Finding Common Grounds: Shared Patterns in Pakistani and Indian Religious Rituals

Abstract

For more than two thousand years, Pakistanis and Indians shared a rich history and culture. However, since the Partition of 1947, a lack of open and direct communication between the two countries has made that common history and culture largely invisible to the people. This paper will demonstrate that the shared South Asian cultural heritage is still clearly manifest in common patterns in contemporary Muslim rituals and cultural celebrations practiced in Pakistan and also Hindu ceremonies and beliefs in India. These clear “common patterns” in both countries have hardly been emphasized, which adds to the differentiation among the people. The background for this paper is the unique opportunity I was given in August 2003, as the first Indian student in 57 years to be allowed to study in a Pakistani university. During my study and stay in Pakistan, I experienced Muslim festivals such as Shab-e-Barat and visited numerous shrines in Lahore. As I observed this Muslim “getting-rid-of sins” celebration, I noted numerous commonalities of the reasons and rituals the festival holds with those of Diwali, a Hindu festival in India. I also realized that similar beliefs were manifested in their ceremonies, such as the concept of God or an angel keeping a record of good and bad deeds in peoples’ lives. The paper will document these and other clear similarities.To interpret these data, the paper will draw on the work of anthropologists such as Clifford Geertz to demonstrate that Islam and Hinduism, as practiced in particular contexts, are indeed shaped by shared cultures. In addition, respectful participation in the rituals of each other religion among people who share a cultural heritage is common. The paper will conclude with suggestions for how this awareness of the shared Pakistani-Hindu cultural heritage, evident in the distinct Islamic and Hindu traditions, might be disseminated among the young people of the two countries in order to help them move beyond the biases and prejudices that have grown up since Partition to a deeper mutual respect and understanding.