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Sehwan Sharif, the Material Culture of Sufism, and the figure of Sikander

This presentation intends to provide a survey of the Sufi material culture of Sehwan. Using build structures and other artefacts as data, the first part intends to disentangle the different Sufi legacies, as well as their complex relationship. The second part will focus on a main Sufi figure known as Sikander Bodlo Bahar. The closest follower of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, Sikander Bodlo Bahar’s shrine is located at the foot of the Alexander’s Fort. After investigating how the name of Sikander came to be used by Sufis in general, and what does it mean in the context of Sehwan, another focus will be put on another figure who, in the Sufi context, is closely related to Sikander: Khwaja Khizr. As a matter of fact, the Sikander Nama depicts the two characters looking together for the spring of eternal life. Furthermore, according to historical sources, there was a shrine in Sehwan devoted to Khwaja Khizr, but it no longer exists. Finally, the examination of both local narratives and material culture will help to provide a fresh outlook of the complex setup in Sehwan, and to what extent it is possible to bring to light a distant heritage of the figure of Sikander in local Sufism.

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