Shahmukhi
Shahmukhi (, ) is a Perso-Arabic alphabet script used historically by Punjabi Muslims (primarily in present-day Pakistani Punjab) to write the Punjabi language. It is generally written in the Nastaʿlīq calligraphic hand, which is also used ...
: ) (Punjabi
Gurmukhi
Gurmukhī ( pa, ਗੁਰਮੁਖੀ, , Shahmukhi: ) is an abugida developed from the Laṇḍā scripts, standardized and used by the second Sikh guru, Guru Angad (1504–1552). It is used by Punjabi Sikhs to write the language, commonly ...
: ) (Hindi: ) City is situated in District
Chiniot
Chiniot (Urdu and pa, ) is a city and the administrative headquarter of Chiniot District in the province of Punjab, Pakistan. Located on the bank of the river Chenab, it is the 28th largest city of Pakistan. It is also known for its intric ...
in
Punjab
Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising a ...
province of Pakistan.
Geography
Southern side
The village Sheikhan is situated some distance from the right bank of the river
Chenab
The Chenab River () is a major river that flows in India and Pakistan, and is one of the 5 major rivers of the Punjab region. It is formed by the union of two headwaters, Chandra and Bhaga, which rise in the upper Himalayas in the Lahaul ...
(Chanhan) in the Utar region which flows in the southeast of the village. A rain pond is also located a half-mile from the village on the southern side, called Sangar.
Northern side
On the north side, a canal flowing from the river Jehlum (Vehat) provides water to village lands for cultivation. Most of the population lives in old villages, while a colony was also settled by prime minister
Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto
Zulfikar (or Zulfiqar) Ali Bhutto ( ur, , sd, ذوالفقار علي ڀٽو; 5 January 1928 – 4 April 1979), also known as Quaid-e-Awam ("the People's Leader"), was a Pakistani barrister, politician and statesman who served as the fourth ...
in the 1970s for non-landowners. A number of the population also lives on the north side crossing the canal after the development of a link road between
Jhang
Jhang (Punjabi, ur, ), ) is the capital city of Jhang District, in the central portion of the province of Punjab, Pakistan. Situated on the east bank of the Chenab river, it is the 18th largest city of Pakistan by population.
The historic ...
Bhawana
Bhawana (also spelled as Bhowana) ( pa, , ur, ) is a city and capital of Bhawana Tehsil of Chiniot District in Punjab, Pakistan. It is located on the bank of the Chenab river, bounded by Faisalabad, Jhang, and Chiniot, three other cities in ...
thana
Thana means "police station" in South Asian countries, and can also mean the district controlled by a police station.
* Thanas of Bangladesh, former subdistricts in the administrative geography of Bangladesh; later renamed ''upazila''
* in (Briti ...
Muhammad Wala.
Vegetation
Being an agricultural area, most of the land is ploughed but wasteland can still be found here, especially near the riverbanks. Different kinds of trees, grasses and shrubs are found here.
Most of the people here belong to the Bukhari Sadat tribe, descendants of Shah Sheikhan, who was a descendant of Imam Ali Naqi, the ninth Imam of Shi'a Muslims and also eighth in the pedigree tree of Imam Ali ibn Abu Talib. The other leading tribe is Chadhar whose four families from the Wejhwa sub-tribe of Chadhar live here: Ramzan Ke, Zamme Ke, Ghamme Ke and Dargahi Ke. Small numbers of
Sial
In geology, the term sial refers to the composition of the upper layer of Earth's crust, namely rocks rich in aluminium silicate minerals. It is sometimes equated with the continental crust because it is absent in the wide oceanic basins, but ...
,
Khokhar
Khokhar are a Punjabi community native to Pothohar Plateau of Pakistan, and the adjoining areas of India. Khokhars now predominantly follow Islam, though a minority continue to follow Hinduism. Many Khokhars converted to Islam from Hinduism af ...
