Rahim Yar Khan - Culture & Custom
Welcome to Rahim Yar Khan City. This is my 3rd post.
Culture & Customs.
Culture Dress and Ornaments.
The common attire in the rural area for the male is a long loose shirt hanging up to the knees, made of coarse cloth, a chadder and pagri. In the urban areas, Shalwar and a Dupatta is the dress of choice. In the Choulistan area, the women generally wear short shirts and ghagras and Dopattas. People use cheap and coarse cloth for dresses. For footwear, men in the rural areas wear locally made shoes prepared by the village cobbler (Mochi). The women of this area are very fond of wearing ornaments, both golden and silver.
Food Habits.
Wheat is the staple food grains of this area. Bajra or maize is also used in the villages in lieu of wheat. People in the rural area mostly consume vegetables, pulses, milk butter and ghee. The inhabitants ordinarily take meals thrice a day. The first in the morning before leaving for the work on the fields and consist of wheat bread with lassi (curd with water) milk and butter. The midday meal consists of wheat bread with lassi, onions, chilies, pickles, and seldom with cooked vegetables and meat. While evening meal is taken at home on return or in the field after the day’s work and generally comprises wheat bread with vegetables, beef or mutton and in the summers with milk. Vegetables are consumed mostly in winter when turnibs, radish and mustard are plentiful. Sag (pot herb) and dal are commonly used in super. Chopri roti (bread smeared with Ghee or butter) is given to the working male members of the family and the women folk rarely enjoy this buttered bread.
Addition of Gur or sugar makes it of surpassing richness. Tobacco is commonly smoked by the male cultivators. Dates and mangoes are the favorite fruits and the poor take them with chapati. Meat is rare commodity in villages available only at once a week and generally in the form of beef. In Sadiqabad area, a favorite dish of rich is Saji, a goat or lamb roasted in the oven or on fire.
Main Restaurants in City.
“Cafe Lamus” “The Food Trak” and “Hot Chiks” are best Hotels of this city. Some more famous restaurants are “Bhati Snicks”, “Pizza and Pizza”. There are so many small cafe in this city.
Betrothal and Marriage.
In an agrarian society, marriages are awaited occasions. Despite the hurry and pace of life brought in by the modern times with their tractors and threshers, there is enough time in the villages to look forward to the occasion and make preparations for it months in advance. It is an occasion for pomp and show and ostentation of joy, of settling family feuds, of sewing seeds of new tensions in the social and family relations. A marriage in a village, besides involving the spread around family also involves the whole village including those who work and help in making arrangements for the big occasion. But real strings are held in the hands of the man or woman who moves between the two houses, those of the groom and the bride. Such men and women belong usually to the families of the traditional barbers (Naais) who profess skills in many fields e.g. barbers, cooks, glib talkers, excellent emissaries between families, messengers and crude surgeons as they perform their skill from ordinary sores to the mandatory circumcision.
The bride’s parents are not supposed to broach the subject openly. On the occasion of engagement the groom’s family takes sweets, golden ring silk clothes for the bride and clothes other presents for the other members. The acceptance of such gifts is a sign that the engagement has been made. In return a Lungi and a gold ring is presented for the groom from the bride’s side. The elders of both families sit together and pray for the prosperity of the new relationship and success of the marriage. In the phase approaching the wedding ceremony, the groom is called Ghoat and the girl is called as Kanwar. A week later or before the marriage the girl is totally confined and locally made cosmetic (paste) called Cheeko or ubtun is applied to her body to brighten her complexion. As the date of the marriage approaches, colorful and melodious songs known as Sehras are sung by the relatives of the boy. However, rejoicing at the home of the bride is not appreciated.
On the night preceding the marriage, the palms of the bride and the groom are smeared with Mehandi and feasts are arranged for the number of the relatives who arrived at the groom’s house. The groom wears a colorful thread on his left wrist with a small Potli (knot) containing an iron ring and six herbs called Ganna. On the wedding day before the barat leaves for the brides house the groom is generally paid Niundra, in cash. He is not allowed to change his clothes, as he is supposed to put on new clothes at the bride residence where the old clothes are handed over to the family barber. On the arrival of Barat, a goat is demanded from the family of the groom and the ceremony is called Dheangen or Dheangana.
After the Nikkah ceremony the groom is made to sit on a basket made of straws and his given a bath where after he wears new clothes offered by his in laws. Oil and musk are applied on his head in a ceremony called Tail Lagana and vail (cash) are paid to the menials. After that the groom is taken to the bride’s room where the sisters of the bride take a chance to play some lovely tricks with him. One shoes of the groom are stolen by the girls and a piece of thread is revolved in a circle seven times around the thumb of his raised right hand and toe of the foot in circles in a pursuance of a ceremony called Dawan Watra. For the return of shoes the groom has to pay a handsome amount to his sisters in laws. Next the groom is taken to a room and seated on a cot with the bride facing towards him. Among the locals, their heads are touched seven times in a ceremony called Lavan or Sarmail. Muth Kholai rite is also performed and the groom opens flat the palm of the girl where after he is obliged to make some payment. During the Arsi ceremony the couple is enabled to see each other in the mirror. The Arsi the groom touches the foot of the father in law and other elders for this gesture of obedience he is paid in cash. Doli is placed on Kachawa or a car or a bullock cart.
