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Lohar is an ethnic sub-caste found among Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims in Northern India and Northern Pakistan. Originally this community was a warrior tribe living in provinces of Kermanshah in Iran right up to Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan. In India the Lohars are also known as Vishwakarma, Sharma, Lohana or Panchals.^[1] Muslim Lohar in North India are known as Saifi. The Pakistani city of Lahore was once called Loharpur, the city of the Lohar dynasty.

According to H. A. Rose and Denzil Ibbetson, who were administrators of the British Raj, Lohars have descended from Tarkhan tribals (Iranian warriors) who migrated to India.^{[citation needed]} It should be noted that writers of the Raj period often used the term Lohar as a synonym for blacksmith, although there are other traditional smithing communities, such as the Ramgarhia and Sikligars, and numerous non-traditional communities, including the Yadavs, Kayasthas, Rajputs and even Brahmins.^[2]

Etymology[link]

The word Lohar originated from the Sanskrit word, loha (Iron).

Lohara dynasty[link]

Although the Lohara dynasty was not very successful in the last phase, they ruled for a remarkable period of time. The state kingdom of Lohara is now in Poonch district of the state Kashmir.

The Lohar dynasty ruled Kashmir for several centuries and throughout their time the area experienced much internal dissent, violence, attacks from the Moghuls, extremes of taxation and corruption in all its forms. Kalhana recorded the first 150 years or so of this, up to the middle of the 12th century. However, it is commendable that this Dynasty was able to defend the Loha-Kot fort and thus the empire for several centuries.

'Lohar' is also the name of a city in the Punjab region of Pakistan which was named after the Lohar Dynasty. The city Lohar Chak was also named after the Lohar Dynasty in Kashmir. Lohar Chak is a city in the State of Jammu & Kashmir with a population of approximately 80,901.

Exogamous divisions[link]

• Abbasi
• Dagar
• Yaduvanshi
• Solanki
• Dangi
• Lohana
• Panwar
• Chauhan
• Dharu / dharra^[1][3]

Lohars[link]

The Lohars belong to the Parusheya(vishwakarma)Brahmin community. These Persian migrants who settled in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra identify themselves as Vishwakarma, Lohars from Gujarat identify themselves as Panchal Brahmins and Lohars from Maharashtra identify themselves as Vishwa Brahmins of the Vishwakarma community. In most of these states, Lohars follow Brahmin rites and have Brahmin surnames. They perform Upanayanam (thread ceremony- initiation) for their children.

Lohara[link]

Lohara Jats are also now settled in about six villages near Mathura and Village Loran Tehsil and District Gujrat Pakistan and other areas.^[4]

Lohar of Uttar Pradesh[link]

The Lohar are one of the most widespread communities in Uttar Pradesh. They are divided along religious lines, with the Hindu Lohar are known as Vishvakarmas, and Muslim Lohars are known as Saifis. The Lohar are further divided into a number of exogamous groupings, the main ones being the Kanaujiya, Purbia, Bahai, Moulia and Magajia. Most Lohar are still engaged in their traditional occupation of metal fabrication, but most the Lohar of western Uttar Pradesh are cultivators. The Lohar speak Hindi and its various dialects such as Awadhi.^[5]

See also[link]

• Nalband
• Kuchband

References[link]

• Dr Mahendra Singh Arya, Dharmpal Singh Dudee, Kishan Singh Faujdar & Vijendra Singh Narwar: Ādhunik Jat Itihasa (The modern history of Jats), Agra 1998, p. 280
• Elliot, Early History of India (V A Smith), Vol I

External links[link]

• Lohar Dynasty
• Kingdom of Lohars
• Iranian Origin of Lohars
• Lohars.org

Arif Lohar (Punjabi, Urdu: عارف لوہار) (born 1966) is a Punjabi folk singer. He usually sings with native musical instrument resembling tongs (called a 'chimta'). His folk music is representative of traditional folk heritage of the Punjab. He is the son of folk singer Alam Lohar.^[1]

Early life[link]

Born in a small village called Aach Goch in Gujrat District, Punjab, Pakistan, arif Lohar started singing to explore the folk singing of Punjab, and to keep the tradition of his father alive.

Career[link]

In 2005, he was awarded Pride of Performance Award from Government of Pakistan-the highest civil award in Pakistan. Son of Alam Lohar (another icon of Punjabi music) he started his singing career at an early age. To-date he has more than 150 albums to his credit and has recorded more than 3000 mostly Punjabi language songs. He is without doubt the number one living Punjabi Folk Singer in Pakistan. Worldwide he is among the Top Five Punjabi Folk and Pop Singers. In 2006 he made headlines in the Punjabi music world by his super hit album '21st Century Jugni', music produced, arranged and mastered by Mukhtar Sahota in Wolverhampton, UK, and was released by Internalmusic UK. Recently in June 2010 COKE STUDIO released his album Jugni COKE STUDIO which became a smash hit in Pakistan and over the Punjabi music world. Arif Lohar has made more than 50 foreign tours around the world during the last 20 years including UK, US and UAE. Further to this he is the only south Asian artist to perform in North Korea as part of a international delegation of peace and goodwill, performing in front of the present president.

