Sindhi Roots & Rituals - Part 2


Book Description

Mr. Dayal N Harjani’s recent publication “Sindhi Roots & Rituals,” a magnum opus, is the outcome of Harjani’s painstaking research of years, studying hundreds of books and collecting the information orally from vast number of persons with intimate knowledge. He has successfully unraveled the historical, economical, and cultural past of the most ancient race of Indus Valley Civilization, with incisive analysis and deep insight. No doubt it is his labour of love and sense of responsibility, which has induced him to undertake this arduous task, never attempted before. Exploring the subject under his lenses, Harjani has realized that Sindhi Community is passing through a serious Identity Crisis. Sindhi Language, the quintessence of its rich culture is in pitiable condition. It hangs at the perilous precipice from where it is poised to leap into the chasm of oblivion. The Sound of tolling bells is quite loud and clear. According to Harjani, Sindhis have to act fast on war footing, if they wish to survive, eluding the list of races which may vanish from earth in near future. Mr. Harjani has suggested few remedial measures as given below. 1. Sindhis should strive to create their homeland, the suitable location for the same is Kutch region adjoining Sindh. 2. They should also establish “Bharti Sindhu Vidyapeeth,” a Cultural University to act as a repository of all the knowledge about Sindh and Sindhis, to preserve and promote Sindhi Language & Culture. 3. They should build “Shree Jhulelal Tirthdham” on a gigantic scale, at Narayan Sarovar which is the site where River Sindhu merged in Sindhu Sagar. Lord Jhulelal, Ishtdev of Sindhis shall certainly reappear at the same spot to become their saviour, if all the Sindhis united together to beckon Him, whole heartedly in one voice. - Lakhmi Khilnani Director and Founder Member Indian Institute of Sindhology Adipur




Sindhi Roots & Rituals - Part 1


Book Description

Mr. Dayal N Harjani’s recent publication “Sindhi Roots & Rituals,” a magnum opus, is the outcome of Harjani’s painstaking research of years, studying hundreds of books and collecting the information orally from vast number of persons with intimate knowledge. He has successfully unraveled the historical, economical, and cultural past of the most ancient race of Indus Valley Civilization, with incisive analysis and deep insight. No doubt it is his labour of love and sense of responsibility, which has induced him to undertake this arduous task, never attempted before. Exploring the subject under his lenses, Harjani has realized that Sindhi Community is passing through a serious Identity Crisis. Sindhi Language, the quintessence of its rich culture is in pitiable condition. It hangs at the perilous precipice from where it is poised to leap into the chasm of oblivion. The Sound of tolling bells is quite loud and clear. According to Harjani, Sindhis have to act fast on war footing, if they wish to survive, eluding the list of races which may vanish from earth in near future. Mr. Harjani has suggested few remedial measures as given below. 1. Sindhis should strive to create their homeland, the suitable location for the same is Kutch region adjoining Sindh. 2. They should also establish “Bharti Sindhu Vidyapeeth,” a Cultural University to act as a repository of all the knowledge about Sindh and Sindhis, to preserve and promote Sindhi Language & Culture. 3. They should build “Shree Jhulelal Tirthdham” on a gigantic scale, at Narayan Sarovar which is the site where River Sindhu merged in Sindhu Sagar. Lord Jhulelal, Ishtdev of Sindhis shall certainly reappear at the same spot to become their saviour, if all the Sindhis united together to beckon Him, whole heartedly in one voice. - Lakhmi Khilnani Director and Founder Member Indian Institute of Sindhology Adipur




From the Lion's Mouth


Book Description

Iain Campbell has been fascinated by mountains for as long as he can remember. In his new book, he tells the story of a journey following the course of the Indus River from its mouth in the mudflats of Karachi through the Karakorum, Kashmir and the Himalayas to its source in Ladakh on the Indian side of the Tibetan plateau, where it springs from the 'Lion's Mouth' on Mount Kailash. His narrative paints an insightful, honest and heartfelt portrait of Pakistan, a country that through all his wanderings of the deserts and mountains of Asia kept drawing him back, and a place which combines a rich religious heritage with some of the most spectacular mountains in the world. Engrossing and eye-opening, Iain Campbell's account of his travels through this mesmerising land will appeal to travellers, mountaineers, trekkers, wilderness enthusiasts, anyone interested in the culture and history of the subcontinent, and fans of quality travel writing.




Music, Culture and Identity in the Muslim World


Book Description

In contrast to many books on Islam that focus on political rhetoric and activism, this book explores Islam's extraordinarily rich cultural and artistic diversity, showing how sound, music and bodily performance offer a window onto the subtleties and humanity of Islamic religious experience. Through a wide range of case studies from West Asia, South Asia and North Africa and their diasporas - including studies of Sufi chanting in Egypt and Morocco, dance in Afghanistan, and "Muslim punk" on-line - the book demonstrates how Islam should not be conceived of as being monolithic or monocultural, how there is a large disagreement within Islam as to how music and performance should be approached, such disagreements being closely related to debates about orthodoxy, secularism, and moderate and fundamental Islam, and how important cultural activities have been, and continue to be, for the formation of Muslim identity.




