The Oldest Glazier In Hala

Profile: Yaar Muhammad Soomro

By Mahesh Kumar

The extent of development of art and culture is index by which history judges the contribution of civilization to human progress. The handicrafts more than anything else express and exhibit the blend of art and culture of people.

Sindh, one of four provinces of Pakistan has been home of many civilizations. The artisans living in Sindh are the treasures who contribute their life in supporting our art and culture.

Among such artisans one is Yaar Muhammad Soomro who contributed his whole life for supporting art and culture.

The Soomras of Hala excel in Kashi Kari, the craft of glazed tile which is the unit of embellishment of every mazar, every tombstone, and almost every mosque.

His birth place is Hala, he was born in 1947. His father Haji Maman Soomro was also a good glazier. Yaar Muhammad learned this art of glazing from his father.

From his early childhood he was interested in learning the work of Kashi and he started to learn from the age of 13 years and in the age of 20 years he became a good artisan of Kashi

He started to introduce many new designs in market and he became very much popular for his skill.

He was very poor but the passion of his work and his continuous struggle has given him a good position in the society, he has own industry of Kashi in Hala.

He attends many cultural exhibitions in Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi. For his talent and skill he has also visited different countries.

He and his brother Gul Muhammad Soomro were given award of the Best Work of Kashi Kari by Ghulam Ishaq Khan in the government of Benezir Bhutto in 1990 that is the great achievement of his life.

Many national and international companies offered him to work with them, but he refused because he wanted to make his forefather’s profession alive for the years and he never left his motherland

Sindh. He is the oldest Glazier in Hala.

He has trained many artisans in Hala and till today he is also working. His profession is his passion and proud.

Such artisans are really the treasure of the nation, who devotes their whole life for the support of our art and culture.

The Fusion of Nature and Culture

By Mahesh Kumar

Perhaps the essence of soul of Sindh is the fusion of nature and culture. The artisan is the living symbol of this fusion and a part of his soul, His constant inner dialogue with nature.

Hala is the town through which the Indus has tossed and turned fitfully through the ages, Hala is a confluence of the carpenters, weavers, spinners and potters, who have been working at their trades for centuries and translating what they alone comprehend the mysteries of Nature.

Hala is a trade centre of the Kashi, Jandi, Soosi, Khadhi and RIlli. Jandi which is crafted at a small village Khanoth near Hala is a symbol of fusion of Nature and culture.

Jandi is decorated and lacquered wood furniture which is very famous all over the world. The carpenters of Khanoth make wood come alive by treating it with wood extracts, lacquers, oil and dyes.

Subjecting it to the heat of embers which were once wood and decorating it with motifs and designs that seem to symbolize the psyche of wood.

The work of Jandi does not only tell us about our history but it also shows the tradition and cultures of our province.

In this era of globalization every item is now prepared through machines but still people prefer to buy such items of Jandi for decorating their houses.

In Khanoth many items of Jandi are crafted but famous items are sofas, beds, cradles, cots, dining tables, table lamps and make up boxes.

The items of Jandi are the identity of our culture so the people living in different areas of SIndh give Jandi items as a gift to their friends and relatives. Especially cradles and cots are gifted in marriage ceremonies.

Jandi is crafted in these small villages like Khanoth but it is sold through all over the world. In many world wide exhibitions it is shown.

Jandi of Hala is not just decorating the houses but it is also making our art, tradition and culture alive in every corner of the world.

My Profession Is My Proud

Profile: Mahmood alies Laghari

By Aisha

To get popularity is desire of every person in this world, but everybody cannot achieve it, for this a person has to work hard then it can be achieved.

Among such people Mahmood alies Laghari is one who’s profession is netting cot and making rilli. He is very famous for his profession and he is proud of it.

He lives in Latifabad 10 at Hyderabad. He is not educated, he does not know his proper date of birth but he said that after five years of independence of Pakistan his family migrated from India to Pakistan.

That time was too much difficult when they came in Pakistan but he never lost hope and worked hard and got settlement in Pakistan.

He learned these skills from his father and mother. His father was expert in netting cot and his mother was expert in making rilli, but today he is expert in both skills.

Though he has not a particular shop for business yet people know him by his name as Laghari Charpai Wala and use to come to him for cots and rillis and pay him his proper charges.