Sheikhan's name first appears in the history for a skirmish between the Chadhars and Mahni Sials around the 18th century. Noora Chadhar, the son of Salaim, who was the brother of Mirza Sahiba fame Tahir Khan Chadhar had battled with Mahnis of Khiwa. This occurred on the occasion of a festival in Sheikhan in the which seventy Siyals and seven Chadhars were killed; the Sultan Shah of Sheikhan supported the Chadhars.
Muhammad Hussain Najafi
Shaikh Muhammad Hussain Najafi ( ar, آيت الله العظمى علامه شيخ محمد حسين) (born 1932) is a Pakistani Twelver Shia Marja. As of current, there are two maraji of Pakistani descent. The first one is he himself ...
Khan Ghulam Abid Baloch, pen name ''Mumtaz'' ('Blessed'), Ustad Nazar Muhammad Taseer ( A teacher and a poet ), Riaz Hussain Jaffery
Education
There are two government primary schools for boys in the village, one of which has been serving since before the
partition
Partition may refer to:
Computing Hardware
* Disk partitioning, the division of a hard disk drive
* Memory partition, a subdivision of a computer's memory, usually for use by a single job
Software
* Partition (database), the division of a ...
. There are two government primary schools for girls, while there are three private secondary co-schools, namely Jinnah Cadet School. Set almost six years before in the year 1998, Science School System and Al-Qamar Science Education System provide state of the art education.
There are students in
engineering
Engineering is the use of scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad range of more speciali ...
telecommunication
Telecommunication is the transmission of information by various types of technologies over wire, radio, optical, or other electromagnetic systems. It has its origin in the desire of humans for communication over a distance greater than that fe ...
,
chemical
A chemical substance is a form of matter having constant chemical composition and characteristic properties. Some references add that chemical substance cannot be separated into its constituent elements by physical separation methods, i.e., w ...
, environmental science,
civil
Civil may refer to:
*Civic virtue, or civility
*Civil action, or lawsuit
* Civil affairs
*Civil and political rights
*Civil disobedience
*Civil engineering
*Civil (journalism), a platform for independent journalism
*Civilian, someone not a membe ...
, etc.),
space technology
Space technology is technology for use in outer space, in travel (''astronautics'') or other activities beyond Earth's atmosphere, for purposes such as spaceflight, space exploration, and Earth observation. Space technology includes space vehicles ...
,
medicine
Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care pr ...
education
Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty ...
Urdu
Urdu (;"Urdu" '' Bari culture, i.e. the culture of Sandal Bar area, though physically this area is not the part of Sandal Bar region. Sandal Bar is some miles away across the river Chenab.
Calendar
Along with the modern
Gregorian calendar
The Gregorian calendar is the calendar used in most parts of the world. It was introduced in October 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII as a modification of, and replacement for, the Julian calendar. The principal change was to space leap years dif ...
, the traditional Bikrami calendar and the Islamic Hijri calendar (in religious matters) are followed here.
Religious events like births and deaths of Masoomen are followed according to the Islamic Hijri calendar, while official events like school exams, etc. are performed according to the Gregorian calendar, but the Bikrami calendar is popular.
Sports
*Cricket
*Volleyball
*
Kabaddi
Kabaddi is a contact team sport. Played between two teams of seven players, the objective of the game is for a single player on offence, referred to as a "raider", to run into the opposing team's half of the court, touch out as many of their ...
* Gulli-Danda
Many cricket tournaments were played in this region. Almost all youths are interested in cricket and volleyball.
Dress
Men
Men tie a large plain cloth called around the waist and it goes to the ankles, while wearing a ''
kurta
A ''kurta'' is a loose collarless shirt or tunic worn in many regions of South Asia, (subscription required) Quote: "A loose shirt or tunic worn by men and women." Quote: "Kurta: a loose shirt without a collar, worn by women and men from South ...
,'' which covers the upper part of body; usually it goes to the knees.
is a piece of cloth usually six meters long and one-and-a-half meter wide.
Men wear a turban on their heads.
