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Shikarpur

Shikarpur

Old structure of a haveli
A land covered by dense forests and a favourite hunting ground (shikar Garh) of the Mirs in the 17th century, the ancient city of Shikarpur was a prosperous and wealthy seat of civilisation, trade, culture and commerce. The constant unending flow of trade and commerce with the world with places like Geneva, Rome, Honolulu, Sumatra, Burma, Japan, Iran, etc.

View of a final haveli
Shikarpuris are known for thier sweet tongue which can win over the most shrewdest and hardest of bargainers. They command a place of pride within the Sindhi community and also amongst the world trading communities. Pioneers of the financial instrument called 'hundi' they had trade links throughout the world and this instrument was considered as good as gold during those days. The seths of Shikarpur were Hindus and apart from Sindhi, they were extremely fluent in Pushtu, Persian, Balochi as well as various other Indian languages.

Dhak Bazar
Before the advent of the Britishers, Shikarpur was surrounded by a mud fort which had eight entramces or gates- 'Lakhi Dar, Hazari Dar,Hathi Dar, Novsharo Dar, Wagano Dar, and Sevi Dar. These gates were ensconced by a deep channel around its perimeter, which was filled up by the Britishers, who built a circular road on it.

Due to their hectic and far flung trade activities, the Shikarpuris used to travel the world over and many had established centres in other parts of the world also. But the gleaming aspect of there business outlook was thay they used to bring the fruits of prosperity back to their beloved Shikarpur and spend it not only on themeselves but also for the welfare of the township and charity projects as well. This can be attributed to the fact that there were a number of schools, charitable institutions and welfare organisations.

The City, once filled with a populace full of mirth and gaity, garden abounding with breathtaking flowers and sceneries, bunglows boasting of bath tanks and what not, has become lack lustre today.

The aura of the yesteyears has been lost. Be it the Dhak Bazar, an architectural marvel being the longest bazar shaded by woodwork of pure teak which gave a cooling effect comparable to air-conditioning even in the hottest of summers, of the Shahi Baugh, one of the biggest and most beautiful garden complete with a variety of thousands of flowers and a pavilion built on Geothic lines, today everythingstands in shambles and ruins.

Lakhi Dar used to be the a place and a social venue for the Shikarpuris. A roam, a stroll, soft drinks like thadal,lassi or milk were considered to be an ideal outing in the evinings. Lakhi Dar was to Shikarpur what Kashmir is to India. If you haven't seen Kashmir, you haven't seen India and if you haven't seen Lakhi Dar, you haven't seen Shikarpur.

And for a city of such stature, having a rich culture was only quite natural. Their fondness and knowledge of classical music was quite legendary. It is said that during the days of 'holi' they used to organise the 'hando of holi' for a full seven days in the Natak Sabha theatre on the bank of the Begary Canal. Renowned artistes both local and from across the border used to be invited to perform during these events. Stalwarts like Waman Rao, Patwardhan, Pandit Vyas, Onkarnath, Khan Sahib Mubarak Ali, Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Kajan Inayat Bai, Mukhtar Begum and many others have graced this city by their august performances for which they used to be duly respected and heaped with costly gifts. In fact, oneof the foremost dramatic society, the Dharamupkars Amateurs Society,was founded here in Shikarpur by Thakurdas Nagrani, Aga Sufi, Maharaj Tejbhandas and others.

On the literature front Shikarpur earns the distinct credit for producing a vedantic titan like Saami who along with Shah and Sachal formed the 'trimurti' of Sindhi poetry. Another legendary poet of Sindh, Sheikh Ayaz is also a contribution of Shikarpur and who is still very much alive and whose contribution to modern poetry is unparalleled as it is unconventional. Another figure, Lokumal Dodeja, who wrote the Ramayan and his son Girdharilal Dodeja, who followed in his father's footsteps, also find their roots in this city. In days when finding a well-educated person was like landing yourself a chest of treasure, Shikarpur boasted of having 70 graduates as compared to 7 in the whole of Sindh. No wonder then that the first Sindhi college,Satramdas Chellasingh College, was also established in Shikarpur.

Every state and region of Sindh had a particular sect or belief apart from their Hindu roots. In Shikarpur one of the foremost sect was the Khatwari Darbar founded by Baba Gurdas, a descendant of Sikhs who had miraculous powers of turning sand into sugar. The peculiar name can be attributed to the golden khat (charpai) within the darbar. It is said that tons of grains used to be distributed daily to the poor and needy as well as birds and animals along with drinking water at many points in the city. All in all, this was a community which was very much self-sufficient, and whose residents, by the dint of their hardwork had transformed their city into a commercial nerve centre in the entire region and who believed in enjoying their health and wealth.

The Villages & Towns of the district:

Aaraaeen, Bagarjee, Chodiho, Garhee Dego, Garyaseen, Goti Vashi, Habibkot, Haimayun, Jaagan, Jaamda, Khanpur, Kiran, Loda, Mairu maari, Miyan Sahib, Noor Mohd., Ruk, Shahpur, Shikarpur, Sultankot.