Sateen Jo Aastan
Encyclopedia
Sateen Jo Aastan is located on the left bank of the Indus River
near Rohri
, Sindh
, Pakistan
.
, also known as Sateen Jo Aastan is the resting place for the Seven Female-friends. According to folklore these female friends resided here. These unmarried female-friends veiled
them-selves from all males, a practice called purdah
(the practice of preventing men from seeing women), which is also referred to as sattei. But for the fear of a tyrannical raja
resulted in their disappearance, possibly in a cave in the side of a hill. Thus they became satti. It is probable that this folklore has its origins in the Hindu
ritual
of sati
, an inhumane ritual where widows burnt themselves or were burnt on their dead husband's pyre
.
In reality however, this is the burial place of a ruler from Sukkur
, Mir Abu Al-Qasim Namkeen (961 A.H , 993 A.H). The tomb complex was ordered to be built by him. It was constructed in the ochre stone similar to that used in the necroplis of Makli Hill
. Inscriptions and Quranic verses in the finest Naskh script
adorn the walls and interior of these structures. Rows of hujras (rooms on the ground floor) were constructed for travellers and students. The famous blue tiles of Sindh
were used to enhance the aesthetic impact.
A small mosque on the upper level and the western section is profusely embellished with blue, turquoise and white tile-work. Tradition states that when the Mir completed this fine complex, he would retire to it on full moon nights with friends and courtiers and entertain them to music, mangoes, sweets, honey and watermelons. The grand remnant of a bygone era is, unfortunately, in a state of ruin though it is a popular resort for picnickers and tourists.
On one of the smaller hills that arises out of the river bank on the south has a leveled platform on which there are many carved gravestones like those on the Makli Hill
at Thatta
with chain ornament and panels of Arabic quotations from the Quran. The entire space between the graves is paved and a flight of stairs leads up to the platform from the southside. Enameled tiled work is freely used on these tombs, most of which are dated 1018 to 1301 AH., that is between 1609 and 1883 AD. The principal grave is that of Mir Kasim one of the Sabzwari Shahids dated 1018 AD. This was probably the grave that sanctified the place, and the lamp post and lamp that where placed in front of it are still there, and it gives the name of Than Kasim Shah to the hill. But the name of which it is more generally known is the hill of the seven virgins.
The building on the southern side of the hill is called Satbhain, which consists of a row of shallow rooms connected externally with coloured tiles. These cells are said to have been occupied by the seven female-friends. The seven Female-Friends had taken a vow of celebacy and to never look upon the face of a man. Richard Francis Burton
, however, maintains that this derivation is wrong, claiming that the correct interpritation for Sati-na-jo-Than or seat of the Satis (i.e. celibate women) is seven.
Indus River
The Indus River is a major river which flows through Pakistan. It also has courses through China and India.Originating in the Tibetan plateau of western China in the vicinity of Lake Mansarovar in Tibet Autonomous Region, the river runs a course through the Ladakh district of Jammu and Kashmir and...
near Rohri
Rohri
Rohri is a town of Sukkur District, Sindh province, Pakistan. It is located at 27°40'60N 68°54'0E, on the east bank of the Indus River. Rohri town is the administrative headquarters of Rohri Taluka, a tehsil of Sukkur District with which it forms a metropolitan area...
, Sindh
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
.
Description
RohriRohri
Rohri is a town of Sukkur District, Sindh province, Pakistan. It is located at 27°40'60N 68°54'0E, on the east bank of the Indus River. Rohri town is the administrative headquarters of Rohri Taluka, a tehsil of Sukkur District with which it forms a metropolitan area...
, also known as Sateen Jo Aastan is the resting place for the Seven Female-friends. According to folklore these female friends resided here. These unmarried female-friends veiled
Burqa
A burqa is an enveloping outer garment worn by women in some Islamic religion to cover their bodies in public places. The burqa is usually understood to be the woman's loose body-covering , plus the head-covering , plus the face-veil .-Etymology:A speculative and unattested etymology...
them-selves from all males, a practice called purdah
Purdah
Purdah or pardeh is the practice of concealing women from men. According to one definition:This takes two forms: physical segregation of the sexes, and the requirement for women to cover their bodies and conceal their form....
