Chaliha Festival

Sindhis worship, Lord Jhulelal, and Chaliha is the most important festival for the Sindhi community. Chailo Sahib or Chaliha is a forty-day festival which falls in the months of July - August when Sindhis observe fast for forty days to please their God Jhulelal. They say that there was a Muslim invader Mirkshah Badshah in Sindh who wanted to convert all the people living there to Islam. He was cruel and used to threaten and kill people who went against his will. So Hindus prayed to Varun Devta, the God of water for forty days. They prayed on the banks of the river. On the last day, Varun Devta answered their worship in the form of Jhulelal, who rescued them from tyrant Badshah.

They observe a fast for either ten days, 21 days, or a maximum of 40 days as per their will and capacity. Every morning they offer AKHO or rice and sugar in their morning prayers, and in the evening, they attend Kirtans and worship Jhulelal.

Sindhis have some strict rules to be followed in their forty days fast, like;

• No leather articles are to be worn like belts, etc.
• They eat simple food without oil, no fried food to be eaten
• They avoid non-vegetarian food
• They don't sleep on bed; they rest on the floor rather
• They don't cut their hair or shave their beard
• They avoid consumption of white food products, like, milk, rice or curd
• They don't use oil or soap either

On the forty-first day, Bahirana Sahib is worshiped, and then their fast is completed.

They greet each other with "Jhulelal Bera-Hee-Paar," signifying that "with the blessings of Lord Jhulelal the boat, they will overcome all challenges and hardships."

It is believed that Sindhi people protected a special "jyot" from 1897 AD. They brought it from Sindh from the Puj Chalihasahib Mandir Peergoath at the time of partition in 1947. It was placed in the Chaliha Sahib Puj Jhulelal Mandir in Ulhasnagar. To date, this Akhand Jyot is worshiped by the Sindhis. From all over the country, Sindhis go to this place and worship Jhulelal. This place is like a pilgrimage to them.