MANGHOPIR CROCODILE FESTIVAL & SHEDIS

By Aftab Ahmed Baloch It is almost over two days and nights; the Shedi devotees of Manghopir has been dancing and praying together with a rising frenzy of passion & piety. The fearless march towards the crocodile pond begins, people including women and children singing on the African drumbeat in a strange mixed language of Swahili & Balochi, even after generations to generations the ritual is unchanged. Finally they’ve approached the algae loaded water pond, where some pairs of crocodile eyes are floating on the surface. A chunk of meat from a freshly sacrificed goat suddenly thrown to ‘moro sahib’ (the chief of crocodiles, the eldest one). The creature gulps the chunk, and dives into the water! The obligation has been accepted. Everybody cries out with joy & dance with more zeal. Now people begin to feed remaining reptiles. The sacred fiesta continues for another 2-3 days, visitors come & offer fresh meat, pray at the shrine of Sufi Sakhi Sultan (Mangopir) and go away… this ritual has been happening for centuries. Dear readers this interesting place is nothing but Manghopir, a remote settlement of Karachi, names after Pir Mangho, a place of famous sufi shrine, a home to natural sulpher geyser or hot springs which have curative powers for skin diseases and the abode of crocodiles - believed to be the disciples of Pir Mangho. Balochs often call this place as ‘Mangi’ or Garm Aap (due to presence of natural hot springs). Mangopir’s dance & crocodile festival, probably unique around the world, which shows how this ancient African custom has blended with Islamic mysticism & Balochi culture!

SHEDIS & FESTIVAL: Before, I cut open mysteries of the festival & its roots, let me tell you something about Shedis, one of the Pakistan's smallest ethnic community with dark-skinned, curly-haired, who are said to be the descendants of African slaves brought from Zanzibar and vigorously maintains their distinct African identity in the midst of the dominating South Asian cultures. Presently, these African-Pakistanis live in various part of Pakistan like in Karachi (Lyari, Malir, Moaach Goth, Manghopir) and some in interior Sindh at Badin and in Balochistan at Lasbella etc. but majority of them are living in Lyari, due to the fact, this place is often called ‘Little Africa’. In Baghdadi, Lyari (an abode of such ethnicity) there are places which named after Shedi Village or Nairobi. During the British rulers or even before, Baghdadi and many areas in Lyari functioned as the colony of slaves. Women from these minorities worked as nannies for the children of Hindu traders”. Later, these people amalgamated themselves with local Balochs and also adopted various Balochi & Islamic traditions, besides maintaining their own distinct African cultural heritage. For example, some African pro festivals like Gowaati, Layvaa (dancing across the fire), dhammal, beating Congo Drums & many witchcrafts are no doubt the only ‘things’ that still connects them to Africa! A prominent Urdu poet and Lyari citizen, Mr. N.M. Danish, proudly claims to be the great-great-grandchild of an African slave from Zanzibar. “Now after centuries of amalgamation, these peoples are proudly called themselves as Baloch. ORIGIN OF PIR MANGHOP / MANGHOPIR & CROCODILES:

The root of this festival is connected with Pir Mangho, originally is a Sufi saint Sakhi Sultan. Legend says that Sakhi Sultan (later known as Pir Mangho) was one of the disciples of Baba Farid, (a well-known saint of Punjab) who was so pleased with Mangho due to his devotion and meditation that he gave him the title of ‘Pir’, thus Mangho became a saint equally respected by both Hindus and the Muslims. The crocodiles are an integral part of the shrine and chronicle of the saint and are so tightly interwoven that it is almost impossible to judge between fact & fiction. There are many traditions about myth of crocodiles, like it is believed that Baba Farid Ganj-e-shakar gifted reptiles to Manghopir. Second myth is quite fictional, i.e. during a visit of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar (who was also a celebrated saint of Sindh), in order to make the barren valley more inhabitable, had caused a hot spring to issue forth from the rock and a grove of date palms to spring up from the ground and the crocodiles were originally leapt out lice of Saint Baba Farid, which he then gifted to Pir Mango, to put them into the pond and then each turned into a crocodile! When according to some reasonable / scientific explanation, the crocodiles were introduced in Manghopir by Mor Mubarak (a saint), who brought them from a cave in Korangi, as a result, after the name of saint, the chief of crocodiles (the eldest one) came to be known as ‘Mor Sahib’.

