<p>On the second day after the new moon of the Chaitra month in the Hindu lunar calendar, coinciding with Ugadi is celebrated Cheti Chand, the Sindhi New Year. Nestled in of one of the oldest civilisations in the valley of the Indus River is a province called Sindh.</p>.<p>The legend goes like this: Sindh was ruled by a tyrant called Marikshah in 939 AD. He was harassing Hindus with heavy taxes, forcibly taking away their properties, and pressurising them to change their religion. He gave them an ultimatum to convert within a week or prepare to be killed. Going by Lord Krishna’s sermon in the Bhagvad Gita that every time evil tries to overpower dharma, God intervenes to balance it out, the residents congregated on the banks of the Sindhu to pray and perform yagnas. After a severe penance and fasting for seven days there arose from the water an illuminated version of Varuna (god of water and a Vishnu avatar) seated on a fish. He proclaimed, “I will soon be born to a couple in Narsarpur – Rai Ratan and Devaki, to redeem you of your troubles. Ask your Sultan for an extension of eight months”. </p>.<p class="bodytext">Curious about what they were up to, the Sultan relented. As promised, a child was born on the second day of the Chaitra month of the Vikram Samvat year 1007. This day marks the Sindhi new year, Cheti Chand. The child was named Udaichand.</p>.<p class="bodytext">People started calling the baby Uderolal and also Jhulelal because the cradle he would lie in would swing by itself. Soon after his birth, the baby strangely did not move, cry or drink milk. An akashvani was heard wherein the family was told to feed the fish in the Sindhu and to sprinkle its water on the baby; after which he came to life. Marikshah was intimidated by all that he heard about this boy. And during a face-off with this prodigy, he was impressed with Jhulelal’s understanding of Islam. However, on his courtiers’ advice, the Sultan ordered his imprisonment. When the guards tried to obey orders, a flood and an inferno simultaneously occurred, engulfing the whole palace. Realising his mistake, Marikshah asked for forgiveness. </p>.<p class="bodytext">Many miraculous incidents followed. Jhulelal had both Hindu and Muslim devotees and restored harmony between them. The Shia Muslims revere him as Lal Shahbaz Qualandar and Zinda Pir. To bear testimony to this, a shrine of Uderolal in Matiari District of Sindh in present day Pakistan has both the Hindus and Muslims praying in it simultaneously! </p>
<p>On the second day after the new moon of the Chaitra month in the Hindu lunar calendar, coinciding with Ugadi is celebrated Cheti Chand, the Sindhi New Year. Nestled in of one of the oldest civilisations in the valley of the Indus River is a province called Sindh.</p>.<p>The legend goes like this: Sindh was ruled by a tyrant called Marikshah in 939 AD. He was harassing Hindus with heavy taxes, forcibly taking away their properties, and pressurising them to change their religion. He gave them an ultimatum to convert within a week or prepare to be killed. Going by Lord Krishna’s sermon in the Bhagvad Gita that every time evil tries to overpower dharma, God intervenes to balance it out, the residents congregated on the banks of the Sindhu to pray and perform yagnas. After a severe penance and fasting for seven days there arose from the water an illuminated version of Varuna (god of water and a Vishnu avatar) seated on a fish. He proclaimed, “I will soon be born to a couple in Narsarpur – Rai Ratan and Devaki, to redeem you of your troubles. Ask your Sultan for an extension of eight months”. </p>.<p class="bodytext">Curious about what they were up to, the Sultan relented. As promised, a child was born on the second day of the Chaitra month of the Vikram Samvat year 1007. This day marks the Sindhi new year, Cheti Chand. The child was named Udaichand.</p>.<p class="bodytext">People started calling the baby Uderolal and also Jhulelal because the cradle he would lie in would swing by itself. Soon after his birth, the baby strangely did not move, cry or drink milk. An akashvani was heard wherein the family was told to feed the fish in the Sindhu and to sprinkle its water on the baby; after which he came to life. Marikshah was intimidated by all that he heard about this boy. And during a face-off with this prodigy, he was impressed with Jhulelal’s understanding of Islam. However, on his courtiers’ advice, the Sultan ordered his imprisonment. When the guards tried to obey orders, a flood and an inferno simultaneously occurred, engulfing the whole palace. Realising his mistake, Marikshah asked for forgiveness. </p>.<p class="bodytext">Many miraculous incidents followed. Jhulelal had both Hindu and Muslim devotees and restored harmony between them. The Shia Muslims revere him as Lal Shahbaz Qualandar and Zinda Pir. To bear testimony to this, a shrine of Uderolal in Matiari District of Sindh in present day Pakistan has both the Hindus and Muslims praying in it simultaneously! </p>
