KARACHI AND SINDH HIGH LIGHTS

The fortified village of Kolachi founded in 1729, is now the south Asia’s second largest city, Karachi. The British, recognizing its strategic location at Arabian sea, transformed it into a trade hub. Today it has inhabitants from across Pakistan, making it a linguistic, cultural, and religious hub as well as one of Pakistan's most secular and socially liberal cities.

From street food and lively night life to sunny-sandy beaches and old colonial buildings, the city has a lot to offer when it comes to attractions and activities. It is a melting pot of cultural and modern practices and referred as “City of lights” for its round the clock lively and vibrant ambiance. The availability of international airport draws flocks of both, foreign and local tourists, on daily basis. Along all that, the traditional bazars, modern shopping malls, and themed modish eateries with flavours from all over the nation, make it a hotspot for tourist activities.
Let us get into the remarkable places of the Grand South Asian city.

SADDAR

The historic downtown of Karachi is also known as Saddar; a home to a collection of buildings and structures of varied architectural styles from the British Raj. Getting lost in the chaotic inner city - full of goods, people, and vehicle can turn into an enjoyable experience. The famous historic Mohamad Ali Building, Memon Mosque and St. Andrew Church are among the most worth visiting places.

ABDULLAH SHAH GHAZI

The green-domed shrine dedicated to the 8th century Sufi; “Abdullah Shah Ghazi” is perched at the hilltop overlooking the Clifton beach. The 1300 years old tomb has a tall and square chamber, and a green-white striped dome embellished with Sindhi tile-works and a green flag flutter give a majestic view.

It is believed that the shrine has kept Karachi safe from natural disasters, despite it being climatically ripe for tropical storms. The shrine is especially revered by the transgender community who are always present at all occasions. In the grounds below a weight-lifting competition is held, encircled by the cheering crowd belonging to every kind of faith and profession. The Dhamal – a typical dance is performed on the drumbeats, by the devoted followers of Shah Ghazi. Another exciting experience is the Qawwali performance, yet another crowd swaying under its spell.

An annual Urs (Festival) is held for three days, according to Islamic calendar in the month of 20th to 22nd Dhul al-Hijjah, marking the anniversary of Abdullah. The shrine complex has a long line of shops selling rosaries, glass and silver colourful bangles, prayer mates and beads.

National Museum of Pakistan

Among the seven inherited Museums after the independence, the defunct Victoria Museum was replaced by the National Museum of Pakistan and became the first official museum of the country, located on Burns Garden. The museum has eleven galleries, comprising the collection of items relating to Pakistan’s cultural heritage, other galleries display Indus civilization antiquities, Gandhara civilization Sculptures, Islamic Art, Miniature Paintings, Ancient coins and Manuscripts documenting Pakistan’s political history.

At the entrance of the museum, a large relief map of vast territory of South-Western Asia welcomes you. Inside the gallery is chronically placed material from stone age, Indus valley civilization, and village cultures of Baluchistan, including remains of wheat, drawings and faience models of animals and bust of King Priest kept in glass case.

A panorama painting depicting the daily lifestyle of people of Mohenjo-Daro is placed near eastern side of the gallery. Outside the Buddhist gallery, the collection from ancient Gandhara is showcased, also statues of Buddha are displayed, illustrating different postures and ways of meditation. The series arranged on the North wall depicts the life story of Buddha through dioramic panels, his transformation from a king to a priest. The Southern side has representation of Buddhist monastery at Takht-i-bahi and other specimens of stucco and terracotta figures.

The Hindu Sculpture art is showcased in the next section, belonging to 6th to 11th century AD. The main figures in displayed are Shiva, Vishnu, and Surya. The Brass status of Rama and Brahma are also among the obtained sculptures from Tharparkar Sindh. Another gallery, ‘the freedom Movement gallery’, has a large collection of pictures and articles from the time of independence movement, including archaeological artefacts, Islamic art, and other historical documents. The Quran gallery, situated in the southern wing of first floor, has more 300 copies of Holy Quran, out of which 52 manuscripts are on display.

The second floor of the museum is exhibiting Muslim calligraphy. The miniatures painting of portraits of Mongol emperors, queens and princes are part of the collection, embellished with Persian delicacy blended with Indian palette of vibrant greens, reds and oranges. There is also an Ethnological Gallery with life size statues of different ethnicities living in the four provinces of modern-day Pakistan.

Manghopir

One of the oldest area of Karachi, Manghopir is situated in the North of the city, and is famous for the shrine of Sufi saint, Pir Mangho the oldest Sufi shrine in the area. The fact that dozens of Crocodiles are the inhabitant of pond located in this vicinity makes it unique and of interest. The local visitors feed them, as they believe these crocodiles are the manifestation of the Sufi saint. The shrine has been mentioned in some ancient text, as well in the British colonialist writings.

