A unique festival in Karachi is the "Crocodile Festival." This is a festival held by the ethnic group called Sheedis in Pakistan. It is believed that Sheedis came as slaves from Africa. This festival is held at a shrine in Manghopir, a dry and humid part of Karachi, which dates back to the thirteenth century.
However, it is the dangling part of the festival that makes this stand out. A father will take his baby son and dangle it above the jaws of a crocodile. This is done to find blessings for the child.
During this festival the people will also make pledges to the shrine. These pledges are given to the crocodiles. The pledges consist of fresh goat meat. When the crocodiles accept the meat it will be seen as a sign of luck. They suggest that the crocodiles will not attack because they are disciples of the saint known as Khwaja Hasan.
A unique festival in Karachi is the "Crocodile Festival." This is a festival held by the ethnic group called Sheedis in Pakistan. It is believed that Sheedis came as slaves from Africa. This festival is held at a shrine in Manghopir, a dry and humid part of Karachi, which dates back to the thirteenth century.
 |
| A devotee feeds a crocodile during a festival |
The Sheedi community celebrates the ritual by feeding the sacred crocodile, called ‘Mor’, in a small pond located on the premises of the shrine. The Sheedis are generally known as the Black African Moors of Pakistan. Festivities include drum beating rituals and songs in different languages that resemble Swahili, Sindhi, and Balochi.
However, it is the dangling part of the festival that makes this stand out. A father will take his baby son and dangle it above the jaws of a crocodile. This is done to find blessings for the child.
During this festival the people will also make pledges to the shrine. These pledges are given to the crocodiles. The pledges consist of fresh goat meat. When the crocodiles accept the meat it will be seen as a sign of luck. They suggest that the crocodiles will not attack because they are disciples of the saint known as Khwaja Hasan.
During the British Raj the Shedi (which means 'black' in the local dialect) lived in so-called 'slave colonies' along the coastal regions of Sindh and Balochistan provinces, and women from these colonies worked as nannies for children of British officials and affluent Hindu traders.
As time passed, they inter-married with local Baloch tribes, adopting various local & Islamic traditions, but over the centuries they have maintained their own distinct African cultural heritage.
The highlight of the Shedi festival is the garlanding ceremony during which the custodian of the shrine puts a garland made of fresh flowers around the neck of 'Mor Sahib' the chief of the crocodiles, sprays perfume on him and feeds him a piece of mutton. This festival is being observed for ages, for more than 850 years. This unique festival is celebrated regularly every year during Rabbi-ul-Awwal, the third month of the Islamic calendar.
No comments:
Post a Comment