Sindh Celebrates first ever ‘Sindhi Topi Day’

A large number of people wearing traditional Sindhi Topis and Ajraks participate in a rally which started from the Karachi Press Club, near the Sindh Assembly building. – Online photo

HYDERABAD: The people of Sindh celebrated a unique cultural day - the ‘Sindhi Topi Day’ – on Sunday for the first time in the history of the province.

The Sindhi Topi is regarded as one of the most essential parts of the Sindhi culture and is usually offered to guests, along with a traditional Sindhi Ajrak, as a token of respect.

The call for the Sindhi Topi Day received an enthusiastic response everywhere as tens of thousands of people of all languages sporting Sindhi Topis and Ajraks took to the streets to express their sentiments and love with the Sindhi culture.

The Sindhi Topi Day has been observed following calls from a Sindhi television channel and the PPP in response to uncalled for remarks about the Sindhi Topi by an anchorperson of a private television channel.

The call mobilized people of all languages who started purchasing Sindhi Topis all over Sindh. Such enthusiasm from the masses has made history as people purchased the Sindhi Topi in large numbers on premium prices resulting in stock-outs of the cap in the market.

The day gave the look of a mass celebration as people were found dancing on the famous song by Ahmed Mughal called ‘Sindhi Topi ain Ajrak Wara jian,’ since the morning.

Large rallies were organised in various cities including Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Nawabshah and Larkana.

A big rally of Pakistan Peoples Party, jointly led by Members PPP Federal Council Kazi Asad Abid and Pervez Ansari, Sindh Minister for Fisheries and President PPP Hyderabad District Zahid Bhurgari, Amanullah Sial and others was taken out from Qasimabad, Hyderabad, which passed through various roads and culminated in front of the Hyderabad Press Club.

Another motorcade rally of the Awami National Party (ANP), taken out under the leadership of Asadullah Mehsud culminated in front of the Hyderabad Press Club where the participants of the rally expressed their affections with traditional Sindhi culture.

A ceremony was also arranged at the office of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Hyderabad Zone, where Sindhi Topis and Ajraks were presented to journalists.

Other parties and social welfare organizations including Jeay Sindh National Party, Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz (JSQM), Mehran Falahi Sangat and Marvi Association also brought out rallies showing their affection with the Sindhi Topi.

Hand-woven Sindhi Topis are a product of hard labour and made in almost every district of the province. However, the Sindhi Topi produced in Tharparkar, Umerkot, Sanghar and other districts of the Mirpurkhas division are rated better and fetch a better price.—APP

Source: DAWN, Sunday, 06 Dec, 2009

First-Ever ‘Sindhi Topi Day’ Celebrated in Sindh on Dec 6

Sindh is celebrating a unique cultural day – the ‘Sindhi Topi (cap) Day’ – on Dec 6, for the first time in the history of Pakistan. Interestingly, the day was not announced by any political party but the common people of Sindh decided to celebrate the Sindhi topi day. All political parties are supporting the day.

Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), an ally of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and its coalition partner at the centre and in Sindh, announced its support to the call for observing Dec 6 as ‘Sindhi Topi Day’.

“Sindhi topi and ajrak have been symbols of the Sindhi culture and civilisation for thousands of years and all the people of Sindh have an emotional attachment with these cultural symbols,” said MQM chief Altaf Hussain in a statement from his London office.

He said the communities living in other provinces and areas of Pakistan have their culture and traditions and different languages, “therefore, nobody should raise objections to Sindhi Topi Day and all Pakistanis should respect other communities’ cultures.”

He urged that there must be no statement or speech that hurts the feelings of any ethnic group and that one should respect other cultures just like their own and refrain from attacks. He said MQM extends its full support to all the people of Sindh, including mothers, sisters, elders, the youth and children on Sindhi Topi Day. Sindh government’s PPP and its coalition partner, the Awami National Party, have already announced their support to Sindhi Top Day and the MQM has also joined in the celebrations for the cultural day of Sindh.

In anticipation of the celebrations, the sale of Sindhi topi has significantly increased and in some cities, the cap has already disappeared from the markets. The Sindhi topi is regarded one of the most essential parts of the Sindhi culture and usually Sindhi people offer this traditional cap and ajrak to their guests as a token of respect. The Sindhi topi is round in shape except a portion in front, which is cut out in different patterns to expose the forehead. Hand-woven Sindhi topis are products of hard labour and made in almost every district of the province. However, the caps produced in Tharparkar, Umerkot, Sanghar and other districts of the Mirpurkhas division are rated better and fetch a better price.

The National Council of Sindhi Culture and Heritage (NCHCS), in a press statement, has asked the people of Sindh to wear a Sindhi topi along with an ajrak on Dec 6 (today). “The common people of Sindh issued a call to observe the day, thus we too support the call and would celebrate this unique day,” said NCHCS secretary general Ram Kirshan. He added that Sindhis were a nation with a culture of which the Sindhi topi and ajrak are supposed to be the most essential and sacred entities.

“Therefore, we request every Sindhi throughout the world to wear the Sindhi topi and ajrak on the day to celebrate the great civilization of Sindh.”  (News sourced from AAJ TV)

Source: http://despardes.com/?p=10147

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