Farheen Ujjan

   

  

       A distinguished water mosque of Shikarpur

Shikarpur is a historical city and considered as the Paris of Sindh and it is famous for many things and it also has a unique status for prominent Dargahs and Dargah Amrote Sharif of Shikarpur is also one of them which is being considered as the rare Dargah of Sindh.

Syed Taj Mahmood Shah Amroti, was a distinguished spiritual leader of Amrote Sharif and he was the very first person who translated Holy Quran into Sindhi language and described every word of Holy Quran with details.

The Quran Pak was first published from Amrote Sharif and it is now being published under the name "Taj Company Limited" from Lahore and has completed a century.

Syed Taj Mahmood Shah Amroti son of Abdul Qadir Shah Alias ​​Bhoral Shah was born in 1858 in the small village of Khairpur Mir “Deewani” and after receiving spiritual education he moved to the small town of Shikarpur Amrote Sharif, on the orders of his religious leader Hafiz Muhammad Siddique Bharchondi to serve humanity in the small town of Shikarpur.

Then he founded Madarsa there, a center of spiritual education, after which Madarsa succeeded in securing a high position in Sindh besides Syed Taj Mehmood Shah built a small mosque near Amrote Sharif on the stone throw distance from Madarsa for meditation, now known as the Water Mosque, local settlements call it the Water mosque because it is located in the center of the Irrigation Canal, the Water mosque is still in the middle of the center of the canal.

At least 10 prayers and 01 Pesh-Imam may offer the Namaz at the same time in the Water mosque and it has electricity facility and in addition, the mosque has two windows on both sides of the canal and one main entrance gate.

A small bridge is built on seven adjacent pillars near the Water mosque to reach and it is about 30ft long and 3 ft wide.

Syed Waliullah Shah Amroti, grandson of Syed Taj Mehmood Shah Amroti, said this water mosque has a good history and is a symbol of our spiritual elder and our leader as we used to do all the work of reviving the mosque in self-help ways.

A number of tourists, from parts of the country and abroad, used to visit the Water mosque and offer payers there.

It also refers to Syed Taj Mehmood Shah Amroti "sooner or later what he says must happen, however, there are many miracles performed by Dargah Amrote Sharif.

At least 7500 people, who came to Dargah to embrace Islam without fear and pressure with their consent, and embraced Islam in the hands of Syed Taj Mehmood Shah Amroti.

Syed Taj Mehmood Shah Amroti was the founding member of the Jamiat Ul Sindh chapter and delivered a presidential address at the Khilafat Conference held in Jacobabad against the British government in which he passed a so-called "non-cooperation" resolution passed unanimously by a coalition against the British government in 1920.

Molana Ubedullah Sindhi [RA] was prominent among the people who did his work for at least 07 years in Dargah Amrote Sharif while living in Dargah Amrote Sharif, Syed Taj Mehmood Shah Amroti founded a library and printing press called Mehmood Ul Mutabieeu, from which the Holy Quran also published.

Syed Taj Muhammad Shah Amroti died on 5 November 1929 in Amrote Sharif and was buried near his Dargah.

At the time, Syed Siraj Ahmed Shah is the custodian of the shrine. 

''It is not the power of a shrine to illuminate a saint but the saint who preached, with such loyalty and sincerity that even after death his teachings are celebrated, observed and deemed endlessly''.

   

                        Dhak Bazar Shikarpur

''A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots''

Shikarpur which was considered as the Paris of Sindh is not only famous for its pickle, sweets, qulfi falooda or seven gates but Dhak Bazar is also one of them, which adds beauty to Shikarpur city.

Dhak bazar is covered with a sagwan wooden roof , it was said to be the longest covered market in sub-continent in previous time.

Well ventilated roof of the market was built with teak wood (Sagwan) and it has been serving as a cool shade during the burning summer season of Shikarpur.

It is an architectural marvel , it is located in the center of the city, it is a long narrow street and it has shops on both sides, it originates from Lakhidar and ends at Stuart Ganj.

This market was built in the time of the Mughals by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in the 1780 to 1790.

The most interesting fact about this market is that it has a unique architectural design of crisscross ceiling.

This market is always crowded with narrow passages so that is why it is built to allow light and wind to pass through it and the wooden framework protects this market from rain and never let enter rain water in the market and there were fire hydrants that were being used in washing the market but now a days they are out of order. 

It was a street almost bisecting the city about 800 yards long and ramifying on either side, it is a long passage darkened and guarded against the sun by mats resting upon chevron-shaped beams which spring from the house tops on either side , we find none the long acre speciality which, throughout the east.