The Saraiki people perform the rukhsti in different manner. They place a saddle on the horse back and both the bride and the groom are seated on it. There they are tied with a Dupatta at their waists before the departure of barat for the groom’s house. When the barat arrives back to the groom’s house some people slaughter a goat as a gesture of alm (sadqa) The girl is also paid Mun Dakhai or Ghond Kholai i.e.; face showing. In the late night the groom is left alone with the bride. Walima denotes consummation of marriage. On third day or in some cases on the seventh day in a Satwara ceremony the bride along with the groom returns to her parents for a couple of days. Child marriage was common in the backward families especially amongst the locals. However with the introduction of the Muslim family Laws Ordinance, 1962 which prohibits it, it is somewhat discouraged. This custom was very common as a result of the inhibition that the girls could not be married outside their families and also with a view to avoid the alienation of property. It is still practice in some rural areas. Such marriages are also the consequences of Wata-sata. There is an agreement called Lakhai Parahi which is resorted to it if a girl is a major and she is married to a boy without exchange but in turn the boys enter s an agreement that on the event on the birth of a daughter this new born baby would be betrothed to a male member of the mother’s family.
Births.
On the birth of a male child, sweet rice and milk are distributed in a ceremony called Chatti. In most cases the child is named at this stage. The head of the child is shaven usually on seventh day or during the period of Chillah and sacrifice of two goats in case of baby boy and a sheep or goat in case of baby girl is made in a ceremony called Aqiqa. Circumcision is also performed on the male infant at this stage. In certain cases meals are also served to the relatives and presents received for the baby. The mother during the first forty days, called the rakh period, is made to avoid visits to a house where there has been a recent death.
Deaths.
The dead body is given a bath (Ghusal) and is wrapped in a shroud (kafan). After the bath, perfume is sprayed on it and Namaz-E-Janaza is offered. After this the dead body is laid down in prescribed position, its head turned towards the holy Kaaba. Some families place dead bodies in wooden boxes before burial. For identification purposes, an epitaph is erected at the head of the grave. Sometimes a pacca tomb is also built. After the burial, prayers are also offered for the departed soul once near the grave and again outside the graveyard. Qul khawani is held by recitation from Holy Quran and alms (Khairat) are distributed for the salvation of the deceased.
Chehlum is observed on fortieth day of death when new garments are given to Imama of the mosque and to the person who bathed the dead body. In some families, on the death of an old man, the Chehlum ceremony is celebrated with a sumptuous feast for the relatives and friends. Instead of Chelum certain families observe jumarats and on every Thursday, meals are distributed amongst the poor, this continuous for seven consecutive Thursdays.
Every year death anniversary is observed and food is distributed amongst the poor by the successor of the deceased. This rite is called Varheen. There is custom amongst the Choulistani, his heirs are obliged to offer one kilo of desi ghee and seven breads to each and every person of the tribe when they turn up to offer condolence, spreading over a period of one year. On the expiry of one year, all the tribal men assemble and are again served with meals by the heirs of the deceased. On that occasion, the most respected elder of the tribe declares the closure of the distribution of Sat Roti. A tale goes that a Choulistani Sardar died leaving behind a large number of cattle, sheep and goats and his heirs had to sell them off to observe the custom of Sat Roti in consequence thereof, they had to resort to begging. The custom of Sat Roti is performed to satisfy the vanity of the deceased and his successors.
Sports and Festivals.
Kabaddi s liked and played almost in all urban and rural areas of the districts. Besides, hockey, badminton, football, tennis, cricket, lawn tennis are played. Wrestlers of the district have position among wrestlers of the province. There is a Sports Committee headed by the Deputy Commissioner for the Organizing various Tournaments in the district. A District Sports Organizer also assists the Deputy Commissioner as Secretary of the Sports Committee in this respect. Twenty Sports Associations are working for promoting various sports in the district with the idea to prepare nursery for sports.
Religion.
The population of the district is predominantly Muslims i.e. 96.7 percent. The next higher percentage is of Hindu (Jati) with 1.8 percent, followed by Scheduled Castes 0.6 percent. While other minorities like Christians, Ahmadi etc. are very small in number. The proportion of population of Muslims is higher in urban than rural areas. Christians are mostly living in urban areas representing 1.2 percent as compare to 0.2 percent in rural areas. Ahmadis are equal in proportion in urban and rural areas.
Population.
Demography.
According to the 1998 census of Pakistan, the total population of Rahim Yar Khan district was 3,141,053 of which 19.16% were urban an intercensal percentage increase of 70.6 since March, 1981 when it was 1,841,451. The average annual growth rate was 3.2 percent during this period. The total area of the district is 11,880 square kilometers which gives population density of 264 persons per square kilometer as against 155 persons observed in 1981 indicating a fast growth rate of the district.
