RELIGION WITH LENS OF MYSTICISM AMID INHABITANTS OF DESERT: A STUDY OF CHOLISTAN

This current paper aims at exploring mysticism in the Cholistan desert which has dominantly semi-nomadic culture. It also attempts to explore how mystic practices are helpful for people of Cholistan for coping with their day-to-day problems. This qualitative study adopted ethnographic method and interviewed 50 participants from Cholistan through protracted qualitative interview and participants observation. The data were analyzed through content analysis technique. The findings revealed that people of Cholistan are more tilted towards devotional practices of Islam than its orthodox version. Furthermore, people in Cholistan have strong belief in spiritual power of the sufis and visit shrines for solution of their social, economic, physical, psychological and spiritual problems. Since there are no formal ways (mosque and madarassah) of getting religious education about beliefs and practices; that is why nearly all people were following devotional practices mainly introduced by two popular sufi saints of Cholistan namely Khawaja Ghulam Farid and Chanan Pir. The study concludes that due to poor access to basic amenities of life such as food, health, housing, education, drinking water and power supply in the Cholistan, sufism and spirituality is serving as a strong psychological support for the helpless and severely deprived people of Cholistan other than satisfying their religious sentiments