Jhulelal (Sindhi: جھوليلال; झूलेलाल) a folkloric deity among the sect of Sindhis, the most revered deity of Sindhi Hindus in the modern-day republics of Pakistan and India.[1][2][a]
| Bhagwan Jhulelal | |
|---|---|
Jhulelal, incarnation of Varuna, sitting on a lotus flower in the middle of a river and surrounded by a couple of silver fish (palla fish)
| |
| Affiliation | Varuna Deva |
| Abode | Sea & River Indus |
| Mantra | Om Vam Varunaya Namah |
| Weapon | Sword |
| Mount | Hilsa Fish & Horse |
| Personal information | |
| Siblings | Soma Rai & Bheda Rai |
Legends converge upon that Jhulelal was born during the rule of one Islamic despot "Mirkshah", who had issued an ultimatum to local Sindhis for converting to Islam.[1][4] The reincarnation of a Sindhi deity, Jhulelal exhibited supernatural powers since childhood; he preached about how the Muslims believed in the same God, and emphasized that the Koran forbade forced conversion.[1][2] Ultimately, Jhulelal convinced the King to spare the Hindus and even gained devotees among the Muslims.[1][2]
Devotion towards Jhulelal was very uniform in pre-partition Sindh and he was one of the many deities belonging to the Sindhi cultural pantheon.[1][2] However, in 1950 Indian Sindhis, led by Ram Panjwani in Bombay, decided to transform Jhulelal into the icon of unity for all Sindhis and unify the sindhi community.[1][2] Devotional songs were penned, pamphlets printed, statues installed, festivals celebrated, and cultural events organized in thousands for the cause of Jhulelal.[1] Over the course of decades, Jhulelal has successfully become the representative Unifying God of Sindhis.[1]
Iconography of Jhulelal varies widely.[1][5] Sindhi Hindus worship Jhulelal at the Shrine at Odero LalinPakistan's Sindh province, which is jointly used by Sindhi Hindus, and Sindhi Muslims who revere the shrine as the tomb of Sheikh Tahir. A second shrine named Jhulelal Tirthdham exists in IndiaatNarayan Sarovar, Kutch, Gujarat.[6]
After a long period of harmonious existence between the Hindus and Muslims, one Mirkshah of Thatta ascended the throne.[2] Instigated by his advisors, he ordered that all local Hindus convert to Islam or be put to death.[2] The Hindus prayed to Indus, who promised that Varuna will take the form of a child and avert the impending catastrophe.[2]
In 1007, the day of Cheti Chand in Chaitra, one Uderolal was born to a local Hindu family of Arora caste.[2][7][8] As he began to be worshiped, Mirkshah sent his ministers to investigate who witnessed various strange events.[2] The child metamorphosed into a young warrior, then into an old man, before back to child; at other times, he swam upstream on a fish.[2][b] Mirkshah grew afraid but his advisors coerced him to hold stead.[2]
Soon, he went to meet Uderolal and was impressed by his understanding of Islam — Uderolal preached about how the Hindus and Muslims believed in the same God, and the Quran forbade conversion.[2][1] However, his advisors suggested that his teachings be disregarded and Uderolal imprisoned.[2] When the guards proceeded to arrest him, an inferno and a flood engulfed his palaces.[1][2] Mirkshah relented, abolished his decree, and asked for forgiveness from Uderolal.[2]
As the palace was saved and harmony restored, Jhulelal gained devotees even among the Muslims (including Mirkshah).[2] Jhulelal requested that a flame be burnt for eternity, in the memory of his deeds, before leaving his earthly avatar.[1]
The myth of Jhulelal is not seen in regional histories written prior to the 20th century. While all Jhulelal legends broadly revolve around two themes — the valorization of Sindhi communal harmony and the intrinsic superiority of tolerant and devout Hindus over Muslims who weren't even able to interpret their own religious texts — the specifics vary widely and have even been a site of internal contestation among Sindhi Hindus.[2] Moreover Sindhi Muslims have forged their own legends concerning Jhulelal.[2]
The birth-name varies from Uderolal to Amarlal to Daryasahib; the event of his first appearance is either noted to be from a human birth or from the Indus, riding on a fish.[2] He is variously noted as an avatara of Vishnu or a manifestation of Varuna; one conflates the two to deem him as the Varuna avatara of Vishnu.[2] How he came to be known as Jhulelal attracts another set of fascinating claims.[2] The transpirings that arose out of his encounter with Mirkshah varies — some claim that the King had submitted long ago in the face of his supernatural powers while others claim that Jhule Lal led a secretly gathered force to victory in an old-school war.[2]
The presentation of the narrative differs too.[2] Many renderings choose to emphasize on the cruelty of Muslim rulers against Brahmins (and Hindus, by extension) — a column in Indian Express had projected contemporary Hindu Nationalism onto the narrative with Jhule Lal "fill[ing] the shrinking Hindus with courage" and "put[ting] holy terror into the persecuting Muslims" while some Sindhis have transplanted Jhulelal into the reign of Aurangzeb, a ruler notoriously renowned in public memory for being the worst persecutor of Hindus.[2] Some choose to emphasize on the Hinduness of Jhulelal drawing tenuous connections with Vedic corpus.[2]
The Cheti Chand festival in the month of Chaitra, marks the arrival of spring and harvest, as well as the incarnation day of Uderolal in the Vikram Samvat calendar year 1007.[1][2] Uderolal morphed into a warrior and old man who preached and reprimanded Mirkhshah that Muslims and Hindus deserve the same religious freedoms. He, as Jhulelal,[2] became the saviour of the Sindhi Hindus, who according to this legend, celebrate the new year as Uderolal's birthday.[1][2]
Chalio or Chaliho, also called Chaliho Sahib, is a forty-day-long festival celebrated by Sindhi Hindus[9][10][11] to express their gratitude to Jhulelal for saving them from their impending conversion to Islam. The festival is observed every year in the months of July to August; dates vary according to Hindu calendar.[9][10] It is a thanksgiving celebration in honor of Varuna Deva for listening to their prayers.[9][10]
The Jhulelal Shrine at Odero Lal is situated in Matiari District, almost 40 kilometers away from the Sanghar DistrictofSindh; The Hindus and the Muslims can pray here at the same place simultaneously.[12][13] Nawabshah, Hyderabad, Matiari, Sanghar and Mirpur Khas are the nearby major cities to reach at the Shrine near Tando Adam.[14]
It forms the seat of the Daryapanthis, originally a subsect of the followers of Gorakhnath, who belong to the Nath tradition.[15][16]
Sindhi Hindus in India built a religious shrine and cultural complex in Kutch (GUJRAT) State of India, near the border of Sindh Province.[6][17] The 100-acre complex includes a 100-foot statue of Lord Jhulelal, a museum, meditation centre, an auditorium, and a cultural and arts-and-crafts centre with 100 accommodations.[6][17] Aiming to be the "a centre for global Sindhi identity",[6] the project costs an estimated ₹100 crore and was built on the donations from wealthy Indian Sindhis.[6][17] Harish Fabiani, one of the key promoters of the project, stated regarding the cultural complex, "The younger generation is aware they are Sindhis, but they do not know their language. We must learn our language and culture. We should have a place we can call our own."[17]