Arain is the major tribe of the district. Arains are the decadents of Umayyad Arabs from Aretha who entered in Sub-continent through Debal, Sindh with Muhammad Bin Qasim in 711 AD and were arrived in this region in April 712 AD. They were known as their Arabic name Areehai which change to Arain. Due to accompaning with Muhammad Bin Qasim a considerable population of Arains were settled in the district before partition. After partition a huge population of Arains revirted in the district from East Punjab. Other tribes include Jat, major clans are Cheemas and Warrich, Rajput and Gujjar. They have all come from the adjoining districts of East and West Punjab . The old settlers are the Joya, Wattoo, Daudpota, Balouch, Syed and Pathan. In Cholistan area there are some local tribes including Bohar, Lark, and Bhen. The Jats and Rajputs came from Rajputana and Jaisalmir and converted to Islam in the reign of Feroz Shah Tughlak.
Population Size, Growth And Distribution.
The total population of Rahim Yar Khan district was 3,141,053 as enumerated in march, 1998 with an intercensal percentage increase of 70.6 since March, 1981 when it was 1,841,451 souls. The average annual growth rate was 3.2 percent during this period. The total area of the district is 11,880 square kilometers which gives population density of 264 persons per square kilometer as against 155 persons observed in 1981 indicating a fast growth rate of the district.
Rural/Urban Distribution.
The urban population was 616,582 or 19.6 percent of the total population of the district which grew at an average rate of 4.3 percent during 1981-98 and had decreased from 4.7 percent observed during 1972-81. There are three Municipal Committees and five Town Committees in the district.
Religion.
The population of the district is predominantly Muslims i.e. 96.7 percent. The next higher percentage is of Hindu (Jati) with 1.8 percent, followed by Scheduled Castes 0.6 percent. While other minorities like Christians, Ahmadi etc. are very small in number. The proportion of population of Muslims is higher in urban than rural areas. Christians are mostly living in urban areas representing 1.2 percent as compare to 0.2 percent in rural areas. Ahmadis are equal in proportion in urban and rural areas.
Mother Tongue.
Siraiki is the predominant language being spoken in the district, representing 62.6 percent of the population, followed by Punjabi and Urdu spoken by 27.3 and 2.9 percent respectively and Sindhi by 2.0 percent while others speak Pushto, Balochi, Bravi, Dari etc.
Land.
Physical Features & Topography.
This district is divided into three main physical features i.e. (a) Riverine area. (b) Canal irrigated area and (c) Desert area which is called Cholistan. The Riverine area of the district lies close on the southern side of the Indus river mainly falling in the river bed. The canal irrigated area lies on the South and is separated by main Minchan Bund. The approximate height of the irrigated area is 150 to 200 meters above the sea level. The third part of the area called Cholistan lies in the south of the irrigated tract up to the Indo-Pak border. The surface of the desert consists of a succession of sand dunes rising at places to a height of 150 metres and covered with the vegetation peculiar to sandy tracts.
Rivers.
The Indus flows on the northern outskirts of the districts of Dera Ghazi Khan and Muzaffargarh. There is no other river, Nullah or lake in this district.
Weather.
The climate of the district is hot and dry in the summer and cold and dry in the winter. The summer season is comparatively longer. It starts in April and continues until October. The winter season goes from November to March. However, the month of March and November are pleasant. Dust storms are frequent during the summer season. The average rain fall is about 100 millimetres.
Flora.
The flora of the district characterizes two major ecological divisions, northern and southern. The botanical life found in the northern half is like that of the rest of the irrigated tracts at central Punjab. The human interference in the form of irrigation network has greatly damaged the natural environment. Increases in cultivation, waterlogged areas, and salinity have badly hurt plant life. Because of the increase of salinity at the surface, only salt resistant plants can survive in most of the area. The southern half of the district, characterized by sand dunes, is mostly barren. The exception is in the rainy season when multitudes of ephemeral plants come up and transform the bare land into a lush green carpet. These ephemeral plants complete their life cycles before the summer heat arrives, leaving the land bare and dry.
Fauna.
The arid land, generally referred to as the Cholistan desert, has a lot of wild life. Wild cats, the Chinkara deer, a variety of pigs, jackals, foxes, badgers, porcupines, squirrels, gerbils, wild rats, mongeese, poisonous snakes, hog deer, blue bulls, ravine deer, sand grouse, wild lizards, wild egrets are among many other creatures are found in the district.
Races and Tribes.
The major tribes in the clony area are the Mir Syed Bokhari, Qureshi Hashmi, Laarr, Jhullan, Warind, Dahar, Drigh, Khalti, Dhukkur, Jhabail, Nonari, Arain Jat, Rajput and Gujjar. They have all come from the adjoining districts of East and West Punjab . The old settlers are the Joya, Wattoo, Daudpota, Balouch, Syed and Pathan. In Cholistan area the Bohar, Lark, Bhen, who came from Arabia to preach Islam. The Jats and Rajputs came from Rajputana and Jaisalmir and converted to Islam in the reign of Feroz Shah Tughlak.
