Part 9 - Aim and Scope

There are some basic questions which would arise in the human mind at some point of time in one’s life. The human quest is to search for the answers to questions such as:

• Who am I?
• Why am I here?
• Where have I come from?
• What is the meaning of human life?
• What is the goal of human life?

India’s wealth of knowledge which is revealed by scriptures like Vedas, Upanishadas, and Shrimad Bhagavad-Gita speak about a universal consciousness which is like an ocean and an individual is like a tiny drop of the same ocean. The existence of absolute consciousness is like realizing the presence of God in every breath that one takes. At the same time, this Brahman is ‘Nirguna’ and ‘Nirakara’. It is difficult to imagine or perceive that, which is formless, therefore the idea of ‘Saguna’ and ‘Sakara’ seems to have come into existence. The worship of Gods and Goddesses in various forms like Viṣhṇu, Shiva, Gaṇesh, Lakṣhmi etc. could have evolved due to diverse belief systems, faiths and traditions followed in India.

The worship of ‘Ishtadeva’ which is devotion towards Ishwar (God) in one of his Avatar (incarnation) is a common religious practice in India among Hindu population. The ‘Ishtadeva’ is worshiped by a community according to customs and traditions handed down by their ancestors. It is a channel through which one can connect with the supreme consciousness on a spiritual level through religious practices that are followed by the devotees.

For a community, their ‘Ishtadeva’ is an incarnation of God which is the divine force that would guide them on the path of enlightenment and fulfillment.

The process to connect with the Supreme consciousness is an important journey. It begins with self-inquiry and answers to the meaning of life get unlocked through the surrender of one’s ego and one’s desires at the feet of the ‘Ishtadeva’. This research is undertaken with an intention to understand the history and essence of the ‘Ishtadeva’ of Sindhis and Lohanas and the significance of customs and traditions practiced by followers of Lord Jhulelal. With the help of the study of literature on the deity, one gets an insight into his teachings and one learns to rise above caste, creed and race and anything that discriminates one human being from another. Therefore, it is imperative to understand the origin and history of their beliefs and the inculcation of the same into the new generation which would be responsible to shape a beautiful future for the wonderful world.

The objective of this research is to study the glory and divine power of Lord Jhulelal, unravel the values and teachings he wanted to impart to people, appreciate and inform the readers about the festivals, traditions, rituals, temples and shrines and knowledge about Lord Jhulelal and the impact it would have on generations to come. The desire to explore the culture of Sindhis and Lohanas, and also to know more about Lords Jhulelal’s teachings and further to see whether his teachings fit in today’s context have been inspiring factors for taking up this thesis.

The basis of research is as follows:

• To collect the authentic information about this deity
• To study the influence on the personality of this deity
• To study the influence of this deity the Sindhi society.
• To study the teachings and influence of this deity
• Lay the foundation for further research for people interested in this subject

It was noted while interacting with some scholars and devotees from Sindhi and Lohana communities that there is a lack of comprehensive documentation about Lord Jhulelal in one place. The material that is available is scattered in many different forms such as small booklets, religious books in prose and poetry forms, historical books, fiction, etc. As such, if the available information is compiled in a single document it would serve as reference material for readers and those who would be interested in this subject.

There still appears a need to find more information about such an important deity which is revered by a large population of Sindhi and Lohana communities. This has also been a driving force to take up this project. The research would throw light on an important deity who is revered so deeply and why he is such a great influence on the Sindhi community.

In addition, the research would explore the various nuances of Lord Jhulelal. It would also illuminate the path and bring greater clarity about the deity Lord Jhulelal. The study of his teaching and influence would also help in knowing that how did he manage to convince the ruler to treat all his subjects equally and what reforms happened in the society. It would also help to know certain aspects about Lord Jhulelal’s association with Vedic deity Varuna, his association with other religious systems, Sufism and its influence on Sindh along with other mythological deities outside India.

It is an interdisciplinary study involving various streams like literature, religion, philosophy, iconography, mythology, architecture and history making the research interesting, rich and multi-dimensional.

The following temples of Sindhi and Lohana communities and Sadhu

Vaswani Mission were visited by the researcher:

• Lord Jhulelal temple of the Sindhi community at Wanowarie, Pune.
• Dariyalal temple of the Lohana community at Bhavani Peth, Pune.
• Dariyalal temple of the Lohana community at Dariyasthan Street, Mumbai.
• Lord Jhulelal temple and Seat (Gaddi) of Shri Pugar Saheb in Chembur, Mumbai
• Dariyalal temple of the Lohana community at Kochi.
• Sadhu Vaswani Mission at Pune, a well-known organization for its social work and educational activities.

The festivals of Sindhis and Lohanas viz. Cheti Chand and Chaitri Beej during the time of writing of this thesis were attended by the researcher every year in person. The researcher witnessed the same and made a careful observation of the rituals and celebrations by both these communities. In addition, information has been gathered from scholars of both the communities by personally meeting them, and also discussing various aspects of this subject. Appropriate photographs and plates have been included in this thesis after the text.