TOUR REPORTS/ARTICLES OF SINDHIS STAYING IN
CHANDIGARH
(May
2012)
Published in (1) “Hindu” (Sindhi), July-11-2012, (2) “Hindvasi”
(Sindhi) weekly, Sept-2-2012 (3) “Akhand Sindhu Sansar” (Dev), Aug-2012
Chandigarh
(May 21, 2012):
This beautiful and gigantic and planned city
on Modern Lines is a Union Territory
with the same name. It is also capital of Punjab and Haryana states. The total
strength is 12 lakhs including 40 Sindhi families who stay here as well as in its suburbs
(within 10 Kms.) of Mohali (Punjab Border) and Panchkula(Haryana Border). They
normally (75%) speak in Sindhi among themselves and at home and the remaining (particularly youngsters) Speak in Punjabi. This
is the first city amongst over 100
cities, which I have visited so far in India wherein most of Sindhis are
engaged in service and not in business. They have formed a “Sindhi Welfare Association” whose
President is Shri. Awatram Kalra and Secretary is Shri. Rajkumar P. Asnani.
They Celebrate annual Chetichand festival wherein they prostrate ‘Jhoolelal
Sai’ and arrange ‘Priti Bhojan for all of them. Nearly 50% of them keep Murtis
of Jhoolelal Sai in their offices/ homes. In the meeting they were requested to keep such murtis in
every Sindhis home / office, to view
Sindhi programmes on T.V./ Radio and to speak in Sindhi only by all of them in order to keep our language
, Sanskriti &Culture alive. They have prepared a Sindhi Directory of
Chandigarh City & its suburbs . However they have not yet built any Sindhi
Dharamshalla or temple so far though they are longing for the same.
There
are so many worth seeing tourist places here, such as ‘War Memorial’ wherein
names of myrtors (along with their main details) are given, who died fighting
during the China war of 1962 and all Pakistan wars. Ancient beautiful Pinjora
Garden at a distance of 25 Kms on Kalka
Road resembles Vrindavan Garden of
Mysore to a certain extent. Rose Garden with musical fountain is another
attraction. Last but not the least world acclaimed Rock Garden built by “Padam
Shri” Shri Nekchand (a road inspector in the Engineering deptt. of Chandigarh) cannot be missed by any visitor.
He picked up pieces of Industrial and
Urban waste (such as broken bangles etc.) and established them with his
creative genius resembling human, animal and abstract forms. Moreover Sukhna
Lake , Leisure Valley, Museums and art
galleries are further attraction here.