(the practice of preventing men from seeing women), which is also referred to as sattei. But for the fear of a tyrannical raja
Raja
Raja is an Indian term for a monarch, or princely ruler of the Kshatriya varna...
resulted in their disappearance, possibly in a cave in the side of a hill. Thus they became satti. It is probable that this folklore has its origins in the Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
ritual
Ritual
A ritual is a set of actions, performed mainly for their symbolic value. It may be prescribed by a religion or by the traditions of a community. The term usually excludes actions which are arbitrarily chosen by the performers....
of sati
Sati (practice)
For other uses, see Sati .Satī was a religious funeral practice among some Indian communities in which a recently widowed woman either voluntarily or by use of force and coercion would have immolated herself on her husband’s funeral pyre...
, an inhumane ritual where widows burnt themselves or were burnt on their dead husband's pyre
Pyre
A pyre , also known as a funeral pyre, is a structure, usually made of wood, for burning a body as part of a funeral rite...
.
In reality however, this is the burial place of a ruler from Sukkur
Sukkur
Sukkur, or Sakharu , formerly Aror and Bakar, is the third largest city of Sindh province, situated on the west bank of Indus River in Pakistan in Sukkur District. However, the word Sakharu in Sindhi means "superior", which the spelling of the city's name in Sindhi suggests is the origin of the...
, Mir Abu Al-Qasim Namkeen (961 A.H , 993 A.H). The tomb complex was ordered to be built by him. It was constructed in the ochre stone similar to that used in the necroplis of Makli Hill
Makli Hill
One of the largest necropolises in the world, with a diameter of approximately 8 kilometers, Makli Hill is supposed to be the burial place of some 125,000 local rulers, Sufi saints and others. It is located on the outskirts of Thatta, the capital of lower Sind until the seventeenth century, in what...
. Inscriptions and Quranic verses in the finest Naskh script
Naskh (script)
Naskh is a specific calligraphic style for writing in the Arabic alphabet, thought to be invented by the Iranian calligrapher Ibn Muqlah Shirazi . The root of this Arabic term means "to copy". It either refers to the fact that it replaced its predecessor, Kufic script, or that this style allows...
adorn the walls and interior of these structures. Rows of hujras (rooms on the ground floor) were constructed for travellers and students. The famous blue tiles of Sindh
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
were used to enhance the aesthetic impact.
A small mosque on the upper level and the western section is profusely embellished with blue, turquoise and white tile-work. Tradition states that when the Mir completed this fine complex, he would retire to it on full moon nights with friends and courtiers and entertain them to music, mangoes, sweets, honey and watermelons. The grand remnant of a bygone era is, unfortunately, in a state of ruin though it is a popular resort for picnickers and tourists.
On one of the smaller hills that arises out of the river bank on the south has a leveled platform on which there are many carved gravestones like those on the Makli Hill
Makli Hill
One of the largest necropolises in the world, with a diameter of approximately 8 kilometers, Makli Hill is supposed to be the burial place of some 125,000 local rulers, Sufi saints and others. It is located on the outskirts of Thatta, the capital of lower Sind until the seventeenth century, in what...
at Thatta
Thatta
Thatta is a historic town of 220,000 inhabitants in the Sindh province of Pakistan, near Lake Keenjhar, the largest freshwater lake in the country. Thatta's major monuments especially its necropolis at Makli are listed among the World Heritage Sites. The Shah Jahan Mosque is also listed...
with chain ornament and panels of Arabic quotations from the Quran. The entire space between the graves is paved and a flight of stairs leads up to the platform from the southside. Enameled tiled work is freely used on these tombs, most of which are dated 1018 to 1301 AH., that is between 1609 and 1883 AD. The principal grave is that of Mir Kasim one of the Sabzwari Shahids dated 1018 AD. This was probably the grave that sanctified the place, and the lamp post and lamp that where placed in front of it are still there, and it gives the name of Than Kasim Shah to the hill. But the name of which it is more generally known is the hill of the seven virgins.
The building on the southern side of the hill is called Satbhain, which consists of a row of shallow rooms connected externally with coloured tiles. These cells are said to have been occupied by the seven female-friends. The seven Female-Friends had taken a vow of celebacy and to never look upon the face of a man. Richard Francis Burton
Richard Francis Burton
Captain Sir Richard Francis Burton KCMG FRGS was a British geographer, explorer, translator, writer, soldier, orientalist, cartographer, ethnologist, spy, linguist, poet, fencer and diplomat. He was known for his travels and explorations within Asia, Africa and the Americas as well as his...
, however, maintains that this derivation is wrong, claiming that the correct interpritation for Sati-na-jo-Than or seat of the Satis (i.e. celibate women) is seven.