But while visiting the houses of ''syeds'', men do not wear turbans out of respect due to the ''syeds status of being descendants of
Muhammad
Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the mo ...
.
Women
Women also wear the same dress but there is a difference in tying the ''.'' The style is called ; it is worn in such a way that there is no chance of uncovering part of the lower body.
Women wear scarves on their heads.
It is said that some decades ago women used to wear '' choli'' on the upper part of body, which is a part of Rajasthani culture.
Shoes
The traditional shoes are called ''
khussa
Multani Khussa or simply Khussa ( ur, ),
is a style of Punjabi handcrafted footwear produced in Multan, Punjab, Pakistan. Khussa are made by artisans mostly using vegetable-tanned leather. The uppers are made of one piece of leather or textile ...
'' which are made of pure cow leather and are decorated with golden or silver ornamentation.
Jewellery
Jewellery, called in the local language, includes , , , , , , , , , and ''.''
Modern changes in dress
With the advent of the modern age, the younger generation usually do not wear traditional dress and are used to wearing ''shalwar'' (loose trousers), ''qameez'' (a long loose shirt) and English trousers and shirt.
Food
Meals are eaten thrice a day.
'' Tukkar'', ''phulka'' or ''roti'' are the local names for bread. Bread is mostly baked in
Desi DESI may refer to
* Desorption electrospray ionization
* Drug Efficacy Study Implementation Drug Efficacy Study Implementation (DESI) was a program begun by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the 1960s after the requirement (in the Kefauve ...
ovens called ''
tandoor
A tandoor ( or ) is a large urn-shaped oven, usually made of clay, originating from the Indian Subcontinent. Since antiquity, tandoors have been used to bake unleavened flatbreads, such as roti and naan, as well as to roast meat. The tandoo ...
''. In the past it was only baked in tandoors owned by ''Dayas'' but this tradition is gradually vanishing; it is being replaced by stove-baked bread.
or salt is an essential part of flour prepared for bread. ''
Paratha
Paratha () is a flatbread native to South Asia, prevalent throughout the modern-day nations of India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Maldives, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, Fiji, Guyana, Suriname, and Trinidad a ...
'' is a kind of bread whose flour is prepared with oil or '' Desi gheu''.
is the local name for curry. Also called , it is essentially a mixture of red peppers, salt, water, vegetables, ghee, beef or mutton, taken along with chapatis for lunch or dinner.
is a common name for rice.
''Lassi''
Lassi
Lassi () is a regional name for buttermilk, the traditional dahi (yogurt)–based drink, consumed in the South Asian region. Lassi is a blend of yogurt, water, spices, and sometimes fruit. Salty lassi is similar to doogh, while modern sweet l ...
is produced from milk. There are two types of lassi: lassi and lassi.
, also called , is the milk of cows, buffaloes, goats, sheep and camels, a favourite of the Jatt peoples.
Local cuisine
*
Saag
Saag (), also spelled sag or saga, is an Indian leaf vegetable dish eaten with bread such as roti or naan, or in some regions with rice. Saag can be made from spinach, mustard greens, collard greens, basella, finely chopped broccoli or other ...
* ''Tikrey''
* ''Vraech''
*
Panjeeri
Panjiri is a North Indian dish which is made from whole-wheat flour fried in sugar and ghee, heavily laced with dried fruits and herbal gums. It is eaten by women after giving birth as a nutritional supplement, to promote healing and lactation, o ...
Judicial system
Parhen
Even today's fastest world, Parhen or Parhea is working well towards the solution/decision of all social issues generated among the people.
Thana Barana
Located at Muhammad Wala, is the nearest ultimate FIR destiny.
Religion
Almost 75% of the population are Shi'aIthna Ashri Muslims, who believe in
12 imams
The Twelve Imams ( ar, ٱلْأَئِمَّة ٱلْٱثْنَا عَشَر, '; fa, دوازده امام, ') are the spiritual and political successors to the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Twelver branch of Islam, including that of the Alawi ...
with Hujjat Ibn al Hassan al Askari, the final imam, appearing at the end times.