Saint Mangho settled in the area in the 13th century, when Karachi was just a few fishing villages. He used to meditate at the top of the hill, surrounded by palm trees and chose to live and share his food with the crocodiles. Amongst the several mythical stories about the origins of the crocodiles, the most fantastic one is the belief by his followers that lice fell from the saint’s head and turned into crocodiles through his miraculous powers. A scientific explanation is that the lake was formed as a result of an ancient flood and that these crocodiles were washed here with that flood The archaeologists have found fossilized remains of crocodiles from the bronze age (3300-1200 BC).

The area is populated by the Makarani/Sheedi community, mostly descendants of African slaves brought here by Turks, Persians, and Arabs invaders between 10th to 17th century. Mangho is the patron saint of the Sheedi community and every year the community celebrates their African roots at an annual festival held at the shrine.

MAKLI

The Necropolis of Makli is located on the outskirt of the medieval capital of Sindh, Thatta, 2 hours away from Karachi. The 10 square km long cemetery houses nearly half a million-to-million graves, from 14th to 18th century, built in Mughal era and is an early Islamic cemetery. The vast necropolis of Makli is among the largest in the world. Kings, queens, governors, saints, scholars, and philosophers are buried here in brick or stone monuments, some of which are lavishly decorated with glazed tiles. - a testimony that Thatta has remained a cultural hub in the history. As an “outstanding universal value” Makli made its place among the UNESCO world heritage sites in 1981.

The Sufi saint, poet and scholar Shaikh Jamali named this place as Makli – the little Makkah, after hearing the story of a Haj pilgrim who stopped at site and erupted into a spiritual ecstasy, later he established a Sufi gathering at the place and was eventually buried there.

Buildings have been divided into three time periods, according to different reign. The graveyard unfolds in diamond-shape, before thinning out in the surroundings. The architecture of the buildings has great influence of Muslim, Hindu, Mughal, and Gujrati, which makes the visuals of cemetery a treat to behold.

Early pyramid shape graves have carved verses of Quran at each side. Most of the graves are unnamed, as tombs of men are carved with horses and weapons, while tombs of women are decorated with jewellery.

The sandstone carvings depict the relation of the local tribes with the neighbouring regions of Iran, central Asia, and Turkey. Evolution in designs and patterns has been observed, as the more complex and Arabic patterns with biographical information emerged.

Shah Jahan Mosque

This 17th century marvel is right next to Makli, on the eastern edge of the “city of dead”, Thatta. Built in 1647, as a token of gratitude from Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan to thank the locals for their hospitality and generosity he encountered during his stay at Thatta, after fleeing from his hometown following a dispute with his father, Emperor Jahangir. Today, it acts as the Jemiah Masjid (central mosque) of the city. The mosque is considered to have the most elaborate tile work in South-Asia.

An exterior garden and a fountain lead the way to the mosques main entrance. The mosque is an elaborate display of tile work particularly influenced by Mughal, Persian and Timurid styles of construction. The structure of the mosque is built of red bricks, constructed upon stone spilth, but the notable geometric patterns add decorative elements that are uncommon in Mughal Era Mosques. Although no fresco has been used, the walls, domes, arches, and doors are a visual treat due the tile work and the Arabic and Persian calligraphy carvings.

The mosque has four exterior and one interior door, each leading to the main prayer hall. The thirty-three arches of the corridor lead to the courtyard. The main prayer hall is embellished with hues of blue, turquoise and magenta tiles and interior of domes have similar pallet with hints of red, white, and yellow to represent the glorious skies above.

The mosque has hundred domes, ninety-three of them cover the entire structure (the highest for a mosque in Pakistan), resulting in remarkable acoustics that enable prayer to be heard in every part of the mosque. Natural ventilation is employed in the interior, which allows air to pass through, avoiding suffocation when the larger number of people gather for prayer. Shah Jahan Mosque has been on the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage since 1993.

Ranikot Fort

The largest unexplored fort of the world, 262 km from Karachi, is a historic attraction, with a circumference of about 29 km. The fort stands in the Lakki Mountains of the Kirthar Range, with first fort site built by a Persian Nobel, Imran Bin Musa Barmaki, back in 836 CE - under the reign of Abbasid’s. Later in 1234 A.H/1819 A.D the fort was further constructed, and named after a torrent, Rani Nai, which was the main source of supplying water to the area. According to local folklore of Sindh, in the early 19th century, some of the present structure was reconstructed by two Talpur Mirs, Mir Karam Ali Khan and Mir Murad Ali.

The road to fort stops at the eastern side of the fort, but the massive walls twisting all over the barren hills are visible from 5 km away. Just 8.25 km out 20 km long wall is manmade, and the rest is made of natural cliffs and barricades of mountain’s rock which at some places rise as high as two thousand feet above sea level. The walls are fortified with 45 bastions, of which seven are rectangular and the remaining are round.

The Ranikot has four giant gates; Sann gate with oval pillars is at the entrance, Mohan gate is at the west, on North side is Amri Gate and Shah Pir gate is on the South. The hight after Climbing the wall provides a panoramic view of the landscape. Another metal road takes you to a small fortress “Meeri”, which allows one to see “Shergarh”, yet another fortress, up in mountain. The Mohan gate requires a few kilometres of walk through a treacherous path, which leads to “Paryun Jo Talao” – the pond of fairies, it is a deep and slippery pond, according to the local inhabitants’ fairies come to this pond on full moon to take a bath. The visit to Ranikot is combination of hiking and exploration, which allows you to witness some spectacular aesthetic viewpoints.