Shikarpur along with other contemporary cities like Bukhara, Samarkand and Istanbul had a covered street market at that time and in present time there is also Qenchi market in Matiari that is also covered with scissor like wooden ceiling and it is very much identical to the historic Dhak bazar of Shikarpur.

Dhak bazar has a large capacity to satisfy the local buyers , there are hundreds of diverse markets at this place which is being crowded throughout the day with buying and selling going on almost all day round from all sorts of clothing, bangles, shoes, crockery, cosmetics, jewellery, household material, grocery, electronics, sports goods, handicrafts, dry fruits, fruits, vegetables, dairy products and pickle etc.

Dhak bazar lined with shops mostly run by Hindus in previous time but currently people of different castes run these shops .

In previous time there was a person named Tara Singh Jawahri whose shop was very famous because he had precious stones, pearls and diamonds in his shop for selling such as Ruby , stones, Yellow Saphire, Gemstone, Brazilian Emerald green stone, African diamonds and Red Coral stones were available in his shop.

Shikarpuris are also the pioneers of the financial instrument called ''Hundi'', which was acceptable in different parts of the world and was considered as good as gold. Shikarpuris brought all their earnings to their town and that is why bankers of different parts of the world  had commercial relations with the market.

Shikarpur was the centre for trading hub and was the greatest commercial city just because of its strategic location, it was very famous for trade of clothes in the world as Shikarpur had big and famous market which was one of the four famous markets of the world so that is why merchants from different parts of the world used to come here for trading ...

Moreover according to Professor Badarudin Ujjan: During British rule fire incident happened in Dhak bazar that was initiated from Meena bazar and spread so quickly that it was engulfed a vast area of roof, then our ancestors (Ujjans) residents of that area and few more people with the help of their own behalf extinguished and quenched on fire, then British government present keys of shops infront of those people including Ujjans and asked them to pick key of any shop as reward but they did not accept it and set an example by returning back those keys and after this act British government gave 5 rupee as reward to them , this incident is not present in history but it should be written on golden pages of history, however this was the reason that they disconnected the wooden roof to control on fire and that is why it has decreased in length.

Before partition of sub-continent this market was on exalting position but currently due to carelessness many parts of the roof have broken and wood has stolen that is why it has lost its beauty and now a days the market which was covered with roof to serve as a cool shade during the hot and burning summer days it is now on the verge of most unfortunate of time , it has been randered and on the brink of deterioration, it has been suffocated , shopkeepers and people who come to market for shopping , trading and visiting complain about this thing and hue and cry situation has been created due to narrow passage and mismanagement of shops goods and mostly shopkeepers complains that they are in trouble, they face difficulty it has been very difficult for them to sit in the shops during boiling days of summer and in result it causes dehydration.

Visiting Dhak bazar itself is a unique experience for visitors and Shikarpur being the greatest commercial city in Sindh must be provided proper attention , it is very important to maintain these famous and antique places because they have historical and cultural significance and economic value.

I  am talking about something that can not be bought, its our heritage, and it needs to be preserved for community , government should take some steps to protect it.

''A concerted effort effort to preserve our heritage is a vital link to our cultural, educational, aesthetic, inspirational and economic legacies , all of the things that quite literally make us who we are''

Farheen Ujjan

 

  Asadullah Jaffer Malano ( A source of inspiration )

''Appearances make impressions but it is the personality that makes an impact.''

It was the day of 31st August 1996 when a little boy opened his eyes in the small city of Sindh named Shikarpur.

After that his name was kept ''Asadullah'' means ''The lion of God'' by his parents.

He was very naughty in his childhood just like other children and spent his childhood simply like others and from the earliest age he displayed a love of bodybuilding. 

Then he started to go to the gym and transformed his body by the dint of hard work and it is not as easy as I have written but for sure he did struggles and and faced many difficulties and burnt midnight oil and finally his hard work paid off and he accomplished whatsoever he thought by getting the title of ''Mr Junior Shikarpur'', besides he completed his primary and secondary education from the Kehkashan School and higher education from C&S college Shikarpur.

He could do a lot in the field of bodybuilding if he wanted but his interest and mind diverted towards learning English then he skipped bodybuilding and started learning English and did M.A English, after getting expertise in English Language he thought that he should spread his knowledge to the people of Shikarpur and teach them English language, so he started his teaching career at Memorial School Shikarpur as a PG teacher then did teaching at different schools, colleges and universities.