All the people became followers of Shi'ism when Chaghatta, belonging to the Zamme Ke family of the WejhwaChadhar tribe, started preaching Shi'ism almost 150 years before. The other 25% Sunni Muslims have a peaceful coexistence.
Holy places
There are four mosques and Imam Bargahs in different points of the villages, of which two are the oldest ones. One of which is cared for by the ''syeds'' of the village, while the other is cared by the descendants of Chaghatta or the Zamme Ke family.
There is also a
madrasa
Madrasa (, also , ; Arabic: مدرسة , pl. , ) is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, secular or religious (of any religion), whether for elementary instruction or higher learning. The word is variously transliterated '' ...
near Adda Sheikhan named Jamia Imamul Asr, which is affiliated with Jamia
Imam Khomeini
Ruhollah Khomeini, Ayatollah Khomeini, Imam Khomeini ( , ; ; 17 May 1900 – 3 June 1989) was an Iranian political and religious leader who served as the first supreme leader of Iran from 1979 until his death in 1989. He was the founder of ...
Mari Indus. On the other hand, Sunni boys and girls get their religious education in their respective madrasas situated in the vicinity of mosques.
The Shia Sunni brotherhood can be seen on the occasion of Ashura every year, when Shi'a Muslims have processions while Sunni Muslims make arrangements of ''Sabeel'' for them.
The annual procession on the tenth of
Muharram
Muḥarram ( ar, ٱلْمُحَرَّم) (fully known as Muharram ul Haram) is the first month of the Islamic calendar. It is one of the four sacred months of the year when warfare is forbidden. It is held to be the second holiest month after ...
goes through Thatta Shah Jamal, adjoining hamlets and Adda Sheikhan to Sheikhan.
Production
The area is agrarian, so village production is agriculturally based.
Wheat
Wheat, which is the primary part of the local diet, is a major crop in the area.
Rice
Local people do not eat much rice. There is a proverb in the local language: , meaning 'pasta is digested in between reaching up to the door and rice is digested maximum until midnight.' Nonetheless, rice is a major crop of the area.
Cotton
Cotton is grown in the village but can only fulfill the needs of the village's residents.
Barley
Barley is grown along with wheat and is cut a month before the wheat. It is used to get ''
sattu Sattu is a type of flour, mainly used in India and Tibet. It consists of a mixture of roasted ground pulses and cereals. The dry powder is prepared in various ways as a principal or secondary ingredient of dishes. Sattu is used in vegetarian cuisine ...
'' by crushing its grain. ''Sattu'' is used for drinking mixed in water.
Vegetables
Vegetables grown in the area include cauliflower, turnip, cabbage, and lady finger.
Oranges
Oranges, called in the local language, are the primary fruit in the area. They grow in the winter season, starting from October and lasting until April.
Sugar cane
Sugar cane, locally called '','' is also produced here. It is supplied to sugar mills and is also used in producing '','' that is, pieces of brown sugar.
Melons
Watermelon is also a major area product because there is plenty of underground water in the Hithar area at the banks of the river. Its local name is . Another variety of melon whose local name is is also a primary product in the Hithari lands of Sheikhan. It is a deep-ribbed melon.
Other fruit
Other fruits grown in the area include mango and (local name).
Grasses
, , and are the local names of grasses produced here for pet feed.
Milk and dairy products
As it is an agricultural area, most people keep cows and buffaloes. The milk is collected by various milk-reprocessing companies like Nestle, Chaudhry Dairies Limited, and Mubarak Dairies. Animal fat that is extracted from the cream in milk is called in the local language and is internally traded. It was the primary part of daily diets in the past and now has been replaced by various hydrogenated fats. Another milk product (), a yoghurt, extracted and condensed, is prepared at home. Butter is also traded internally.