Mohenjo-Daro

Larkana is the ancient city in Sindh, which has the ruins of Mohenjo-Daro. “Mound of dead” is modern-day name of the largest city of Indus Valley civilization, and also one of the earliest ones in the world, built around the 26th century BCE. The undiscovered city is considered as the capital of the ancient civilization. The excavation of the city started after its rediscovery in 1920s, later designated as a UNESCO world heritage site.

The carefully planned and well-structured city was an advanced municipality, constructed with sophisticated engineering and Urban planning. The city had two parts, the citadel and the lower city, most of them were built of baked bricks. The proper drainage and sewerage system, well aligned houses, fortification, water supply and wells were unearthed during the excavation of 300 hectares. The remains of wheat and other cereals, along with drawings of certain animals indicates the healthy diet intake by the people of the region. The pictographic scripts and seals found in the capital still remains as an unsolved mystery. The sculptures found in the excavation indicates that both, men and women, wore ornaments of stones, gold, silver and bronze.

The custom of burial of owner with its objects was a conventional practice among the people. The household objects, pottery, needles, awls, axes, saws, sickles, knives, locks and fishing hooks are included in the unearthed items.

It is believed from some sources that the city collapsed after the river changed its position, but no one knows the exact reasons for its destruction. The one of the earliest and modern cities of the world is situated in Larkana, Sindh, considered as a worth visiting place for its artefacts and incredible remains.

Kot Diji

The archaeological site of Kot Diji sits on the eastern bank of Indus River. The origin of the Kot Diji belongs to the early Harrapan period (with remains dating back to 3,300 BCE), is considered the forerunner of Indus Civilization. The site was excavated in between 1955 to 1957 and is situated at the foot of Rohri Hills. At the top of the steep narrow hill, lies Kot Diji fort built in 1790 by Talpur dynasty ruler, Mir Suhrab, during his reign, from 1783 to 1830 AD.

The site belongs to 3000 BCE covers 2.6 ha and was associated with the farmer community. The early constructions in the Harrapan phase consist of two sides. For the elites there is citadel on the high ground, separated by a defensive wall with bastions at regular intervals and the outer area, or the city, consisted of mud bricks on stone foundations.

The pottery found has different designs, other objects like pots, pans, storage jars, toy carts, balls, bangles, terracotta figurines, and bronze arrow heads are found. The most particular discovery at Kot Diji is of toy cart, which shows the use of wheel for bullock carts. The excavation of ruins reveals the signs of massive burning incident in the area, which burned the whole town including upper mound and lower habitation area.

The fort at Kot Diji is a must visit, the fort sits atop a 110-foot-tall high hill that rises above the city of Kot Diji. The fort is very well persevered, and you can walk on the 30-foot-tall walls that encircle the uppermost portion of the fort.

Laal Shahbaz Qalandar

Amongst the many sufi mystics Lal Shahbaz stands out as perhaps the most eccentric. He is called Lal ("ruby-colored") because of the ruby-like glow on his face and forehead, also he used to dress in red flowing robes, "Shahbaz" (falcon) because it is believed that he was able to fly and Qalandar is his spiritual status, higher than a Sufi or saint.

The shrine of 12th century mystic and poet Syed Mohammad Usman Marwandi, popularly known as Lal Shahbaz Qalandar is located in the city of interior Sindh, Sehwan, on the west bank of Indus valley. He settled there after travelling extensively in present day Punjab, Sindh, and Ajmer.

Lal Shahbaz’s life is mythologized and there are many miracles that are associated with him. One story of Shah and Bodla Bahaar, his favourite disciple (whose shrine is near the old fortress and worth a visit), is still talk of the town. The ruler of Sehwan fearing the popularity of Lal Shahbaz and Bodla Bahaar, ordered his soldiers to execute Bodla Bahaar and scattered his body pieces. When Lal Shahbaz heard about the incident, called the name of his favourite disciple and his chopped-up body transformed back into Bodla Bahaar to answer back his master’s call. Later, on the orders of Lal Shahbaz, Bodla Bahaar turned the whole fortress of the ruler upside down. People claim that the ruins are still there.

The alley from Bodla Bahaar to Lal Shahbaz’s shrine is full of shops selling everything from flowers to shawls to toys to electronics. The vibrant traditional bazar has no dull movement, people sipping teas, smoking pipes, shopping, and lighting clay Diya’s (lamps) throughout the night.

It is believed that Dhamal, the ecstatic whirling dance of Sufis, has been performed everyday since it started in the 13th century. To honor the tradition, Dhamal continued to be performed during COVID in a limited way even though the shrine is closed to public. Dhamal starts at Maghrib (sunset) and is a visual to behold; men, women, and children all dancing to the beat of giant drums, getting lost in trance like state. This is only shrine where Hindu, Muslim, men and women dance together to show their devotion for Lal Shahbaz.