noori Jam Tamachi commonly known as Seven Queens of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai . Sassui Punnun was written by the Sindhi and Sufi poet, Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai in (1689-1752).
Sassui Sassui was the daughter of the King of Bhambour (it is in Sindh whose ruins can be seen today). Upon Sassui's birth, astrologers predicted that she was a curse for the royal family’s prestige. The King ordered that the child be put in a wooden box and thrown in the river Indus. A washerman of the Bhambour village found the wooden box and the child in the box. The washerman believed the child was a blessing from God and took her home. As he had no child of his own, he decided to adopt her.
Sassui and Punnun meet When Sassui became a young girl, she was as beautiful as the fairies of heaven. Stories of her beauty reached Punnun and he became desperate to meet Sassui. The handsome young Prince of Makran therefore travelled to Bhambour. He sent his clothes to Sassui's father (a washerman) so that he could catch a glimpse of Sassui. When he visited the washerman's house, they fell in love at first sight. Sassui's father was dispirited, hoping that Sassui would marry a washerman and no one else. Sassui's father asked Punnun to prove that he was worthy of Sassui by passing the test as a washerman. Punnun agreed to prove his love. While washing, he tore all the clothes as, being a prince, he had never washed any clothes; he thus failed the agreement. But before he returned those clothes, he hid gold coins in the pockets of all the clothes, hoping this would keep the villagers quiet. The trick worked, and Sassui's father agreed to the marriage.
Punnun’s father and brothers were against the his marriage to Sassui(Punnun being a prince and she being a washerman's daughter), and so, for their father's sake, Punnun's brothers traveled to Bhambhor. First they threatened Punnun but when he didn't relent, they tried more devious methods. Punnun was surprised to see his brothers supporting his marriage and on the first night, they pretended to enjoy and participate in the marriage celebrations and forced Punnun to drink different types of wines. When he was intoxicated they carried him on a camel’s back and returned to their hometown of Kicham.
The lovers meet their end The next morning, when Sassui realized that she was cheated, she became mad with the grief of separation from her lover and ran barefoot towards the town of Kicham. To reach it, she had to cross miles of desert. Alone, she continued her journey until her feet were blistered and her lips were parched from crying "Punnun, Punnun!". The journey was full of dangerous hazards, which lead to her demise. Punnun’s name was on Sassui's lips throughout the journey. She was thirsty, there she saw a shepherd coming out of a hut. He gave her some water to drink. Seeing her incredible beauty, dirty lustful thoughts came into his mind, and he tried to force himself on Sassui. Sassui ran away and prayed to God to hide her and when God listened to her prayers, land shook and split and Sassui found herself buried in the valley of mountains. When Punnun woke he was himself in Makran he could not stop himself from running back to Bhambhor. On the way he called out "Sassui, Sassui!" to which the shepherd replied. The shepherd told Punnun the whole story. Then Punnun also lamented the same prayer, the land shook and split again and he was also buried in the same mountain valley as Sassui. The legendary grave still exists in this valley. Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai sings this historic tale in his sufi poetry as an example of eternal love and union with Divine.
The Love Story of Sohni Mahiwal
Sohni Mahiwal ( Punjabi سوہنی مہیوال Sindhi सोहनी महीवाल) is one of the four popular tragic romances of the Punjab and Sindh, the other three are Heer Ranjha, Mirza Sahiba and Sassi Punnun. It is also popular in Sindh and across the South Asia, the story is one of the most prominent examples of medieval poetic legends in the Punjabi and Sindhi languages.
Sohni, the potter's daughter Sohni was the daughter of a potter named Tula, who lived in Gujrat town in the Punjab near the banks of the Chenab on the caravan trade route between Bukhara and Delhi. As soon as the 'Surahis' (water pitchers) and mugs came off the wheels, she would draw floral designs on them and transform them into masterpieces of art.
Izzat Baig of Bukhara Izzat Baig, the rich trader from Bukhara (Uzbekistan), came to India on business but when he saw the beautiful Sohni in the town of Gujrat on the Chenab in Punjab, he was completely enchanted. Instead of keeping 'mohars' (gold coins) in his pockets, he roamed around with his pockets full of love. Just to get a glimpse of Sohni, he would end up buying the water pitchers and mugs everyday.
Sohni lost her heart to Izzat Baig. Instead of making floral designs on earthenware, she started building castles of love in her dreams. Izzat Baig sent off his companions to Bukhara. He took up the job of a servant in the house of Tula, Sohni's father. He would even take their buffaloes for grazing. Soon, he came to be known as "Mahiwal"(buffalo herder).
