3/5 Aftab A. 5 years ago on Google
This
place
is
called
resting
place
for
the
Seven
Female-friends.
According
to
folklore
these
female
friends
resided
here.
These
unmarried
female-friends
veiled
themselves
from
all
males,
a
practice
called
purdah
(the
practice
of
preventing
men
from
seeing
women),
which
is
also
referred
to
as
sattei.
But
for
the
fear
of
a
tyrannical
raja
resulted
in
their
disappearance,
possibly
in
a
cave
in
the
side
of
a
hill.
Thus
they
became
satti.
It
is
probable
that
this
folklore
has
its
origins
in
the
Hindu
ritual
of
sati,
an
inhumane
ritual
where
widows
burnt
themselves
or
were
burnt
on
their
dead
husband's
pyre.
In
reality
however,
this
is
the
burial
place
of
a
ruler
from
Sukkur,
Mir
Abu
Al-Qasim
Namkeen
(961
A.H,
).
The
tomb
complex
was
ordered
to
be
built
by
him.
It
was
constructed
in
the
ochre
stone
similar
to
that
used
in
the
necroplis
of
Makli
Hill.
Inscriptions
and
Quranic
verses
in
the
finest
Naskh
script
adorn
the
walls
and
interior
of
these
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
states
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
music,
mangoes,
sweets,
honey
and
watermelons.
The
grand
remnant
of
a
bygone
era
is,
unfortunately,
in
a
state
of
ruin
though
it
is
a
popular
resort
for
picnickers
and
tourists.
On
one
of
the
smaller
hills
that
arises
out
of
the
river
bank
on
the
south
has
a
leveled
platform
on
which
there
are
many
carved
gravestones
like
those
on
the
Makli
Hill
at
Thatta
with
chain
ornaments
and
panels
of
Arabic
quotations
from
the
Quran.
The
entire
space
between
the
graves
is
paved
and
a
flight
of
stairs
leads
up
to
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
the
lamp
post
and
lamp
that
were
placed
in
front
of
it
are
still
there;
and
it
gives
the
name
of
Than
Kasim
Shah
to
the
hill.
But
the
name
by
which
it
is
more
generally
known
is
the
hill
of
the
seven
virgins.
The
building
on
the
southern
side
of
the
hill
is
called
Satbhain,
which
consists
of
a
row
of
shallow
rooms
connected
externally
with
coloured
tiles.
These
cells
are
said
to
have
been
occupied
by
the
seven
female-friends.
The
seven
Female-Friends
had
taken
a
vow
of
celibacy
and
to
never
look
upon
the
face
of
a
man.
Richard
Francis
Burton,
however,
maintains
that
this
derivation
is
wrong,
claiming
that
the
correct
interpretation
for
Sati-na-jo-Than
or
seat
of
the
Satis
(i.e.
celibate
women)
is
seven.