In 2004 he performed in China for the opening of the Asian Games which had a crowd of close to 1 million in the open square, and was greatly appreciated by the local people: even though they do not understand: but feel his great performing style and great voice. Arif Lohar in the past has played lead roles in Punjabi movies also. He performed at the Wembly Arena London September 2010 to help the flood victims of Pakistan to an expected crowd of 25000 plus. Currently his career is at the peak in the Punjabi music world. He appeared in Pakistani film Jugni Nach De Aye, singing and producing three songs for the soundtrack.

In 2010 Arif Lohar participated in Coke-Studio(Pakistan live session programe by Rohail Hayat). In Coke-Studio season 3, Arif Lohar performed "Alif Allah Chambay Dey Booti/Jugni" with upcoming music star Meesha Shafi. The song became a massive hit in Pakistan and it is recognized as one of the greatest hits of Coke-Studio series.

Discography[link]

• Alif Allah Chambe Di Bootey ( [Coke Studio] )

• Ek Pal

• Bol Mitti Da

• Sher Punjab Da

• Soniye

• Aakhian

...

See also[link]

• Music of Pakistan
• List of Pakistani folk singers

References[link]

External links[link]

• Arif Lohar & Meesha - Coke Studio
• Arif Lohar Video Collection
• Arif Lohar music

Sanam Marvi (Urdu: صنم ماروی) (born 1986) is a Sindhi folk and sufi singer. She sings in Urdu, Sindhi and Saraiki languages.

Early life[link]

Sanam Marvi was born in Hyderabad, Sindh, Pakistan in a Sindhi family. Her father's name is Faqeer Ghulam Rasool, a sufi singer. She had eight siblings. She started training at the age of seven and used to accompany her father to his performances at various shrines of sufis in Pakistan, including Sindh and Punjab. She later trained under Ustad Fateh Ali Khan of Gwalior gharana.

Career[link]

Sanam Marvi debuted at ‘Virsa Heritage’, a programme on PTV. She became popular after her performance at Coke Studio, a Pakistani television series featuring live music performances. She has since appeared in two seasons of the Coke studio.

She perform sufi concerts around the world. She is among the finest performers in the Sufi, ghazal and folk genres^[2] She sings compositions of Allama Iqbal, Baba Bulleh Shah, Baba Sheikh Farid, Alam Lohar, Sachal Sarmast, the Sufi mystic from Sindh, Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai.

She made her debut in with a solo performance at 2010's Jahan-e-Khusrau, the Sufi music festival.^[3] In February 2011 she performed with Indian playback singer Rekha Bhardwaj at Times of India's Aman ki Asha at Chowmahalla Palace, Hyderabad.^[4]

Sanam marvi has made her Bollywood singing debut with Ali Zafar starer London Paris Newyork, singing along with Hadiqa Kiyani and Ali Zafar

Personal life[link]

Sanam Marvi is married to Hamid Ali and together they have two children.

Awards[link]

• Best Singer - Sufism University^[5]

References[link]

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Alam Lohar
Background information
Birth name	Muhammad Alam Lohar
Born	1928 Achh,Pakistan
Origin	Pakistani Punjabi
Died	July 3, 1979 Sham ki Bhaitiyan
Genres	Punjabi folk
Occupations	Vocalist, musician, Bhangra Artist, Poet
Instruments	Chimta
Years active	1936–1979
Labels	EMI (Pakistan), Oriental Star Agency
Notable instruments
chimta

Muhammad Alam Lohar (Urdu: محمد عالم لوہار), (Punjabi: ਆਲਮ ਲੋਹਾਰ was a prominent Punjabi folk music singer of Pakistan. He died in 1979 in an accident.^[1] He is also credited with popularizing the term and song Jugni.^[2]

Early life[link]

Lohar was born in the small village Achh in Gujrat District, in Punjab, British India into a family of blacksmiths.^{[citation needed]} He was gifted with a melodious voice and began singing as a child.

Career[link]

Alam Lohar developed a new style of singing the Punjabi Vaar, an epic or folk tale. He is famous for his rendition of Waris Shah’s Heer, which he has memorized in 36 styles and forms. He recorded his first album at the age of 13 and has outsold all other singers in Pakistan (Verified in records kept with HMV Pakistan 1979)

In his childhood he used to read sufiana kalaams, Punjabi stories and participate as a young child in local elderly gatherings expressing a vocal only art form in reading passages of great poets. From many of the gatherings out of the rural background rose a great singer that could influence his audience with elements of joy peace, happiness and sadness. Further on: he started going to festivals and gatherings on a regular basis and within these performances he rose to become one of the most listened to singers in South Asia. In the 1970s it was the Queen's Jubilee event in the UK and there was a singing competition between all Commonwealth Countries and after all performances: Alam Lohar won the award as the best performance and was handed a gold medal for his unique and God given voice.

Throughout the period of 1930s and until his death in 1979 he has dominated folk singing in Pakistan and been a major singer in Punjabi and Sufi singing throughout the entire World. In many rural villages the local traditional people have called him 'Sher-e-Punjab' or 'Heerah' meaning diamond.