Sohni's marriage When the people started spreading rumours about the love of Sohni and Mahiwal, without her consent her parents arranged her marriage with another potter.
Suddenly, one day his "barat" (marriage party) arrived at the threshold of her house. Sohni was helpless and in a poignant state. Her parents bundled her off in the doli (palanquin), but they could not pack off her love in any doli (box).
Izzat Baig renounced the world and started living like a "faqir" (hermit) in a small hut across the river. The earth of Sohni’s land was like a dargah (shrine) for him. He had forgotten his own land, his own people and his world. Taking advantage of the darkness of the night, when the world was fast asleep, Sohni would come by the riverside and Izzat Baig would swim across the river to meet her. He would regularly roast a fish and bring it for her. It is said that once, when due to high tide he could not catch a fish, Mahiwal cut a piece of his thigh and roasted it. Seeing the bandage on his thigh, Sohni opened it, saw the wound and cried.
From the next day, Sohni started swimming across the river with the help of an earthen pitcher as Izzat Baig was so badly wounded and could not swim across the river. Soon, the rumours of their romantic rendezvous spread. One-day Sohni’s sister-in-law followed her and saw the hiding place where Sohni used to keep her earthen pitcher among the bushes. The next day, the sister-in-law removed the hard baked pitcher and replaced it with an unbaked one. That night, when Sohni tried to cross the river with the help of the pitcher, it dissolved in the water and Sohni drowned in the river. From the other side of the river, Mahiwal saw Sohni drowning and jumped into the river and drowned as well.
Sohni's Tomb Sohni lies buried in Shahdapur, Sindh, some 75 km from Hyderabad, Pakistan. According to the legend the bodies of Sohni Mahiwal were recovered from the River Indus near this city and hence are buried there.Click me to view Movie
Sohni, the potter's daughter Sohni was the daughter of a potter named Tula, who lived in Gujrat town in the Punjab near the banks of the Chenab on the caravan trade route between Bukhara and Delhi. As soon as the 'Surahis' (water pitchers) and mugs came off the wheels, she would draw floral designs on them and transform them into masterpieces of art.
Izzat Baig of Bukhara Izzat Baig, the rich trader from Bukhara (Uzbekistan), came to India on business but when he saw the beautiful Sohni in the town of Gujrat on the Chenab in Punjab, he was completely enchanted. Instead of keeping 'mohars' (gold coins) in his pockets, he roamed around with his pockets full of love. Just to get a glimpse of Sohni, he would end up buying the water pitchers and mugs everyday.
Sohni lost her heart to Izzat Baig. Instead of making floral designs on earthenware, she started building castles of love in her dreams. Izzat Baig sent off his companions to Bukhara. He took up the job of a servant in the house of Tula, Sohni's father. He would even take their buffaloes for grazing. Soon, he came to be known as "Mahiwal"(buffalo herder).
Sohni's marriage When the people started spreading rumours about the love of Sohni and Mahiwal, without her consent her parents arranged her marriage with another potter.
Suddenly, one day his "barat" (marriage party) arrived at the threshold of her house. Sohni was helpless and in a poignant state. Her parents bundled her off in the doli (palanquin), but they could not pack off her love in any doli (box).
Izzat Baig renounced the world and started living like a "faqir" (hermit) in a small hut across the river. The earth of Sohni’s land was like a dargah (shrine) for him. He had forgotten his own land, his own people and his world. Taking advantage of the darkness of the night, when the world was fast asleep, Sohni would come by the riverside and Izzat Baig would swim across the river to meet her. He would regularly roast a fish and bring it for her. It is said that once, when due to high tide he could not catch a fish, Mahiwal cut a piece of his thigh and roasted it. Seeing the bandage on his thigh, Sohni opened it, saw the wound and cried.
From the next day, Sohni started swimming across the river with the help of an earthen pitcher as Izzat Baig was so badly wounded and could not swim across the river. Soon, the rumours of their romantic rendezvous spread. One-day Sohni’s sister-in-law followed her and saw the hiding place where Sohni used to keep her earthen pitcher among the bushes. The next day, the sister-in-law removed the hard baked pitcher and replaced it with an unbaked one. That night, when Sohni tried to cross the river with the help of the pitcher, it dissolved in the water and Sohni drowned in the river. From the other side of the river, Mahiwal saw Sohni drowning and jumped into the river and drowned as well.
