Saraiki culture is the culture of the

Saraiki people The Saraikis ( skr, ), are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group inhabiting parts of central and southeastern Pakistan, primarily in the southern part of the Pakistani province of Punjab They are mainly found in a region of southern Punjab known ...

, residing in

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...

and outside Pakistan. Saraike Ajrak

Religion

Almost 99% population in South-Punjab region is Muslim. Islam came to this region with the Arab conquest of Sindh in eighth century. Majority of Muslims are Sunnis while

Shia Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his successor (''khalīfa'') and the Imam (spiritual and political leader) after him, mo ...

population is also in considerable size. The region is home to many Sufis. There is a saying in Persian that

Multan Multan (; ) is a city in Punjab, Pakistan, on the bank of the Chenab River. Multan is Pakistan's seventh largest city as per the 2017 census, and the major cultural, religious and economic centre of southern Punjab. Multan is one of the old ...

is the 'city of dust (because of its sandy climate), summer, beggars and graveyards' (''Gard, Garma, Gada o Goristan''). It is also called as the ''city of saints'' (''madinatul Auliya'' ). The city has been a focal point for many religions, in particular becoming a central abode for Sufism, the mystical side of Islam. The city has attracted Sufi saints from far places of the globe. One of the first Sufi saints to arrive in Multan was Shah Gardez who is considered as the founder of Muslim Multan according to a BBC world documentary. Multan has been the centre of

Suhrawardiyya The Suhrawardiyya ( ar, سهروردية, fa, سهروردیه) is a Sufi order founded by Abu al-Najib Suhrawardi (died 1168). Lacking a centralised structure, it eventually divided into various branches. The order was especially prominent in ...

, one of the major Sufi orders, called as

Tariqa A tariqa (or ''tariqah''; ar, طريقة ') is a school or order of Sufism, or specifically a concept for the mystical teaching and spiritual practices of such an order with the aim of seeking ''haqiqa'', which translates as "ultimate truth". ...

. It has the shrines of

Baha-ud-din Zakariya Baha-ud-din Zakariya (Urdu and fa, بہاءُ الدین زکریا) (c.1170 – 1262), also spelled Bahauddin Zakariya, and also known as Baha-ul-Haq and Bahauddin Zakariya Multani, was a Sunni Muslim scholar saint and poet who establish ...

and Shah Rukn-e-Alam. Similarly,

Uch Sharif Uch ( pa, ; ur, ), frequently referred to as Uch Sharīf ( pa, ; ur, ; ''"Noble Uch"''), is a historic city in the southern part of Pakistan's Punjab province. Uch may have been founded as Alexandria on the Indus, a town founded by Alexand ...

has been the centre of

Qadiriyya The Qadiriyya (), also transliterated Qādirīyah, ''Qadri'', ''Qadriya'', ''Kadri'', ''Elkadri'', ''Elkadry'', ''Aladray'', ''Alkadrie'', ''Adray'', ''Kadray'', ''Kadiri'', ''Qadiri'', ''Quadri'' or ''Qadri'' are members of the Sunni Qadiri ta ...

Sufi order.

Allama Iqbal Sir Muhammad Iqbal ( ur, ; 9 November 187721 April 1938), was a South Asian Muslim writer, philosopher, Quote: "In Persian, ... he published six volumes of mainly long poems between 1915 and 1936, ... more or less complete works on philoso ...

while referring to the two great Sufi saints of Saraiki region,

Khwaja Ghulam Farid Khwaja Ghulam Farid (Urdu: ) or Khwaja Fareed (1845–1901) was a 19th-century Sufi poet from Punjab. He was a member of the Chishti Nizami Sufi order. He wrote poetry in several languages, and his literary heritage has been claimed by both th ...

and

Muhammad Suleman Taunsvi Muhammad Suleman Shah Taunsvi or Khawaja Allah Buksh Taunsvi (1184 A.H / 1770 CE - 1267 A.H / 1850 CE), commonly known as Pir Pathan, was a Sufi scholar and leader within the Chishti order of Sufism. He was born to the Jafar Pakhtun tribe of Da ...

, said that this region can not be empty from spirituality. The tomb of Sakhi Sarwar in

Dera Ghazi Khan Dera Ghazi Khan (), abbreviated as D.G. Khan, is a city in the southwestern part of Punjab, Pakistan. It is the 19th largest city of Pakistan by population. Lying west of the Indus River, it is the headquarters of Dera Ghazi Khan District and ...

is also a popular shrine in Pakistan.

Clothing

Traditional dress of saraiki People is

Ghagra choli Ghagra choli (also known as lehenga choli and locally as chaniya choli) is a type of ethnic clothing for women from the Indian Subcontinent, notably in the Indian states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Pu ...

