Saraiki Culture is a vibrant culture of Pakistan. The Multani or Saraiki people are indigenous to the south-eastern regions of Pakistan, specifically the districts of Larkana, Sukkur, Dadu, Sanghar, Sehwan, Nawabshah, Sindh, Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Rajanpur, Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Layyah, Muzafar Garh, Miayah, Bhakkar, DI Khan, and Mianwali.
In addition to the Indus Valley culture and the Persian and Muslim influences, the traditions, customs, and language of the Saraiki Culture have a lengthy and rich history. A large number of ‘Saraikis’ also reside in India, with the highest concentrations in Gujarat, Punjab, and Maharashtra. This article contains all information regarding the culture, including the History of Saraiki Culture.
Saraiki Culture History
Prior to forty thousand years ago, the Saraiki area was part of the Indus civilization. This region has been repeatedly invaded by westerners, including Greeks and Aryans. Saraikis and Persian architecture, as well as Persian art and poetry, remained a part of their customs and culture for numerous centuries.
When Muslims ruled the region, Islam arrived and expanded, and the region became an important Islamic hub. At the time of Pakistan’s independence in 1947, between ninety and seventy-five percent of West Pakistan’s population was Muslim.
Muslims from East Punjab made up 45 percent of the population, and nearly all of them relocated to Pakistan and other regions. Saraiki is one of the three spoken languages in Sindh. In the past, all Saraiki regions were governed by a single entity known as Multan.
However, it is now a district recognised as the “mother” of all Saraiki regions. Among the different ethnic groups in Pakistan, 8.38% of the population is Saraiki.
Saraiki Culture ReligNearly ninety eight percent of the people in these regions is Muslim, with the remainder being Sunni and a sizeable Shia population. This location is dominated by Sufism and contains the mausoleums of Hazrat Shah Rukn-e-Alam and Hazrat Baha’uddin Zakariya.
In addition to Muhammad Suleman Taunsvi and Ghulam Fareed, the tomb of Sufi saint Sakhi Sarwar is also quite well-known. Even more than twenty translations of the ‘Holy Quran’ exist in Saraiki. The majority of Saraikis are ‘Muslims,’ with Sikh, Christian, and Hindu minorities constituting a minority.
Language
Since the founding of Pakistan, the Saraiki Dialect has evolved from a number of languages. Saraiki (Arabic-Perso script) is the standard dialect of Pakistan; it belongs to the Indo-Aryan language family. It is spoken by residents of the Saraiki region (Saraikistan).
There is no official documentation indicating a single identity. Still, it focuses on gathering the everyday and traditionally written languages spoken by more over eighteen million people.
Saraiki Speaking Areas
The majority of Punjab’s northwest and southern half, the southern districts of DI Khan, and the KPK regions are populated by “Saraiki” speakers. In the border regions of Baluchistan and Sindh provinces and Afghanistan.
This is the native tongue of the citizens of Bahawalpur, Multan, DG Khan, Sargodha, Multan, and DI Khan. Whereas it is also widely spoken and understood as a second language in western and northern Sindh, Karachi, and certain regions of Baluchistan.
Famous Saraiki Poets
There is an extensive list of acclaimed poets from this region, and their poetry is laudable. Ghulam Farid, Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai, and Sachal Sar Mast are well-known poets. There is still a dearth of literature available in the Saraiki dialect. Also read about Sindhi Poetry.
Multan is one of the oldest cities in ‘South Asia’, and its Pakistani population is a mixture of the old and the new. There are cathedrals, mosques, shrines, temples, tombs, and ancient fortresses. The tombs of saints, such as Shah Rukn-E-Alam and Sheik Baha-ud-Din Zakariya, among the city’s most popular tourist destinations.
In addition to temples and mausoleums, there are the “Darawar Fort” near the desert of Cholistan and the “Darbar Mahal” in Bahawalpur.
Saraiki Culture Cuisine
However, ‘Sohanjhna’ is the region’s favourite vegetable, and ‘Sohan Halwa’ is the traditional dessert of Multan.
Sports of Saraiki Culture
Kabadi is the region’s most well-known sport.
Music and Art
In the urban regions of Bahawalpur and Multan, a variety of crafts and arts have grown, of which dance and music are key cultural components and integral parts of most rituals and celebrations. Jhoomar is the traditional Baluchistan and Multan folk dance.
This region has produced a number of famous and successful musicians. Popular singers from this region include ‘Attaullah Khan Essa Khailwi,’ ‘Abida Parveen,’ and ‘Pathanay Khan,’ whose songs are all about the beauty of the desert.
Festivals of Saraiki Culture
Multiple events are based on the Islamic calendar and the cultural events commemorating the Saints and Muslim rituals of the region. Some of these celebrations include:
The ‘Sangh Mela’ is the ‘Vaisakhi Fair’ held in Sakhi Sarwar in March and April by Faisalabad and Jhang residents. In some areas, it is known as “Basant” and is primarily observed during the wheat harvesting season.
The “Pir Adil Mela” is held at the shrine of Hazrat Pir Adil, and a national cattle and horse show is frequently combined with it.
Saraiki Tribes
The majority of people are either Rajput or Jat, while others are Baloch, such as Ansari, Arain, Khos, Leghari, Dhareja, etc. Various Rajput and Jat clans include Malik, Chisti, and Bhatti, among others.