Shared Religious Spaces in Sindh: A Case Study of Udero Lal

Abstract

This Ph.D case study takes account of the shared religious space of the shrine of Udero Lal situated in District Matiari, Sindh, Pakistan. In the study, I have conducted ethnographic research methods. The shared religious heritage shrine of Udero Lal established under the name of saint Udero Lal has a dual identity and is venerated by religious community of both the Sindhi Hindus and Sindhi Muslims. In the popular belief culture and conception in Sindh, it is generally presumed that Udero Lal shrine's shared space is a symbol of interfaith harmony, tolerance, and peaceful coexistence among the Sindhi Hindus and Sindhi Muslims in Sindh. The shared and syncretic shrine complex of Udero Lal contains both the Mosque and the temple that represents its dual and hybrid identity and an „extrinsic source of information‟ in the sense of religious symbol (Geertz, 1971) for interfaith communal relations between Sindhi Muslim and Sindhi Hindus. The saint Udero Lal is considered a god by Hindus and revered as a saint by Muslims. This study finds out that the apparent harmony and tolerance in the form of sacred visitation of the shrine have kept the observers obscure the deep and internal contestation between the practationers belonging to two faith groups. The study reveals that the shrine space contestation and conflict takes place between the Sindhi Hindus and Sindhi Muslims religious groups mainly on the Udero Lal's identity, ownership, economy and property. At present, the shared shrine space of Udero Lal has become the hotly contested and tolerance is seen to be damaged. For instance, the contestation and conflict have led to the physical transformation of the second part of the shared space balanbo sahib (sacred water well) where Shiv temple and equestrian structures have been constructed in 2016 and 2014 by the Hindu patrons of the shrine. Moreover, in the year 2020 the Hindu patrons of the shrine have also constructed the new main gate with figure depictions at the second part of the Udero Lal shrine complex. In these religious depictions, the statue of the Pallo (fish) on the top of the gate, the symbol of Om on the center of the gate, a trident (triśul) sacred sign on the posts of the top corner, and Swastika on the below posts of the corner of the gate have been fixed. This study further finds out that the shift in the main and the first part of the shared space of Udero Lal took place in the year 2017. In this shift the Hindu patrons attempted to transform the main shared DRSML QAU xxiv space of the Udero Lal, and they fixed the declaration of the Udero Lal notice board as Hindu Pir inside the shrine. On the other hand, the contestation on the part of Muslim community is also noticed in this study. The Muslim patrons of this shared shrine space of Udero lal have also placed the holy Quran inside the shrine. Further, they have fastened the Islamic religious sticker inside the shrine walls. The Muslim group has also made the Mosque functional. The whole shrine complex of Udero Lal was of the white color historically over the generation but currently the Muslim patrons have transformed mosque into the green color. Despite all this the contestaion and transformation have taken palce at the shared shrine of Udero Lal, this study arugues that the shared religious heritage identity of Udero Lal shrine complex display the sustenance and continuity of tolerance but it seems in a fragile condition day by day. In this context, my study argues that at present the shared religious space of Udero Lal shrine is tacitly practiced. This study mainly takes up anthropologist Robert M. Hayden's (2016) theoretical framework by specifically looking at the concepts of antagonistic tolerance and competitive sharing of religious sites and spaces. Anthropologically, this study has also investigated the process of rituals, symbols, and oral tradition of the Udero Lal shrine.