The Tahri That Binds: How A Sweet Rice Dish Connects A Woman To Her History
Making the traditional foods of home on the holiday of Cheti Chand — which falls on March 29 this year — helps a member of the Hindu Sindhi diaspora feel less disjointed.
I have always found it difficult to explain my family's syncretic faith traditions to both white Americans and to other South Asians. We are Hindu Sindhis, originating from around the Indus River, in what is now modern southeast Pakistan. On our home altar, familiar Hindu idols — Lakshmi, Ganesh, Krishna — share space with images of the 10 Sikh gurus and Jhulelal. Jhulelal, a river deity, is not only the patron saint of Hindu Sindhis, but is also revered by Sufi Muslims. For many, my religion is an outlandish concoction of incompatible faiths.
