Contestations and Transformations: the Shared Religious Space of Jhule Lal in Sindh, Pakistan

Syncretic and shared religious spaces have long been perceived as reflections of tolerance. This does not imply that tolerance is completely liberated from multiple clashing components and the coexistence of interfaith practices do not suggest that hostility is entirely missing. In recent times, a transformation is taking place at the shared space of the Jhule Lal by the dominant religious group. However, there remains an appearance of tolerance at the shared space of the Jhule Lal among believers of both Islam and Hinduism, which blinds the observer of the deep internal contestation and process of transformation between both Sindhi Hindus and Sindhi Muslims who revere the same saint of the Jhule Lal. A syncretic space does not simply absorb different religious groups, and by studying the practices, rituals and interactions of the custodians, visitors and devotees at the shrine, this paper aims to unearth the processes through which shrine is contested in multiple identities, discourse (written, textual, verbal) authority, and belief systems.

Suppression of Isoproterenol Induced Mi Through Combination Plant Therapy

Myocardial infarction (MI) was induced in rabbits by isoproterenol (85 mg/Kg body wt.). Five indigenous plants Allium sativum, Allium cepa, Zingiber officinale, Terminalia arjuna and Moringa oleifera were selected to prepare 64 possible combinations. Native as well as gemmomodified plant extracts of selected parts of Allium sativum, Allium cepa, Zingiber officinale, Terminalia arjuna and Moringa oleifera were prepared and combined to make treatment combinations against isoproterenol induced MI. Both the preventive & curative ways of treatment were employed on different treatment groups prepared by placing 140 healthy rabbits in specific groups. The effects of different plant combinations were assessed through the serum level of biochemical markers at calculated time intervals. Plant combinations decreased the isoproterenol induced rise in biomarkers as CK-MB, LDH, ALT, AST, ALP, total cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, urea and uric acid to the level of these parameters in C1 and C2 control groups as compared to C3 (isoproterenol group). Sharp decrease in the level of enzymes/parameters was observed in class III (GP: combination of gemmo extracts used in preventive way) followed by class I (GC: combination of gemmomodified extracts used in curative way). Out of 64 combinations of five plants, 16GP (gemmomodified combination of Allium sativum, Allium cepa, Zingiber officinale, Terminalia arjuna and Moringa oleifera used in preventive mode) gave the excellent cardioprotective potential followed by 16GC (gemmomodified combination of Allium sativum, Allium cepa, Zingiber officinale, Terminalia arjuna and Moringa oleifera used in curative mode) throughout the study. Findings were further strengthened by gross and histopathological studies. Isoproterenol also affected the organs other than heart as liver, kidney and lungs. There was no genotoxicity imposed by any of the combinations as biomonitored by Comet Assay. GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of 4-(4-hydroxy-3methoxyphenyl)-2-butanone, n- Hexadecanoic acid and oleic acid as actively curing constituents with antioxidant and cardioprotective potential in 16G. The 16G (gemmomodified combination of Allium sativum, Allium cepa, Zingiber officinale, Terminalia arjuna and Moringa oleifera) was further applied on human volunteers suffering from chronic tachycardia and hypertension. There was a significant decrease in pulse rate and blood pressure in the patients who were treated with 16G in combination with inderal (inderal+16G) as compared to patients who were treated with inderal and 16G separately.