Culture of Province of Sindh

Sindhi Culture has its Roots in Old Indus Civilization 

Sindh is a repository of varied cultural values and has remained the seat of civilization and meeting point of diverse cultures from times immemorial.Culture of Sindh has its roots in the Indus Valley Civilization. Sindh has been shaped by the geography of the largely desert region, the natural resources it had available and the continuous foreign influences. Indus or Sindhu River that passes through the land and the Arabian Sea, that defines its borders, also supported the seafaring traditions among the local people. Depending on population, Sindh is the second largest province of Pakistan. Karachi port and Arabian Sea are the possessions of the Sindh. Sindh has a different language, traditions, folklore, customs and lifestyle from rest of the country. The regional climate also reflects why the Sindhi have the language, folklore, traditions, customs and lifestyle that are so different from the neighbouring regions.Sindhi culture is also practiced by the Sindhi diaspora. Sindhi culture is the fusion of various cultures. Sindh is ruled by various dynasties such as the Arabs. Mughals also ruled on a major part of the sub continent, then Arghuns came and ruled. Soomras and Kalhoras are also in the list of the rulers. Therefore, the people of Sindh after Independence on August 14, 1947 developed their own exclusive artistic culture and traditions. 

Sindhi language is the oldest language of Pakistan. Sindhi language used to be spoken in the southern part of sub continent. People of Sindh are more inclined towards an agricultural based lifestyle. The fertile Indus Plains provide a valuable source of income for the local people who practice farming on these lands. Inland fishing is also practiced along the Indus River in Upper Sind providing further opportunities for indigenous people. Itinerant way of lifestyle is commonly seen in the deserted regions of Thar where people move from place to place in search for drinking water sources along with their animals. The roots of Sindhi culture and civilization date back to the distant past. Archaeological researches during 19th and 20th centuries showed the roots of social life, religion and culture of the people of the Sindh, their agricultural practices, traditional arts and crafts, customs and tradition and other parts of social life, going back to a ripe and mature Indus Valley Civilization of the third millennium BC. Recent researches have traced the Indus valley civilization to even earlier ancestry. Sindhi poetry is also prominent in Sindhi culture. Poetry of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai. Sachal Sarmast is very famous amongst all of Pakistanis. Regional poets are Shaikh Ayaz, Ustaad Bhukhari, Ahmed Khan, Madhoosh, Adal Soomro, Ayaz Gul, Abdul Ghaffar Tabasum, G.N.Qureshi, Rukhsana Preet, Waseem Soomro. Many Sindhi poets are doing their poetry work continuously. 

The culture of Sindh is very rich and Sindhi people are very simple and their lifestyle is also very simple. Ajrak and Sindhi Topi are the symbols of Sindhi culture and civilization for thousands of years. Ajrak, basically, is a name given to unique block print shawls. Sindhi culture displays special designs and pattern in these shawls. Mostly, red, black and yellow colors are used while making these shawls. Sindh has a rich heritage of traditional handicraft that has evolved over the centuries. Perhaps the most professed exposition of Sindhi culture is in the handicrafts of Hala, a town some 30 kilometres from Hyderabad. Hala’s artisans manufacture high-quality and impressively priced wooden handicrafts, textiles, paintings, handmade paper products, and blue pottery. Lacquered wood works are known as Jandi, painting on wood, tiles, and pottery known as Kashi, hand woven textiles including khadi, susi, and ajraks are synonymous with Sindhi culture preserved in Hala’s handicraftt. Sindhi language is an ancient language spoken in Pakistan and many other parts of the world. It is just an Indo-Aryan language spoken by approximately 41 million people in Pakistan, and 12 million people in India; it is the second most spoken language of Pakistan, mostly spoken in the Sindh province. 

It is a recognized official language in Pakistan, and also an official language in India. Government of Pakistan issues National Identity Cards to its citizens only in two languages Sindhi and Urdu. Sindhi language is also strongly influenced by Sanskrit and about 70% of the words in Sindhi are of Sanskrit origin. Sindhi is a very rich language with a vast vocabulary; this has made it a favorite of many writers and so a lot of literature and poetry has been developed in Sindhi. It has become the inspiration for Sindhi art, music, literature, culture and the way of life. Sindhi music has its own unique quality. It is performed in many different ways. Sufi music is performed at shrines, and other simple music is performed at studios and gatherings The language can be written using the Devanagri or Arabic script. There are numerous traditional sports which are very famous in Sindh. Malakhro is one of the most famous games in Sindh. KodiKodi, Wanjh wati, Notinn, Thipai Rand, Beelarhoo and Biloor are some other famous games.