Sateen Jo Aastan
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[edit] Sateen Jo Aastan ( Sindhi ستين جوآستان )
Pictures equely located on the left bank of the mighty Indus. Rohri, is the grave ground popularly called Sattein Jo Aastan the Place of Seven Female-friends. According to folk-lore female friends resided there. In Sindh a woman who does not marry and remain in purdah is called sattei. These un- married female-friends veiled them selves from males. But the fear of a tyrannical raja resulted in their disappearance in a cave in the hill. Thus they became satti. It is probable that this folk-lore has Hindu origins in the inhuman of ritual of satti, where windows burnt themselves or were burnt on their dead husband's pyre.In reality however,this is the burial place of a ruler of Sukkur , Mir Abu Al-Qasim Namkeen (961 A.H , 993 A.H). The tomb complex ordered by him was cons- tructed in the ochre stone similar to that us- ed in the necroplis of Makli.Inscriptions and Quranic verses in the finest nakh and nastily scripts adorn the walls and interior of the- se 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 state 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 fine music, choicest mangoes, the sweets honey and water-melons. The grand remnant of a bygone era is, unfortunately, in a state of rapid ruin though it is a popular resort for picnickers and tourists.
On one of the little hills thatrise out of the river bank on the south there is a level platform on which are many carved gravestones like those on the Makli Hills at Thatta, which chain ornament and panels of Arabic quotations from the Holy Quran. The whole space between the graves is paved and a flight of steps leads upto 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 a lamp post andlamp are placed in front of it still, 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 from the building on the southern side called Satbhain, which consist of a row of shallow rooms connected externally with coloured tiles. These cells are said to have been occupied by seven virgins, who had taken a vow never to look upon the face of man. Sir Richard Burton, however, maintains that this derivation is wrong, ignorant people having perverted Sati-na-jo-Than or seat of the Satis (i.e. celibate women) in to something which means seven Rohri Sukkur
[edit] External link
http://www.rohri.net Welcome Rohri City Web Site