He gets 300 per Cot and 400 per Rilli, he is not earning too much from this profession but still he very much happy with his profession and he has never thought to do a different job because this is the profession of his forefathers and he considered it as a blessing of God. It has become his identity and it has made him popular.

People like his simplicity and his interest in his work, so people respect him a lot and come all the way from many different areas of city.

He does this job as a serving and devotion to human beings, so that he is very proud of this profession.

A Visit to Kashi Industries at Hala

Mahesh Kumar

In Sindh when we talk about the art and culture then the name of Hala city has always been at the top. This city is full of talented and skilled craftsmen, here in Hala many handicrafts are made like Jandi, Kashi, Ajrak, Topi and Rilli.

Kashi is one of the most popular and beautiful craft made in Hala. In Hala there are four major industries of Kashi, these industries are very old and the people who are working in these industries are extremely talented, who earthenware the clay but finally they make a charming item of Kashi.

I visited these industries and I liked to see the whole process of making Kashi. Every person performs different jobs, there are several stages of that process.

First of all one person took some amount of clay and a he gave many different shapes to it, then it was put before sun and after that they polished these all items. The clay which is used for polish is not common but it is brought from the mountains of Sewhan especially for polishing these items.

After that painter painted these items and then these items were baked for giving shine to the items. Finally Kashi items were formed.

The Kashi of Hala is not limited to our own country but it is sold to many other countries like China, France, Japan, India and America. Many visitors come to Hala especially for buying Kashi items.

These visitors also get these items made through order and they also get different writings written in their own languages. They give such items as a gift to their relatives.

The Kashi of Hala is also shown in many world wide exhibitions. People buy such items for decorating their houses. Different items of Kashi are made like Glasses, Plates, Jugs, Tiles and many more.

Here in Hala there are many shops of Kashi and it is considered a good business. These industries supply items to the shops.

Many TV channels like Sindh tv, KTN, Mehran tv, ARY and National Geographic Channel have made documentaries on the process of making Kashi, and its business.

Such creations of these skilled people make people surprised and it does not only used for decorating our houses and shops but it also support the culture of our nation.

Powerful hands

Profile Abdul Aziz alies Munna Khan


By Sajjad Jokhio

God created to everyone with defrent quilities some have vasiable and in vasiable beauty but when see the worker of those people who do the work with mind and hands sometime we can not find these beauties any one but when some one do that work which is unforgetable and unmisable forever some people are miss by our eyes they have visiable beauty which is given by God.

one of them chach Abdul Aziz urf Munna khan son of Munshi khan.
Munna khan was born in 1948 in india near to Ali ghar city hutras.
after sepration of pakistan he abord the pakistan in hyderabad. he did start the work of raw carpet at latifabad.

His masters name is Mahboob khan who had given the path to him such a do this work of carpet.
he started with heart and soul, in 1965 he did come at kotri site area where he did start his own work of raw carpet.

Now adays he as well as his five sons are doing this work
chacha Munna khan created such a path for new generation to do this kind of and he gives the instructions all workers as well as orther considered of people chacha munna wants that government should have started such a platform before some years but unfortunately government did not do it.

The carpets of chacha munna are famous in pakistan he gives the defernt designs in raw carptes
and these carptes send in deferent countries for as a gifts

shapri chickss

Raw Carpet

By Sajjad Jokhio


The land of sindh has been famous by difference varities of things as ajrak topi raile bangle carpet and so many other things.twines for making raw carp
Carpet is most famous handicraft of sindh.carpet has made in difference places in sindh hyderabad,karachi, thar and site area kotri.

There is several factories and shops are present which give the material to workers.
workers do the work on contract base,contarctor provide the twine and other material. corpet which in made in diferent twine such as resham twine in white colour , lachi in pink colour and thani which is also in white colour these are the important et these three collabrate make a raw carpet.

There are 13 colours are used in twine and carpets.every carpet have size 10*14 and 4*2. 1/2.
workers make the carpet RS 75 per sequire fit . one carpet take the time 15 days so workers say that we waste our much time in one carpet but contarctor pay low payment.contocator pay only 175 rupees and we perform the 10 clocks.

So it is difficult to adjust in that in that payment, before seven year goverment was paying the pay of these workers which were doing the work in concept factory and in the insitituite but currently band the payment

If govt will give the complete pay attention regarding the raw carpeters worker , then it will be better step of sindh handicrafts as well as country economy because of raw carpets are usued in the whole world as govt support them then pakistan can export the raw carpet.