(type of lehnga) and Shalwar kameez that usually they wear and which is the national dress of Pakistan as well. Traditional

Sajarak Sajarak also known as Saraiki ajrak ( skr, سرائیکی اجرک) is a unique form of blockprinting found mostly in South Punjab in Pakistan. It has become a symbol of the Saraiki culture and traditions. On 6 March, Saraiki Cultural Day is ce ...

is an important part of male and female dress. Saraiki men also like to have moustaches, and little beard. Saraiki Kurta

Cuisine

Flowers of Sohanjrraan or Sohanjna (

Moringa oleifera ''Moringa oleifera'' is a fast-growing, drought-resistant tree of the family Moringaceae, native to the Indian subcontinent. Common names include moringa, drumstick tree (from the long, slender, triangular seed-pods), horseradish tree (from t ...

) is one of the most famous vegetable dish in South Punjab. Multani Halwa is traditional sweet made by boiling a mixture of water, sugar, milk and cornflour until it becomes solid. Multn region is also famous for its sweet juicy Mangoes specially "Chaunsa" or "Chorsa".

Traditional sports

Deeti Dandaa ( Saraiki: )is one of the famous traditional sports especially for boys in rural areas.

Art and music

Jhumar

Jhumar Jhumar or Jhoomar (also called Ghumbar in Sandalbar area) is a lively form of music and dance that originated in the Multan and Balochistan, also thrived in Sandalbar areas (Faisal abad, Jhang, Chiniot, Nankana Sahib, Toba Tek Singh districts) ...

or Jhoomar is the traditional Saraiki folk dance. It is a lively form of music and dance that originated in the Multan and Balochistan. It is slow and rhythmic. The word "Jhumar" comes from jhum/jhoom, which means swaying. The songs evoke a quality reminiscent of swaying. The content of these songs is varied; they are usually love with emotional songs, too. The Jhumar is a dance of ecstasy. Jhumar is performed usually at the wedding ceremonies. It is a living demonstration of the happiness. The dance is mostly performed by the Balochi and Saraiki people of Southern Punjab. The emphasis of Jhumar is recreating the gaits of animals and birds. The movement of animals, the ploughing of the field, sowing of seeds and harvesting are shown in the original progression. The dance is also performed in circle, to the tune of emotional songs. Another Saraiki dance is Poochhra which is performed mostly on weddings. One woman holds back hanging part of Kameez of another woman and that second woman dances by jumping to right and left. Performed exclusively by men, it is a common feature to see three generations — father, son and grandson — dancing together at weddings. The dance is without acrobatics. Each region of Southern Punjab has its own variation of Jhumar. The movement of the arms only is considered its main forte. Feet are musically placed in front and backwards, and turns are taken to the right. Sometimes the dancers place one hand below the ribs on the left and gesticulate with the right hand. This dance does not tire out its performers, and it is normally danced on moonlight nights in the villages away from the habitation. The dancers let-off a sound, "Dee Dee," in tune with the beat of the dance which adds to its grace.

Saraiki music

Saraiki writer M. A. Rasoolpuri discussed history of saraiki music in his book ''Saraiki Lok Moseqee''. Notable saraiki singers include: *

Attaullah Khan Esakhelvi Attaullah Khan Niazi, SI PP (Urdu, Pashto: ) (born 19 August 1951), known professionally as Attaullah Khan Esakhelvi also known as Lala (meaning "elder brother" in Pashto and Punjabi), is a Pakistani musician from Isakhel, Mianwali, Punjab. ...

* Saieen Zahoor - who was nominated and won "best BBC voice of the year in 2006. * Pathanay Khan *

Abida Parveen Abida Parveen ( Urdu, sd, ; born 20 February 1954) is a Pakistani singer, composer and musician of Sufi music. She is also a painter and entrepreneur. Parveen is one of the highest paid singers in Pakistan. Her singing and music has earned ...

* Pathanay Khan * Shazia Khushk * Wajid Ali Baghdadi Famous Folk Singer * Anmol Sial * Shehzada Asif Ali * Mushtaq Ahmad Cheena * Shaffaullah Rokhri * Rashid Ali Warburtan * Naseebo Lal * Gulab * Muskan Ali * Tahir Nayyer * Zeeshan Khan Rokhri * Ajmal Waseem

Saraiki poetry

Most popular Saraiki poet also known as God Father of Saraiki poetry is Shakir Shuja Abadi who despite being paralyzed is a great poet. He has written many books in Saraiki Poetry, mostly themed on Sufism. Another Sraiki Famous Poet. *

Shakir Shuja Abadi Shakir Shujabadi ( ur, ) is a prominent Saraiki-language poet (born 25 February 1954) in Shujabad, a small city near Multan, Pakistan . In 2007, he received his first presidential award. In 2017, he received his second presidential award. His f ...

* Akbar Makhmoor * Haji Umar Farooq * Shafi Zakhmi * Imtiaz Shan Nanga * Azhar Sawali * Danish Marhoom * Khizer Mohana * Babar Aura * Montazir Shabbar Kaura * Niaz Ahmad Niaz

References

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