HER: Nirmarnali Fakirni

["Bhagwanti A. Nanwani" <BHAGWANAN@AOL.COM>]

I was surfing on internet and saw  a short but beautiful article on
Nirmarnali Fakirni which I reproduce below.
I don't know if it is all authentic but I like it. Are there more
articles on this great lady available on internet or elsewhere?
Is there any one single place where articles on Sindh can be found.  Are
there Sindhi Homepages, if so, what is their www?

[NJ: There was a discussion about Nimarnal Fakiir on Sindh-L some months
ago.  Please see the list archive at:
         http://osl.cs.uiuc.edu/~jamali/sindh/sindh-l
You'll need login "sindhi" and password "tehri" to access the archive.]

-------
Remembering Nirmarnali Fakirni
by

Maqbool Aliani

Nirmarnali Fakirni was a Hindu devotee and fakir at Saeen Sachal Sarmast's
shrine [ see picture1 - see picture2] in Daraza, Sindh. She wrote some
beautiful kafis, but she is remembered for her following kafi which is sung
every year during the festival period at the shrine:
"Rakhiyen muinjha Dholna, aiba na pholna,
Nangrra Nimarni da Jeewain Teewain Paalna
Nangrra Nimarni da Jeewain Teewain Paalna
Jeewain Teewain Paalna, Jeewain Teewain Paalna..."
Trans:
Lord! You are the protector, do as you please overlook my faults, and somehow
protect the helpless as I am the humble of the humblest
"Meri Aahiyan Mandi Aahian, Beshak Gandi Aahiyan
Meri Aahiyan Mandi Aahian, Beshak Gandi Aahiyan,
Dhakeen Munhja Dholanra, Aiib na pholanna
Nangirra Nimani da....."
Trans:
Undoubtedly I am dirty and vicious in my heart and bad in my actions, but O
Master ! Thou are the one whom I pray to have mercy upon me and let my sins
be hidden as they are.
"Payiee-yaan panarre, laggi tunhinje larre
Payiee-yaan panarre, laggi tunhinje larre
Jogi naal jalna, assan wal ee aawna
Nangrra Nimani........."
Trans:
O Lord I have taken Thy shelter now and shall never leave it . And the Lord
says, the one who takes my shelter will always be the part of the unity.
"Yar Sachal taoon lathirre kashaley
Saiina Sachal taoon lathirre kashaley
Ghoonghat kholna bbaha bbaha bbolna
Nangirra Nimani da ........"
Trans:
Sachal says that once I sought forgiveness about my sins and passed on all my
problems and worries to my Master, then I feel relieved of all the troubles
which I might encounter in life. Now like a newly wed bride I am looking
forward to a new happy and joyous life.
Note, that Nirmarnali fakirni uses `Sachal' in the last verse. This use of
Sachal's signature is simply an act of devotion and egolessness.
During partition, when an early train of Sindhi Hindu refugees arrived from
interior of Sindh into Karachi to catch a ship to Bombay, muslim mobs who had
poured into Sindh attacked them. These refugess felt fear and their spirits
were low. At this point a young girl among the refugees prayerfully started
singing the above Kafi, and then the entire trainload of Sindhis joined in -
"Rakhiyen muinjha Dholna, aiba na pholna, nagra nimaniya ja jeeven teeven
palna..."
The song raised the morale of these Sindhi Hindu refugees, but more so, it
became a rallying cry for Sindhi muslims to form a protective guard around
Sindhi refugees so that none would dare hurt them. This went on, for many
trains that followed.
Although Nimarnali fakirni herself left with her followers shortly after
partition, but she willed that her remains to be returned to Sindh to
Sachal's shrine where the numerous fakirs of Sachal reside.
vaajhaae vatana khe, je maan hiti muyaasi
ta gorri muhinjii suumiraa, kaji panvaahaarani paasi
muae ii jiiasi, je vanje marrhu maliira dde
--Shah Latif
Trans:
Longing for my country, if I die here
Let my funeral, O tyrant! be with my people
In death I shall live again, if my corpse reaches my homeland.
So her cremated remains were brought back to Sindh to Sachal Saeen's shrine
in Daraza, Sindh. Recognizing the greatness of Nirmanali Fakirni and her
special love for Sachal, the Fakirs of the shrine declared to build her
Samadhi at one of the two entrances to Sachal's masoleum. This prompted a
crooked official of the Religous Trust department to declare the burial of a
Hindu in a hallowed Muslim burial grounds "Blasphemous".
So there was a scene but the local Sindhi police wouldn't cooperate with the
Trust official. Apparently, they realized that Sachal's shrine has millions
of followers and it would be folly to resist the Fakirs. Frustrated, the
Trust official threatened that he will return with his men to destory the
Samadhi.
Later, dozens of sufi fakirs gathered at the shrine and they built a
beautiful Samadhi of Nimarnali fakiirni made of marble. To protect the
Samadhi from the threat of vandalism, verses of Quran were carved in the
marble. The Trust officials became helpless, since destroying this carving
would be blasphemous. So, the Samadhi is still there. And Sindhis recite her
poetry every year when they visit the shrine of Sachal and passing through
her Samadhi as they leave, remember her and seek her blessing.