culture and heritage

BALOCHISTAN

BALOCHISTANBalochistan is one of the

four provinces of Pakistan. It is the largest province by area, 44% of Pakistan's total land mass. Smallest in terms of population.

Balochistan is bordered by Afghanistan to the north and north-west, 

Iran to the south-west, the Arabian Sea to the south, Punjab and Sindh to the east.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Federally Administered Tribal Areas to the north-east. 

Quetta is the capital and largest city of Balochistan

Traditions A number of tribes constitute to make people of Balochistan.

Three major tribes are Baloch (Baloch & Brahvi) and Pashtoon.Each tribe is further sub-divided

into various branches

The tribal chief is called Sardar while

head of sub-tribe is known as Malik, Takari or Mir. Sardars and Maliks are members of district and other local Jirgas according to their status.

LANGUAGES

 The Baloch, believed to have originally come from Arabia or Asia minor, can be divided in to two branches: the Sulemani and Mekrani .

Most of the people in the cities and towns understand and speak In adddition to Balochi, Pashtoo and Brahvi, the majority of the population understand and speak Urdu, the national language. 

 In Kachhi and Sibi districts, people speak Seraiki and Sindhi

In Quetta city people also speak Punjabi.

Famous cities

QuettaChamanHub SibiGwadar

Quetta Capital Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province The boundaries of Iran and Afghanistan meet here, and the

Bolan Pass lies on important lines of communications. Quetta derives its name from the Balochi "Kuwatta", which

means a fort The earliest mention of Quetta in the history is around the

11th century when it was captured by Mahmood of Ghazni on one of his invasions of the subcontinent.

Bolan Pass

where several armies from Central Asia and north intruded into the lands of un-divided India through centuries. The picturesque hilly road welcomes you with cool breeze, although you may be likely to run into Al-Qaeda.

Traditions

Though people speak different languages, there is a similarity in their literature, beliefs, moral order and customs.

Brahvi, Balochi and Pashtoon tribes are known for their hospitality.

 Better off people even slaughter sheep or goat for their guest. Sometimes, it so happens that where there are more houses, the guest is assumed to be the guest of the whole village.

TraditionsAnother adorable feature of Balochistan culture is faithfulness

and sincerity in all relationships. There is no place or respect for unfaithful people in prevalent moral order.

MARRIAGES

Marriages are solemnized in presence of Mullah and witnesses. Life partners are commonly selected within the family or tribe.

Except a negligible fraction of love marriages, all marriages are arranged. Divorce rate is very low. 

A lot of marriage rituals are celebrated in different tribes. In some tribes, the takings of “Valver”, a sum of money paid by the groom to his to be wife’s family, also exist. But this custom is now gradually dying out since it has given rise to many social problems. The birth of a male child is taken as a source of pride since he is though t to be the defender of this family and tribe.

DRESSMENTurban is the common headwear of the men.

Wide loose shalwar and knee-long shirts are worn by all.

DRESSWOMENThe dress of the woman consists of the typical

shirt having a big pocket in front. The shirt normally has embroidery work with embedded small round mirror pieces. Big ‘Dopatta’ or ‘Chaddar’, a long rectangular piece of cloth cascading down the shoulders and used to cover head, are used by the women.

FESTIVALSThere are religious and social festivals celebrated by the people of Balochistan. 

Two major religious festivals are Eid-ul-Azha Eid-ul-Fiter.Eid-Meladun-Nabi

SIBI FESTIVALSibi festival that traces its roots to

Mehergar, It is attended by common folks, ministers and other government officials. Folk music performance, cultural dances, handicrafts stalls, cattle shows and a number of other amusing activities are held.

Buzkashi

Buzkashi is a peculiar festival showing valour of Balochistan people. It is celebrated on horse-back by two teams that use their skills to snatch a goat from the each other.

HANDICRAFTHandicraft of beautiful and intricate

craftsmanship are produces in Balochistan.Mirror work embroidery fine quality precious

stone and marbla work are common in Balochistan.