Sohni's Tomb Sohni lies buried in Shahdapur, Sindh, some 75 km from Hyderabad, Pakistan. According to the legend the bodies of Sohni Mahiwal were recovered from the River Indus near this city and hence are buried there.Click me to view Movie
The love story of Heer Ranjha
Waris Shah’s composition, the love story of Heer Ranjha is the story of the young man and a young women, which did not receive the sanction of society in the shape of marriage, a major theme of literature, music, dance and drama not only in Punjab, but everywhere in the world.
The story prformed in the form of an opera as well as a ballet is very typical. Heer was the daughter of a feudal landlord Chuchak Sial from Jhang. Before her sacrifice for Ranjha, she proved herself to be a very courageous and daring young girl. It is said that Sardar (Chief) Noora from the Sambal community, had a really beautiful boat made and appointed a boatman called Luddan. Noora was very ruthless with his employees. Due to the ill treatment one day Luddan ran away with the boat and begged Heer for refuge. Heer gave him moral support as well as shelter.
Sardar Noora was enraged at this incident. He summoned his friends and set off to catch Luddan. Heer collected an army of her friends and confronted Sardar Noora and defeated him. When Heer’s brothers learnt of this incident they told her,"If a mishap had befallen you why didn’t you send for us?" To which Heer replied," What was the need to send for all of you? Emperor Akbar had not attacked us."
It is the same Heer who, when she is in love with Ranjha, sacrifices her life for him and says, " Saying Ranjha, Ranjha all time I myself have become Ranjha.
No one should call me Heer, call me Dheedho Ranjha."
When Heer’s parents arranged her marriage much against her wishes, with a member of the house of Khaidon, it is Heer who plucks up courage during the wedding ceremony and reprimands the Kazi (priest)." Kazi, I was married in the presence of Nabi (Prophet). When did God give you the authority to perform my marriage ceremony again and annul my first marriage? The tragedy is that people like you are easily bribed to sell their faith and religion. But I will keep my promise till I go to the grave."
Heer is forcibly married to Khaidon but she cannot forget Ranjha. She sends a message to him. He comes in the garb of a jogi (ascetic) and takes her away. When Heer’s parents hear about the elopement they repent and send for both of them promising t get Heer married to Ranjha. But Heer’s uncle Khaidon betrays them and poisons Heer.
In this love tale Heer and Ranjha do not have the good fortune of making a home. But in the folklore sung by the ladies, Heer and Ranjha always enjoyed a happy married life.
It was Heer’s strong conviction, which has placed this tragic romantic tale on the prestigious pedestal along with Punjab’s religious poetry.
Sardar Noora was enraged at this incident. He summoned his friends and set off to catch Luddan. Heer collected an army of her friends and confronted Sardar Noora and defeated him. When Heer’s brothers learnt of this incident they told her,"If a mishap had befallen you why didn’t you send for us?" To which Heer replied," What was the need to send for all of you? Emperor Akbar had not attacked us."
It is the same Heer who, when she is in love with Ranjha, sacrifices her life for him and says, " Saying Ranjha, Ranjha all time I myself have become Ranjha.
No one should call me Heer, call me Dheedho Ranjha."
When Heer’s parents arranged her marriage much against her wishes, with a member of the house of Khaidon, it is Heer who plucks up courage during the wedding ceremony and reprimands the Kazi (priest)." Kazi, I was married in the presence of Nabi (Prophet). When did God give you the authority to perform my marriage ceremony again and annul my first marriage? The tragedy is that people like you are easily bribed to sell their faith and religion. But I will keep my promise till I go to the grave."
Heer is forcibly married to Khaidon but she cannot forget Ranjha. She sends a message to him. He comes in the garb of a jogi (ascetic) and takes her away. When Heer’s parents hear about the elopement they repent and send for both of them promising t get Heer married to Ranjha. But Heer’s uncle Khaidon betrays them and poisons Heer.
In this love tale Heer and Ranjha do not have the good fortune of making a home. But in the folklore sung by the ladies, Heer and Ranjha always enjoyed a happy married life.
It was Heer’s strong conviction, which has placed this tragic romantic tale on the prestigious pedestal along with Punjab’s religious poetry.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Punjabi-Mother Tongue
Mother tongue
One who lost his mother tongue, lost it all, if not all atleast his culture heritage. But one without a culture heritage or one who rejects it is indeed an extremely poor person or community. Those who forget their mother tongue and cultural heritage usually disappear in few centuries. Is there any bigger loss than losing language of your fore fathers. Language is the very spirit of a people. A language as sweet as Punjabi, a culture as dynamic as Punjabi, can not be driven out, wiped out or killed. It may have eclipsed for a short while but Punjabi will come back as a major language with great literature and it will be used in all forms of arts. Punjabi language revival is only possible if you encourage the usage of this incredible subtle and profound language. The language of Gurus, Sages, Fakirs and some of the greatest scholars of India like Sikh and Hindu spiritual masters, Muslim Peers, ancient Indian grammarian from Gandhara Sage Panini, Founder of Hindu philosophy sage Kapila and great Sufi Saints, poets and elevated spirits, Punjabi continues to shine and live in the hearts of its people.