Migration, Memories, and the "Unfinished" Partition


Book Description

This book looks at migration through the lens of the Partition of India in 1947. The Partition uprooted millions of people from their homelands. This volume examines the initial difficulties faced by the refugees in settling down in their adopted land. It analyses the state’s efforts in facilitating the movement of refugees, the processes it initiated to resettle them after Partition, and the extent to which it was successful. This book also investigates the links between socio-political developments in contemporary India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh as a result of the Partition. Drawing on archival sources, oral histories and literary representations, the contributing authors discuss and analyse the experiences of the migrated population. Part of the Migrations in South Asia series, this book will be an important read for scholars and researchers of migration studies, refugee studies, Partition studies, Indian history, Indian politics, and South Asian studies.




Songs of Wisdom and Circles of Dance


Book Description

Coursing though cultures and time, tuneful verse has given moving expression to the human longing for the divine. As poetry strung on sweet melodies, hymns bear testimony to the religious life of the devout, and to the inspiring teachings of minstrels and saints. Such is the ginan tradition of the Satpanth Isma'ilis, Indian successors of the Fatand Nizari Isma'ili sect of the Shi'ah Muslims. Traditionally recited during daily ritual prayers, ginans have been revered for generations among the Satpanth Isma'ilis as sacred compositions. This work offers for the first time an extensive translation of hymns attributed to the Isma'ili saint-composer, Pir Shams (ca. 13th century), who is at once one of the most pivotal and yet most enigmatic figures of this literary tradition. It also presents a cogent historical reconstruction of the beginnings of Satpanth Isma'ilism--a phase of Isma'ili history that has spanned over eight centuries.







The Voice in the Drum


Book Description

Based on extensive field research in India and Pakistan, this new study examines the ways drumming and voices interconnect over vast areas of South Asia and considers what it means for instruments to be voice-like and carry textual messages in particular contexts. Richard K. Wolf employs a hybrid, novelistic form of presentation, in which a fictional protagonist interacts with Wolf's field consultants, to communicate ethnographic and historical realities that transcend the local details of any one person's life. The narrative explores how the themes of South Asian Muslims and their neighbors coming together, moving apart, and relating to God and spiritual intermediaries resonate across ritual and expressive forms such as drumming and dancing. Wolf weaves in the story of a family led by Ahmed Ali Khan, a North Indian ruler who revels in the glories of 19th century life, when many religious communities joined together harmoniously in grand processions. His journalist son Muharram Ali obsessively scours the subcontinent in pursuit of a music he naively hopes will dissolve religious and political barriers. The story charts the breakdown of this naiveté. A daring narrative of music, religion and politics in late twentieth century South Asia, The Voice in the Drum delves into the social and religious principles around which Muslims, Hindus, and others bond, create distinctions, reflect upon one another, or decline to acknowledge differences.




Concise Encyclopedia of Languages of the World


Book Description

Concise Encyclopedia of Languages of the World is an authoritative single-volume reference resource comprehensively describing the major languages and language families of the world. It will provide full descriptions of the phonology, semantics, morphology, and syntax of the world's major languages, giving insights into their structure, history and development, sounds, meaning, structure, and language family, thereby both highlighting their diversity for comparative study, and contextualizing them according to their genetic relationships and regional distribution.Based on the highly acclaimed and award-winning Encyclopedia of Language and Linguistics, this volume will provide an edited collection of almost 400 articles throughout which a representative subset of the world's major languages are unfolded and explained in up-to-date terminology and authoritative interpretation, by the leading scholars in linguistics. In highlighting the diversity of the world's languages — from the thriving to the endangered and extinct — this work will be the first point of call to any language expert interested in this huge area. No other single volume will match the extent of language coverage or the authority of the contributors of Concise Encyclopedia of Languages of the World. - Extraordinary breadth of coverage: a comprehensive selection of just under 400 articles covering the world's major languages, language families, and classification structures, issues and dispute - Peerless quality: based on 20 years of academic development on two editions of the leading reference resource in linguistics, Encyclopedia of Language and Linguistics - Unique authorship: 350 of the world's leading experts brought together for one purpose - Exceptional editorial selection, review and validation process: Keith Brown and Sarah Ogilvie act as first-tier guarantors for article quality and coverage - Compact and affordable: one-volume format makes this suitable for personal study at any institution interested in areal, descriptive, or comparative language study - and at a fraction of the cost of the full encyclopedia