PukhtunWomen

This is an article on the grave engravers of Sirikot and the various symbols they use to adorn tombstones

In the Hazara district east of Tarbela and west of Haripur, at the pinnacle of the Gangar River , lies a village named Sirikot. Great mountain ranges rise tier after tier in a limitless expanse, with roads fast cutting their way into the bosom of the mountains.

Your vehicle makes its way along an arduous zig-zag road amid lush greenery until you reach a level site. Then suddenly Landa Baba's shrine, situated in a somber old graveyard, catches your eye.

The unruffled semblance of this ancient graveyard is embellished with tomstones which seem more like pieces of art. They display a dense repertoire of imaginative motifs combined in a single local tradition. These tombstones give the cemeteries in this part of the world a distinct identity all their own.

The art of chitarkari (engraving) is practiced by professional tharkans (carpenters). In the past, their tasks included preparing dowry furniture and building houses as well as adorning graves.

The tonrai, an important piece of dowry furniture, was presented to the bride by her parents. This strikingly beautiful wooden cabinet was painted with floral motifs in mustard, green, yellow and maroon. A traditional necklace was usually painted in the centre. The structure of the tonrai reflected the influence of Islamic architecture, with its feet resembling the minarets of a mosque.

With the ravages of time, the tonrai has become extinct, replaced by gaudy modern furniture, recently one of the last surviving pieces was dismantled by its owner and used for firewood.

In the late 1960s, people began to prefer white marble or cement for gravestones over the old gray tombstones. Dispirited, the tarkans turned to other work, and citarkari nearly vanished like the tonrai. But now citarkari is making a comeback.

The tharkans of Sirikot have proudly revived their art. More and more graves are again being adorned with slatestone slabs adorned with floral, geometric, Islamic and other motifs which resemble those used on the gravestones of Charsadda, Kohat and Chaukandi in Sindh, as well as the furniture of Swat. The necklace found on Sirikot gravestones can also be seen in mosques in Daasu and Pattan.

The difficulty of obtaining a piece of slate helps to make the gravestone an exclusive piece of art. Although there are large slate deposits found in the area, it is a toilsome task to obtain it from the unapproachable kaligali where it is found.

Once it reaches the hands of the craftsman, he give it the required shape and size, then sketches in motifs with the help of a gulkar (chalk). Straight lines are drawn with a ruler. Finally, the design is engraved with a hammer and chisel.

Islamic symbols found on these gravestones include a mosque and minarets adorned with floral adgeometric motifs. The mosque is usually accompanied by a prayer mat filled with stylized floral ornaments or a chequered pattern. A kooza (water jug) signifying ritual purity usually has a sun sign in the middle. The sun or lotus sign is found on most graves, encircled byt floral motifs. Prayer beads, a star and a crescent are also engraved on some of the tombstones.

Gender-specific symbols also signify the deceased's character and way of life. A man's grave my depict a dagger, sword or rifle, signifying bravery or revenge. A young woman's grave will depict a bride's heavy jewellery, while an old woman's will be elegantly deorated with a pair of karey (bracelets) and an oogai (necklace).

A grave belonging to a young boy may show an inkpot, a pen or a bicycle. A child's grave will display a rattle; an old man's a walking stick or a pair of spectacles. To portray such attributes of the Pathan code of life as melmastiya (hospitality), objects such as a teapot and saucer are chiseled.

Occupational symbols appear too: a saw, adze and hammer for a carpenter, a rubab (stringed instrument) for a musician, an axe

A GRAVE BELONGING TO A YOUNG BOY MAY SHOW AN INKPOT OR A BICYCLE. A CHILD'S GRAVE WILL DISPLAY A RATTLE; AN OLD MAN'S A WALKING STICK OR A PAIR OF SPECTACLES. TO PORTRAY SUCH ATTRIBUTES OF THE PATHAN CODE OF LIFE AS HOSPITALITY, OBJECTS SUCH AS A TEAPOT AND SAUCER ARE CHISELED.

And sickle for a farmer. For a woman who spent most of her life stitching clothes for people, craftsmand Hazoor Hussain chiseled a sewing machine and pair of scissors.

Ilyas, a professional tharkan, explains, “We believe that if there was something that the deceased was fond of, he might not want to depart from it. Thus we engrave such objects on his tombstone to gratify his soul”.

Another interesting motif is that of the Cyprus tree, also known as the Tree of Life. It is also seen in designs from Thatta and Iran .

With so many of the manifestation of folk art being taken for granted, it is heartening to see a dying art breathe once more.

The more one ponders over the simple, yet well-adorned graves of the Gangar mountains, the more one knows about the customs, feelings and spirit of their inhabitants.