Punjabi has an ancient root to Prakrit and today what is known as Punjabi is a normal wear and tear on a language that gets corrupted and changes with times. Punjabi like a river carried flavors of different eras and times. It was influenced by the incoming migrating people from various lands. But it kept a character that is quite unique and still very native. Unfortunately after formation of Pakistan, its usage was discouraged and frowned upon by so called English and Urdu speakers who consider it a rural language without any future. Pakistani planners were afraid to encourage anything that drifted the Pakistani population to know about other Non Islamic cultures and faiths of their fore fathers and for some strange reason they promoted Urdu whom they consider more "Islamic". To keep a language and culture buried for some short time has only prompted it to come back with a bigger force, a rather dynamic force that brings back memories of a past that was richer and valuable. The value of something lost is only known when we attempt to question about our past, our rich heritage. A grand and rich culture dating back to thousands of centuries that has forever lived despite being buried in many layers now desert and infertile land. But like with weather shifts the old desert land can become fertile again, shifs of times bring back the old languages and cultures for they are needed to continue life.
No laws, rulers or faiths can kill a living language as it is the very core of life of its people. Intents to kill and assassinate Punjabi have failed miserably as most native Punjabi speakers continue to speak their mother tongue that their fore fathers have spoken for thousands of years. In India some Punjabis who migrated to states beyond Punjab learned Hindi and used other regional languages but most still speak Punjabi at home. However there was a very small minority like in Pakistan who preferred to use Hindi or Urdu for they considered that factor as being very progressive. I think anyone who has lost his mother tongue has lost everything. There is no poverty like losing one's own language.
Punjabi Language also spelled PANJABI, central Indo-Aryan language spoken in Punjab, an area now divided between India and Pakistan; to the west, modern Punjabi merges into the Lahnda language (q.v.). Punjabi is one of the 14 major regional languages recognized in the Indian constitution. In vocabulary it is very similar to Western Hindi. It does not have abundant literature like Marathi or Bengali and shows little borrowing from Persian, Arabic, and Sanskrit derivatives. Two alphabets are used: Lahnda, indigenous to the region and related to Devanagari; and Gurmukhi, devised by the Sikh Guru Angad (1539-52) in order to correct certain inadequacies in the Landa script so that sacred literature might be accurately recorded. The alphabet has 42 letters, 32 consonantal signs and 10 vowel signs. to be used for the scriptures of the Sikhs and now employed for general purposes as well. Earlier, Punjabi was transported to other regions in India and even to China.
Gurmukhi alphabet
Writing system developed by the Sufis and Sikhs in India for the sacred literature. It seems to have been modified from the Landa script, which is used to write the Punjabi, Lahnda, and Sindhi languages. Landa, Gurmukhi, and two other scripts used in northwestern India, Sharada and Takri, make up a related group that is probably descended from a common ancestor.
Linguistic composition Punjabi Gurmukhi,is mainly used in India. In Pakistan, Punjabi is mainly spoken rather than written; it is also a predominantly rural rather than an urban language. Urdu, rather than Punjabi, is the first language taught in schools in Punjab, so that every educated Punjabi reads and writes Urdu. There was a movement for the promotion of the Punjabi language in the 1980s and '90s, and some Punjabi literature is being published using the Urdu script; among the works published are Punjabi classics that have hitherto been available in Gurmukhi script or preserved in oral tradition.
Languages of neighbouring areas:
Himachali or Pahari spoken in Himachal Pradesh, Saraiki spoken in Multan (Pakistan) are very close to Punjabi.
Sindhi is derived from the Virachada dialect of Prakrit; it has fewer dialects than Punjabi. It is written in a special variant of the Arabic script. Most of the educated middle class in Sindh were Hindu, and their departure to India in 1947 had a traumatic effect on Sindhi culture.