Moreover he opened his institution for English language named ''I&BC Institute of bright future'' where he teaches English and also make students prepared for the HEC test for law and IBA entrance test, luckily I also joined that institute and could get a chance to meet a person like Sir Asad and learnt wholesome knowledge from him and improve creative writing and learnt essay writing and I also learnt that how to polish our talent and how to identify myself.

Further he decided to give CSS classes to the people of shikarpur at free of cost, He said: "There is majority of people in our city who is facing dire peverty despite they want to get education and want to attempt CSS but they can not afford so that's why I decided to teach English essay and English composition on weekends at free of cost that people can make the most of this oppertunity."

People want sunday for rest but Asadullah is restless and spends his weekends by providing quality education.

According to him teacher should be amicable that students can easily learn from him and while educating the minds of youth, we must not forget to educate their hearts.

Recently many students of his institute have passed HEC test of law and they said, "This credit goes to Sir Asadullah because if we have qualified it so its just because of his teaching, guidance and dedication, we pay bundle of thanks to him for everything.

Further he said," I don't want to be a CSS officer but I want to create CSS officers because teaching is the only profession that makes all the other professions'' but I will give attempt for CSS for the sake of my mother's wish.

In the age of only 23 he has become a source of inspiration and encouragement for the people and the role model for his students including me.

His message for his students is, ''Life starts when you start believing in yourself, so before anything else, start believing in yourself and the world will believe you.

We can hardly find persons who have become role model and inspiration for others in only 23 years of age so we should appreciate them and thank them for their dedication towards the batterment of our society.

''Things work out best for those who make the best of how things work out.''

Farheen Ujjan

 

                                Endangered Species

Endangered Species are the type of species that are in danger of disappearing forever.

If a species dies out completely it becomes extinct Once they extinct they never be seen on earth again many species of animal & plants are endangered and extinct each year.

According to IUCN 12% of all birds 33% of amphibians and 50% 0f palm trees are threatread with extinction.                                                                                               

1960 to 2000 human population of the world has doubled but the animals population have declined by 30%.

137 species are estimated to go extinct each day and 50000 species are estimated to go extinct each year.

 95% of known plant species have not yet been screened for their medicinal values.

It is estimated that the current rate of species extinction is between 1000 and 100,000 more rapid than the average rate during the last several billion years.

The growth of human population’s consumption levels and mobility is the root of most of the serious threats to biodiversity today.

The IUCN publishes a new version of its Red list every July.

In the latest version, more than 13.000 animals were listed as threatened.

According to IUCN red list following are top 10 endangered animals in Pakistan:

Markhor, Long billed vulture, Snow leopard, Baluchistan black bear, Green turtles, Indus river dolphin, Marco polo sheep, fishing cat, Cranes and Houbara bustard. 

WWF Launched different projects in Pakistan to protect endangered species of Pakistan.

In 1973, The Endangered Species Act was passed by our government to protect disappering plants and animals.

More than 900 species of plants and animals in U.S and more than 530 species living in other parts of the world are protected by the Endangered Species Act.

HIPPO is the cause of animals and plants extinction.

Here HIPPO is used as an acronym that means. 

H: Habitat destruction

I: Introduced/invasive species 

P: Pollution 

P: Population 

O: Over hunting

H: Habitat destruction:

This occurs when a particular area is converted from usable to unusable habitat.

Industrial activities, agriculture, aquaculture, mining, deforestation and water extraction are all central causes of habitat loss 

This includes deforestation for wood for cooking food.

Habitat fragmentation, the loss of large units of habitat is also a serious threat to biodiversity.

I: Introduced / Invasive species 

When an animal, plant or microbe moves into new area, it can affect the resident species in several different ways new species can parasitize or predate upon residents, hybridize with them, compete with them for food, bring unfamiliar diseases, modify habitats or disrupt important interactions.

P: Pollution 

 

The discharge of toxic synthetic chemical and heavy metals into the environment has a huge impact on species abundance and can lead to extinction  it is an important to remember the substances that are natural can become pollution when they are too abundant is a certain  area. 

P: Population 

The growing human population is a significant threat to many of the world’s wild life species and it many also be a threat to human themselves in addition, rapid growth in the demand for suburban housing has pushed human development farther and farther away from cities destroying more habitats and endangering more species.

O: Over Hunting 

Over hunting is reached as the third most notorious cause of animal, extinction.

The world wild life fund (WWF) reports that overhunting is responsible for 23% of extinctions.

Many humans are forcing animals into extinction by over-consuming them or killing them for economic grains.

They must be protected and saved so generations can experience their value, Plants and animals are responsible for useful medicines these species help save lives and contribute to a pharmaceutical industry. 

