Jhulelal Jayanti 2017/ Chetichand 2017
( The Sindhi new year festival )
When is Chetichand-
In the year 2017, the festival of chetichand is on Wednesday, 29.03.2017
Important things about Chetichand--
(1) Every year the festival of Cheti Chand is celebrated on Chaitra shukla pratipada or on Chaitra shukla dwitiya. It depends on the visibility of moon.
(2) It is mainly the festival of the Sindhi Community(The Hindus who lived in sindh province of Pakistan)Now they live in India and other parts of the world.
(3) The Sindhis celebrate this festival in the memory and honour of the birth of Jhule lal , the patron saint of their community.
(4) Chetichand is considered as the new year's day by the sindhis.
(5) This day is considered to be very auspicious and it is celebrated with pomp and gaiety.
(6) The businessmen of Sindhi community observe this day as the beginning of the new financial year.
(7) A big procession is taken out by the devotees.
How do people wish on Chetichand
When a person wants to wish a happy new year to a sindhi, he says "Chetichand jyon lakh lakh wadayun Athav " (which means lakhs of wishes for happy cheti chand) In the reply to this wish the sindhi says, "Tohan khe bhi chanti chand jyon lakh lakh wadayan Athav" (which means I wish you the same.)
Legend related to Chetichand :-
During the second half of the tenth century Makrab Khan killed Sha Sadakat Khan and acquired the kingdom and crowned himself as Mirik shah. He ordered the Sindhi Hindus to become the followers of Islam or face death. At this, many Hindus gathered at the bank of river Sindhu and prayed water god to save them from the cruel action of Mirik Shah. They continued their prayer for forty days. On the fortieth day they heard an Akashvani which said that he would take birth at Nasarpur and would rescue them all from the tyrant. The Akashvani (the divine voice) came true and a child was born in due course. This child was later known as Jhulelal . He had a miraculous personality. Through his miracles he compelled the Muslim ruler to treat the Hindus and Muslims alike. Since then he Sindhi community celebrate the festival of Cheti chand to honour the birth of Jhule lal.