Historians also told that these crocodiles were actually carried through with giant floods and later resided into this pond. Archaeological evidence also suggests the existence of a Bronze Age settlement (2500-1700 BC) in the vicinity, who used to worship crocodiles and before the advent of Islam crocodiles were also thought sacred for Hindus.

THE FESTIVAL & MAKING PLEDGES (MANNATS):

This unique festival is regularly celebrated every year during the 3rd Islamic month of Rabbiul-Awwal and runs for a week. The colorful rituals of the Shedi tribe also flavored this festival a uniquely African touch. The festival attracts many people of all ethnic groups, besides people make their mannats (pledges) at the shrine of Pir Mangho through offering fresh sacrificial meat (to the crocodiles ( the sacred disciples), so that their obligations can be fulfilled. Shedis also believe that the creatures do not harm the saint's followers. The highlight of the Manghopir festival also known as ‘Shedi Mela’ is the garlanding ceremony during which the gaddi nasheen (the holy successor) puts a garland, made of flowers around the neck of chief of crocodiles (the Mor Sahib). Success of this sacrament depends solely on the mood of creature. But according to it keeper, the large reptile obliges most of the time and voluntarily presents himself for the ritual, obviously chunks of meat do the job easy. As with almost all such holy shrines, Manghopir's shrine is also located on a small hill. Underneath small green painted tomb, the grave of Sufi saint remains uttered with embroidered silk fabrics (the Chahdar), the flowers & what not holy, while outside musicians with traditional instruments sing praises for the saint. The saint's followers are mainly Shedis, during the festival the tomb is washed with sandalwood and rose water. Outside the shrine premises, there are various stalls and mini-shops, selling knickknacks and items associated with the shrine.

Nearby is a pond, measuring about 400 feet long and 200 feet wide, which nourished by an underground stream, contains hundreds of crocodiles from six to seven feet in length. ‘Mor Sahib – the Chief of Crocodiles (the eldest one) is about 100 years old and over 12 feet in length. The flourishing breeding has made the pond too small for the expanding crocodile population, as crocodile is a rough & tough creature and famous for its longevity. Now, this great heritage is under threat due to the water shortage & space shrinkage. Some influential persons has also achieved illegal water pumping at the natural source of freshwater, resultantly, very little water trickles into the pond," During the week-long festival) among Shedis, a large number of people also arrive from all over Sindh, Balochistan and southern Punjab. There is much joy & fun around when caravans of devotees make their way to the shrine.

As the Sindh Auqaf Department, Govt. of Pakistan regularly appoints official caretaker for such shrines & holy places. These caretaking job normally inherited & family based, like son after father. This shrine too has a caretaker to upkeep crocodiles & the shrine. But as usual in Pakistan, the Auqaf department is not paying proper attention to this sacred & wonderful place except regular devotees, who flock to the shrine, and semi-aquatics get a regular supply of fresh meat. Anyone desirous of having his wish fulfilled, usually slaughters a goat or sheep and offers fresh meat to crocodiles. Large daigs of Biryanis are also cooked in different occasions for free distribution to visitors & beggars.

HOT / HEALING SPRINGS & OLD GRAVES: There are also hot springs at a distance of about kilometer from the shrine. Warm water passing through the sulphur rocks contains some medicinal qualities and many people with skin diseases reach here to have a bath for cure. Apart from local bathing ponds, there are also reserved hot bath facility for man & woman who can afford. Folks from long distances regularly visit here to cure themselves. Scientific analysis also shows that this warm water is naturally saturated with carbon dioxide, besides containing some sulpher elements which is no doubt possess antiseptic qualities for certain skin diseases. Nearby shrine, there are also beautiful graves made of engraved yellow stones, probably couple of hundred years old. These graves resembles to those found in Makli (interior Sindh), but now due to negligence the graves are in shabby conditions.

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