There are some ways to help protect wild life.

Avoid habitat destruction, invasive species, overhunting, control over population, reduce pollution and remember to share your passion and concern for the animals and environment with friends, family, your community and the world!

“The most hope for endangered species lies in the hands, of young people like you, who care enough to make a difference”.

Farheen Ujjan

 

                A visit to the tomb of seven sisters

       ''Travel and change of place impart new vigour to the mind.''

Life is a journey and it is true that the way we travel and take this journey makes a difference in our lives. Life is full of adventures and a series of entertainment and we should enjoy it.

I was spending my holidays at home and was getting bored suddenly I got an idea to go for visit and explore some new things then I thought I should choose any historical place for visit so I just searched historical landmarks in Sindh on google and the first place that appeared in front of my eyes on the screen of my mobile phone was ''The tomb of seven sisters'' after watching that my curiosity increased and thoughts were roaming in my mind that what is the history behind it so I thought I must visit that place and know the history behind it.

So, I decided to go for a visit to the tombs of the seven sisters.

Waking up early on a Sunday is no easy feat, but the curiosity was enough to charge me up for the day.

So, the very next day I got ready and departed from home.

The tomb of the seven sisters is located in Sukkur and the distance between Sukkur and Shikarpur is only 32km.

While travelling from Shikarpur to Sukkur I started to go through the history of the place that I must have knowledge about the place where I am going.

The history I went through is as follows:

Sateen Jo Aastan or thaan is another name of the tomb of the seven sisters in Sindhi and it is located on the left bank of the Indus river near Rohri Sindh Pakistan.

There are many stories and myths regarding Sateen jo Aastan, Sati is a Hindu word means a widow who burns herself or along with her husband’s dead body by others.

Seven sisters used to live in a big house in Rohri on the bank of the river Indus.

Those seven sisters always observed parda from the beginning of their life.

A king (Raja) of that time came to know about the beauty of those seven sisters and ordered his people to bring them in front of him at any cost.

After hearing such news those seven sisters became frightened and prayed to Almighty Allah that we have protected ourselves from the eyes of any male, Oh Almighty keep us protected from the Raja we don't want to be in hands of that cruel Raja.

Suddenly the earth or that piece of the land turned down and those seven unmarried sisters died or rather disappeared. No one knows how the earth turned downward and all of a sudden those seven sisters disappeared when the people sent by Raja reached there they were astonished to see there was no house neither the seven sisters were present.

The tomb of the seven sisters was built by Mir Abu-al-Qasim in (961 A.H).

As I concluded the history I reached there and as I got out of the car I felt overwhelmed with all the history and it seemed to radiate.

As I walked and moved to the Astaan so on one turn I saw the Quranic verses were written on their tombs and the material was used similar to the material used in Makli Hill Graveyard, blue colour marble used in a tomb which is considered as the symbol of Sindhi culture.

On the other side of the graves there are coloured rooms which were the residence of seven sisters and now are being closed.

Then I walked into the cave where the graves of the seven sisters lie where neither men nor camera is allowed, only women can visit the graves and pray there to their heart’s content, as I moved into the cave, it was narrow and bats were slept on the roof of the cave, somehow with fear from bats I managed to reach to the graves where other women were present and were praying, I recited the verses of the holy Quran and came outside of the cave.

A small and beautiful mosque on the upper side and the western section was lavishly decorated with greenish blue tile work.

The area of the place is not too large in size, and there are rooms for the visitors to sit or relax on the main floor, the Indus River has made it so beautiful and peaceful. Visitors feel comfortable and can see the beautiful look of lance down bridge of Sukkur from the first floor and can see the blind dolphins in the Indus river.

There are the small hills that raises from the bank to the south and the name of Than Qasim Shah is given to the hill. However, it is best known as the hill of the seven virgins and there is the building on the south side of the hill is called Satbhain, which is made up of a series of shallow chambers connected to the outside with coloured tiles. These cells are said to have been occupied by the seven Sisters.

There are others graves located on the top of the cave including the governor of Sukkur, Bakhar Mir Abul Qasim Namkeen and around 25 stairs lead to the top of the cave. According to the caretaker, the other graves belong to family members of the governor and other Syeds.

This is a precious place with a great historical background, I enjoyed a lot and got to know about the history behind this historical landmark but got tired too, as sun sets, I returned to home and what I observed is that it needs to repair, its infrastructure is damaged due to floor water some of its areas are breaking. 

The government should look after these things because these places that reflect our culture, our religious and historical stories that happened in the past. And it is also our job to protect these areas from damage.