LAHORE:Located 5 km southeast of Thano Bula Khan in Jamshoro
district is the Guru Mangal Gir Ashram (popularly known as
'Gur' in Thano Bula Khan), belonging to an ascetic who lived
in the second half of the 18th century. The 17th and 18th centuries were
the most glorious period for the ascetics who made their Ashrams,
Marhis, Mathas, and Akharas in many of the towns and villages in Sindh.
Sindh was, and still is, home to a large number of spiritual spaces of
these renouncers of the world who are now being venerated by both upper-
and lower-caste Hindus with the former managing the majority of the
temples, Marhis and Mathas of Sadhus and Sannyasis. On the renunciatory
orders in Hinduism, Ghurye in his book Indian Sadhus writes that there
are ten orders of ascetics (popularly known as Dasnamis) namely: Aryana,
Asrama, Bharti, Giri, Parvata, Puri,Sarasvati, Sagara, Tirtha and Vana.
Moreover, he believes that each renouncer adds his adopted name to one
of these ten orders depending on the centre in which he was initiated or
the teacher who initiated him. Tripathi writes in his book The Sadhus of
India: The Sociological Study that there are more than sixty-five sects
of renouncers. Samadhi of Guru Mangal Gir In Sindh, there are four main
groups of ascetics whose shrines dominate the landscapes of the towns
and villages. They include Nath, Giri (also variously pronounced Gur,
Gar and Gir in Sindh), Puri and Bharti. Many other terms were also used
for renouncers in medieval Sindh; some of which indicated the main
ascetic orders, sects and others perhaps the sub-orders or sub-sects.
Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai (1689-1752) mentions the renouncers with certain
peculiarities in two Surs of his Risalo-Ramkali and Khahori. There are
also some references in other surs of the Risalo. The titles by which
Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai refers to yogi renouncers are: Mahesi, Kanphata,
Kancut, Kapar, Babu, Behari, Nanga, Adesi, Mavali, Sabri, Malakuti,
Jabaruti, Kapat, Faqir, Khahori, Nuri, Nari, Dothi, Gunga, Bora,
Sannyasi, Bhabhutiyya, Khaki, Rawal, Harkes and Gaudariyya. Guru Mangal
Gir belongs to the Giri ascetic order which is the second largest after
Nath Yogis in Sindh. The shrines of Girs are located in almost every
town in Sindh with major shrines at Shikarpur, Shahdadpur, Jacobabad,
Umarkot, Mithi etc. Guru Mangal Gir was an eminent Shaivite renouncer
who lived in Thana Bula Khan and spent most of his time in the Mata
Marhi. He is believed to have made several pilgrimages to Hinglaj and
chose the present ashram for giving lectures on Sannyasa to his
students. He was also believed to have had friendly relations with two
of the eminent Sufis of his time - Syed Moazzam Shah Jilani and Shaikh
Bajid (Bayazid). Both Sufi saints were influential in the Thana Bula
Khan region but they never stopped Guru Mangal Gir and his devotees from
worshipping in the Mata Marhi. Both had very friendly relations with
Guru Mangal Gir. His mentor Guru Bhavani Gir also enjoyed cordial
relations with them. Guru Mangal Gir was initiated into the Gir/Giri
ascetic order by Guru Bhavani Gir. After initiation into the Giri
ascetic order, Guru Mangal Gir went off on a pilgrimage to Hindu sacred
places which included Dwarka, where he spent a considerable time
practicing tapas (austerities), Hinglaj and many other places. Guru
Bhavani Gir, the guru of Mangal Gir, "took a living Samadhi"
(i.e. buried himself alive, which was a common practice amongst the
Nanga ascetics) at Marhi of Sudh Sawai Balpuri in Thano Bula Khan. The
Marhi which is now called the mandir of Sudh Sawai Balpuri is located 11
km west of Thana Ahmed Khan. Like his mentor, Guru Mangal Gir also
"took living Samadhi" (jeevat samadhi) at the Akharo which was
named after him. This Akharo (monastic establishment) became known over
a period of time as an Ashram evolving from simple to complex, from
sectarian to syncretic - becoming the most sacred spiritual place for
the majority of the Hindus living in Thana Bula Khan. Apart from the
Ashram of Guru Mangal Gir, two other sacred spiritual places associated
with Sannyasis include the Marhi of Ratan Nath at Taung and Sudh Sawai
Balpuri Astan. At present, the Ashram has become a complex containing
not only the Samadhis of Guru Mangal Gir and his disciples but also the
temples of Mata, Shiva, Hanuman and Jhulelal. The cult of Jhulelal also
called Darya Pir, Darya Shah, Amarlal, Odero Lal, Khawja Khizr, Shaikh
Tahir and Zinda Pir has spread from riverine regions to the desert and
arid regions of Sindh in recent years. The Ashram of Guru Mangal Gir
also includes the sacred spaces associated with Raja Veer Vikramjit /
Amir Pir and Lal Shahbaz Qalandar. There is an alcove in a temple at the
Ashram which is called 'Lal Sain Ji Khudi' where there is
placed a poster of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar. Hindus venerate him under both
the names - as Lal Sain or Lal Shahbaz Qalandar and Raja Bharthari.
Apart from the 'Khudi of Lal Sain', the Ashram of Guru Mangal
Gir contains the thalo (platform) of Raja Veer, another contested figure
in Sindh who carries multiple identities as Raja Veer Vikramajit, Amir
Pir, Shaikh Bhirkio and Shaikh Amin. The shared shrine of Amir Pir
overlooking Keenjhar Lake near Jhimpir town in Thatta district,
venerated by both Hindus and Muslims, is now under the control of Khoja
Ismailis. Images of Dhyan Gir and Sahaj Gir at the ashram of Guru Mangal
Gir Samadhis of Sadhus in the foreground and temples of Jhulelal and
Hanuman The principle Samadhi at the Ashram belongs to Guru Mangal Gir,
which lies under the marble canopy. It is covered with a piece of
clothes. The Samadhis of his disciples are all covered with
ochre-coloured cloths showing that those buried were renouncers. There
are more than 25 Samadhis at the ashram; there is a dhuni (fire-altar /
campfire) before each of the Samadhis. The eminent followers of Guru
Mangal Gir who are buried at the Ashram include his first chela
(disciple) Guru Ghyan Gir, Guru Mohan Gir, Guru Fatehya Gir, Guru Soomar
Gir, Guru Prem Gir, Guru Amar Gir, Guru Narain Gir, Guru Ram Gir, Guru
Amar Gir II, Guru Samiya Gir, Guru Ganga Gir, Guru Dhyan Gir II and Guru
Sahaj Giralais Bao Ram. During the annual festival of Guru Mangal Gir,
the Hindus from all over Sindh come to pay homage to him and his
disciples. The narration of the miracles of Mangal Gir continues to
attract largerHindu population not only from Thano Bula Khan but also
from other parts of Sindh. These Sadhus of Sindh preached the message of
tolerance, peace and love which transcends religion and caste. For the
older members of Hindu community, who are more prone to renunciation,
the ashram of ascetics is becoming a source of solace and succour.
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