Business places
Adda Sheikhan has become a business hub of the area. A branch of Habib Bank is situated at Adda Sheikhan. Crops, urea and other goods are traded here and people of the surrounding villages prefer to do their shopping at Adda Sheikhan. A telephone exchange also fulfills the communication needs of the entire area since 2005.
Communications
Mobile phone operators
*
Mobilink
Mobilink ( ur, ) was the trade name of Pakistan Mobile Communications Limited (PMCL), a mobile operator in Pakistan providing a range of prepaid and postpaid voice and data telecommunication services to both individual and corporate subscribers ...
GSM Pakistan
*
Ufone
Pak Telecommunication Mobile Limited or Ufone ( ur, ) is a Pakistani GSM cellular service provider. It is the third mobile operator to enter Pakistani market. It started its operations under the brand Ufone, in Islamabad on January 29, 2001.
PT ...
Paktel
Paktel ( ur, ) was the pioneer cellular operator of Pakistan. It was the trend setter company granted license to carry out cellular phone services in Pakistan, set up by Cable & Wireless. It carried out AMPS services until 2004 when the company ...
The area code for landline numbers is 0477 which applies to the entire district of Jhang. Most area numbers start with 6600xx and 6601xx, a total of seven numbers.
World Wide Web
Internet connectivity is available through dial-up connections.
Transport
Road
A link road between Lalian and Jhang City passes through Sheikhan. The main methods of travel on the road are vans and buses. The bus system has a long route from Jhang to Lalian, but vans start their route from Sheikhan to Jhang and vice versa.
Air
If one intends to come here by air, one must pick a flight to
Faisalabad
Faisalabad (; Punjabi/ ur, , ; ), formerly known as Lyallpur (Punjabi, Urdu: لائل پور), named after the founder of the city, but was renamed in 1977 in honour of late King Faisal of Saudi Arabia. It is the 3rd largest city of Pakis ...
where one can hire a car to reach Jhang city and then into Sheikhan. Or one can avail a public transport that is van or bus from
Faisalabad
Faisalabad (; Punjabi/ ur, , ; ), formerly known as Lyallpur (Punjabi, Urdu: لائل پور), named after the founder of the city, but was renamed in 1977 in honour of late King Faisal of Saudi Arabia. It is the 3rd largest city of Pakis ...
to
Jhang
Jhang (Punjabi, ur, ), ) is the capital city of Jhang District, in the central portion of the province of Punjab, Pakistan. Situated on the east bank of the Chenab river, it is the 18th largest city of Pakistan by population.
The historic ...
and then again have to pick a van or auto bus from
Jhang
Jhang (Punjabi, ur, ), ) is the capital city of Jhang District, in the central portion of the province of Punjab, Pakistan. Situated on the east bank of the Chenab river, it is the 18th largest city of Pakistan by population.
The historic ...
''Lari Adda'' (Bus Terminal) to Sheikhan.
*
Pakistan International Airlines
Pakistan International Airlines ( ur, ; abbreviated PIA, ur, ) is an international airline that serves as the national flag carrier of Pakistan under the administrative control of the Secretary to the Government of Pakistan for Aviation. It ...
– two daily flights to
Faisalabad
Faisalabad (; Punjabi/ ur, , ; ), formerly known as Lyallpur (Punjabi, Urdu: لائل پور), named after the founder of the city, but was renamed in 1977 in honour of late King Faisal of Saudi Arabia. It is the 3rd largest city of Pakis ...
*
Airblue
Airblue Limited (stylized as airblue) is a private Pakistani airline with its head office on the 12th floor of the Islamabad Stock Exchange (ISE) Towers in Islamabad, Pakistan. Airblue operates scheduled domestic and international flights, the ...
– one daily flight to
Faisalabad
Faisalabad (; Punjabi/ ur, , ; ), formerly known as Lyallpur (Punjabi, Urdu: لائل پور), named after the founder of the city, but was renamed in 1977 in honour of late King Faisal of Saudi Arabia. It is the 3rd largest city of Pakis ...