One who lost his mother tongue, lost it all, if not all atleast his culture heritage. But one without a culture heritage or one who rejects it is indeed an extremely poor person or community. Those who forget their mother tongue and cultural heritage usually disappear in few centuries. Is there any bigger loss than losing language of your fore fathers. Language is the very spirit of a people. A language as sweet as Punjabi, a culture as dynamic as Punjabi, can not be driven out, wiped out or killed. It may have eclipsed for a short while but Punjabi will come back as a major language with great literature and it will be used in all forms of arts. Punjabi language revival is only possible if you encourage the usage of this incredible subtle and profound language. The language of Gurus, Sages, Fakirs and some of the greatest scholars of India like Sikh and Hindu spiritual masters, Muslim Peers, ancient Indian grammarian from Gandhara Sage Panini, Founder of Hindu philosophy sage Kapila and great Sufi Saints, poets and elevated spirits, Punjabi continues to shine and live in the hearts of its people.
Punjabi has an ancient root to Prakrit and today what is known as Punjabi is a normal wear and tear on a language that gets corrupted and changes with times. Punjabi like a river carried flavors of different eras and times. It was influenced by the incoming migrating people from various lands. But it kept a character that is quite unique and still very native. Unfortunately after formation of Pakistan, its usage was discouraged and frowned upon by so called English and Urdu speakers who consider it a rural language without any future. Pakistani planners were afraid to encourage anything that drifted the Pakistani population to know about other Non Islamic cultures and faiths of their fore fathers and for some strange reason they promoted Urdu whom they consider more "Islamic". To keep a language and culture buried for some short time has only prompted it to come back with a bigger force, a rather dynamic force that brings back memories of a past that was richer and valuable. The value of something lost is only known when we attempt to question about our past, our rich heritage. A grand and rich culture dating back to thousands of centuries that has forever lived despite being buried in many layers now desert and infertile land. But like with weather shifts the old desert land can become fertile again, shifs of times bring back the old languages and cultures for they are needed to continue life.
No laws, rulers or faiths can kill a living language as it is the very core of life of its people. Intents to kill and assassinate Punjabi have failed miserably as most native Punjabi speakers continue to speak their mother tongue that their fore fathers have spoken for thousands of years. In India some Punjabis who migrated to states beyond Punjab learned Hindi and used other regional languages but most still speak Punjabi at home. However there was a very small minority like in Pakistan who preferred to use Hindi or Urdu for they considered that factor as being very progressive. I think anyone who has lost his mother tongue has lost everything. There is no poverty like losing one's own language.
Punjabi Language also spelled PANJABI, central Indo-Aryan language spoken in Punjab, an area now divided between India and Pakistan; to the west, modern Punjabi merges into the Lahnda language (q.v.). Punjabi is one of the 14 major regional languages recognized in the Indian constitution. In vocabulary it is very similar to Western Hindi. It does not have abundant literature like Marathi or Bengali and shows little borrowing from Persian, Arabic, and Sanskrit derivatives. Two alphabets are used: Lahnda, indigenous to the region and related to Devanagari; and Gurmukhi, devised by the Sikh Guru Angad (1539-52) in order to correct certain inadequacies in the Landa script so that sacred literature might be accurately recorded. The alphabet has 42 letters, 32 consonantal signs and 10 vowel signs. to be used for the scriptures of the Sikhs and now employed for general purposes as well. Earlier, Punjabi was transported to other regions in India and even to China.
Gurmukhi alphabet
Writing system developed by the Sufis and Sikhs in India for the sacred literature. It seems to have been modified from the Landa script, which is used to write the Punjabi, Lahnda, and Sindhi languages. Landa, Gurmukhi, and two other scripts used in northwestern India, Sharada and Takri, make up a related group that is probably descended from a common ancestor.
Linguistic composition Punjabi Gurmukhi,is mainly used in India. In Pakistan, Punjabi is mainly spoken rather than written; it is also a predominantly rural rather than an urban language. Urdu, rather than Punjabi, is the first language taught in schools in Punjab, so that every educated Punjabi reads and writes Urdu. There was a movement for the promotion of the Punjabi language in the 1980s and '90s, and some Punjabi literature is being published using the Urdu script; among the works published are Punjabi classics that have hitherto been available in Gurmukhi script or preserved in oral tradition.
Languages of neighbouring areas:
Himachali or Pahari spoken in Himachal Pradesh, Saraiki spoken in Multan (Pakistan) are very close to Punjabi.
Sindhi is derived from the Virachada dialect of Prakrit; it has fewer dialects than Punjabi. It is written in a special variant of the Arabic script. Most of the educated middle class in Sindh were Hindu, and their departure to India in 1947 had a traumatic effect on Sindhi culture.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)