- Advertisement -
M Atif Ismail
MULTAN, Oct 13 (APP):The tradition of singing folk “Sehras” at weddings in the Seraiki region is gradually fading away.
For centuries, folk songs and “Sehras” were an integral part of wedding celebrations, symbolizing the joy and emotions associated with such occasions. This tradition, especially strong in South Punjab and the broader Seraiki belt, was not just a form of entertainment but also a profound expression of love and unity among family members. Historically, long before the advent of printed text, these folk “Sehras” were passed down orally, evolving over time while maintaining their core essence and representing human emotions and relationships.
Over time, however, with the advent of modern lifestyles and societal shifts, many family traditions, including the singing of “Sehras,” began to vanish. In the 13th century, the famous poet Amir Khusro popularized folk “Sehras” that beautifully reflected familial bonds. Songs like “Amma mere bawa ko bhejo ri” became timeless, remaining an essential part of the cultural fabric even today.
In the Seraiki language, the custom of singing “Sehras” for the bride and groom is centuries old. Professor Maqbool Hassan Gilani, an expert on Seraiki culture, stated in an interview with APP that the practice of “Sehra singing” has rapidly declined since the 1990s. “In the past, women would gather at the bride or groom’s house and sing ‘Sehras’ late into the night, accompanied by the beat of the dhol (drum). Now, due to modern time constraints, these traditions have been reduced to a short session inside wedding halls,” he remarked. Songs like “Shazaan da banan ni main sehra teeda gawan” or “Mame di gali ghadi a we parnianda jiven” were once popular in districts like Dera Ghazi Khan, Layyah, Rajanpur, Fazilpur, and nearby villages, where they could still occasionally be heard. Interestingly, most of these folk “Sehras” were not penned by any established poets. Instead, they were spontaneously created on the spot, often improvised to suit the occasion, and later became part of local tradition, he concluded.