Alongside his God given voice and singing in difficult high and low pitches he had a unique style of singing with his Chimta. Now the Chimta has been around for centuries as it was a tool used in gathering livestock in rural settings or used as an aid in other activities, but Alam Lohar has the unique credit that he single-handedly popularised this instrument globally and modified its use and changed its outlook.

Alam Lohar's other qualities[link]

Other than being a famous singer, Alam lohar was also a great poet writing his own songs and kalaams and also had another quality that he used old books of Sufi saints and stories and brought them in a song format: which gave his songs overwhelming great lyrical content which could make people cry and express joy at the same time. The word "Jugni" was his creation (the word Jugni is also attributed to some runaway poet-singer duo, name unknown, who followed the Jubilee flame in the British Raj -and sang satires showing pitiable condition and sufferings of common Indians outside programme grounds, drawing huge crowds and later captured and killed by Brits. The incident goes back to the 1920s when the Silver Jubilee of George V's ascension of the throne was being celebrated in all cities around British India — Jubilee parks in many cities of India & Pakistan are proof) and he created this term from reading many Sufi writings and represented this word as a spiritual feeling of ones experience of the world. Furthermore he was the pioneer of introducing the writings of Saif Ul Mulook and Mirza Shabaan in a song format.

Alam Lohar had another quality that he had overwhelming singing stamina — he was renowned to sing all night and sometimes without the music technology we have with PA systems now-nevertheless his strong voice could be heard in large gatherings. In rural Punjab he used to sing from village to village and without any modern music technology: his voice reflected with the background of the natural echo caused by the stillness of the night.

In essence, later on Alam Lohar organised a full-fledged theatre with a complete orchestra. His troupe toured all over Punjab for religious and seasonal festivals and was one of the first Pakistani as well as South Asian singers to sing internationally in almost all countries that had people from the South Asian region.

Death[link]

Alam Lohar died in an accident near Sham ki Bhaitiyan on July 3, 1979. He was buried in Lala Musa, Punjab, Pakistan. He was given the Pride of Performance award in 1979 by General Zia Ul Haq in Islamabad and received numerous awards in his lifetime. He was a pioneer in cultural and Folk style singing and became his own folk story. He set a benchmark and many Punjabi and other folk singers have been greatly influenced. Therefore he has left a great legacy of a unique style of singing which is still followed in Pakistan by Punjabi as well as other folk singers. One of the greatest singers of all time: he is seen and remembered through his son Arif Lohar who has continued in the same tradition.

Legacy[link]

Decades after Alam's death his legacy is still living on, his songs are still being sung the way he used to sing them. His son has been taking his fathers music to the next level. The performance by Arif Lohar (Son of Alam) in Coke Studio shook the world, when he sung the Jugni by his father on International Television, the song hit millions of views on YouTube and was a hit again. The success even made Asha Bhosle do a exact copy of the song on Indian television. Arif Lohar is also a big Punjabi artist, he is one of the only legends alive until this day. Dr Zeus made a remix of Jugni by Alam and send it for free download, it was enacted by Kanika Kapoor and had a big budget music video with a lamborghini. Alam Lohar's Jugni was reaching new heights even after his death. Many big producers and artist have refreshed his songs by remixing them or doing covers of them. Alam Lohar's death anniversary is held every year in Pakistan, and is one of the days where Alam's song are on every single Radio channel to refresh the memory and the dedicaton he had for the Punjabi Folk industry.

Discography[link]

His famous songs are;

• Dharti Panj Daryavan Di
• Dil wala dukhra nahin kisse noon sunayee da
• Saiful Malook
• Qissa Hazrat Yousaf
• March ke modha hauly jaye sorry akh gaye
• Bol mitti diya bawiya
• Jugni
• Mirza
• Qissa Karbala
• Kalam baba Bulle shah
• Sohni Mahiwal
• Sassi ~Pannu
• Wajan mariayan bullayah
• England di Jugni
• Maa da Pyar (maa da qissa)
• Assan hun Tur Jaa naa
• Layee beqadran naal yaarey
• Qissa Hirni
• Qissa Puran Bhagat
• Rahee Khushay daa malka
• Me neel kariyan neelka
• 36 style formats of Heer Ranjha
• Kohee tu paneey motiyar nee
• Gabrro jat punjab daa
• Allah hoo haq Allah hoo
• Mohammed miah kee tarifan sunavaa
• Ghamaa vich jind mukh gaye
• Sutee rahgee nee maa patt dee phulegey
• kee dassa me kaun teh kidhroo sharher terey vich ayyah
• Jis din merah viah hohay gaa
• mee tee viah kar ke pachtayah
• mee vakh daa hee rehgeyah me vakh daa hee rehgayaa
• many versions of Dullah Bhatti
• too merey mohabbatein daa bootah putt gaye

References[link]

External links[link]

• Alam Lohar at the Internet Movie Database
• Alam Lohar Profile - Folk Punjab
• Alam Lohar website