MINERAL RESOURCES IN BALOCHISTANBALOCHISTAN POSSESSES GREAT UNEXPLORED

POTENTIAL OF METALLIC AND NON-METALLIC MINERALS. PRESENTLY, THE MINERALS BEING EXPLOITED ARE:

COALCHROMITEBARYTESSULPHURMARBLEIRON OREQUARTZITELIMESTONESULPHOR

Archaeological Museum of Balochistan

This small but well-kept Archaeological Museum of Balochistan, also known as Quetta Museum, is tucked away just east of Mizan Chowk. The galleries display figurines from Mohenjo-Daro in Sindh province, pottery pieces from sites in Balochistan, and Stone Age implements from the Zhob, Quetta and Kalat Valleys.

Sibi MuseumQuetta To Sibi,In 1878, after an earlier assault on the town in 1841,

the British captured Sibi and renamed it Sandemanabad, for Robert Sandeman. The most imposing of the extant buildings from the British era is the 1903 Queen Victoria Memorial Hall, now named Jirga Hall. It is so named because it was the assembly chamber for the British and the leading tribal notables during the annual jirga (council of tribal elders) held during the Sibi Mela.

Religious, spiritualZiarat, PakistanPilgrims come here to visit the Ziarat (shrine) of

the famous Muslim saint Mian Abdul Hakim (who is also known as Kharwari Baba), who fled here from Kandahar in Afghanistan. The shrine is 3km from the Quaid-i-Azam Residence.

QUAID-I-AZAM RESIDENCE

The British weren't the only ones to appreciate Ziarat - so too did Mohammed Ali Jinnah, the Quaid-i-Azam (Great Leader). Jinnah spent his last days here in 1948, suffering from the cancer that killed him. The Quaid-i-Azam Residence is the former residency of the agent to the governor general, built in 1882. The furniture is left just as it was when Jinnah stayed here before returning to Karachi to die.

Mir Chakar's FortThe 15th-century ruins of Mir Chakar's Fort lie on the outskirts of

Sibi. There's also an old caravanserai (traditional accommodation for camel caravans), the Sohbat Serai, constructed by tribal chief Sadar Sohbat Khan.

Pir GheibThis beautiful rock pool is fed by a cascade and is surrounded

and enclosed by cliffs and trees. There's another pool with calmer waters slightly downstream. Near the pool is a small shrine to a saint. Foreigners need a special permit to come to both the shrine and Pir Gheib - for the latest details ask at the PTDC office in Quetta.

Hanna LakeIt is in the hills overlooking Quetta,

approximately 10 km from the city and very close to the Urak.

where benches and pavilions on terraces have been provided.

Golden fish in the lake come swimming right up to the edge.

The turquoise water of lake is a stark contrast to the brownish-green hills that surround the area.

BALUCHI MUSICBalochi music refers to music performed by

the Baloch people in Balochistan, southern Oman, some parts ofAfghanistan and Middle East. Baluchi music is very rich and played with varieties of traditional instruments. Due to their demographics and strong cultural values, the Baluch people have been able to keep the their rich traditional heritage alive. The art of playing double flute is traditional to Baluch and can be seen in many parts of present-day Baluch geography. One of the most famous Balochi artist isRostam Mirlashari who is known as the "prince of Balochi music"

Traditional Baluch dancesDo-ChapiAn ancient Persian dance mostly performed by forming a circle

by a group of people, dancing and clapping. Do-Chapi almost always includes Surna and Dohol

LewaLewa is also a Baluchi dance of Sheedi origin, performed

mostly by a group of people in a circle with hand movements. Lewa almost always includes a Surna and Dohol.

GUL KHAN NASIR  During his second year in Islamia College, a piece of coal went into Mir Gul Khan’s eye due to which he had to discontinue his education and return to Quetta. Lahore, at that time, was the hub of knowledge and political and social activities. The political, cultural, social and literary movements in Lahore made quite an impression on Mir Gul Khan Nasir. When he returned to Quetta Balochistan was split into several parts namely The Chief Commissioner's Province and The Balochistani princely states. The province of Balochistan was under direct British rule while the Baluchistan States was indirectly controlled by the British through the Tribal Chiefs (sardars) and rulers,whom they had bought. Because of these conditions Mir Gul Khan Nasir stepped into politics in order to join the other leaders who were fighting to liberate the people of Balochistan from the Imperialist powers.

FOODSajji (leg of lamb).Kebab

Pulao that most of the eating houses offer.

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