SINDH isn’t exactly the first place that pops up in everyone’s mind when they’re thinking about taking a short trip or expedition within the country. The province tends to often get overlooked for the mountains of the north and majesty of Lahore’s Mughal-era structures instead. The region has been ruled and conquered by numerous empires and dynasties, from the glorious Indus Valley civilization to the Arabs to the Kalhoras and more recently the Talpurs and the British.

The province is a goldmine-cum-playground for culture vultures and explores alike. The past weekend I went on a little journey exploring the area between Karachi and Hala.

I started off by exploring the royal tombs of the Kalhoras and Talpurs in Hyderabad. From there I moved on to aimlessly walking around and basking in the ambiance of the famous Shahi Bazaar. From Hyderabad I moved towards Bhit Shah, a town built around the shrine of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, a revered poet, mystic and saint. The shrine itself is a dazzling blue structure covered in intricate designs and motifs. However the star attraction of the location was musical performances by the fakirs seated outside in the courtyard of the shrine.

My journey ended Hala, located barely 20 minutes away from Bhit Shah. I spent a few hours walking along the main bazaar, there were specialty handicraft stores everywhere -- from shops selling locally made pottery to blue glazed tiles and ajrak. It’s a great place to buy some unique souvenirs.

At the end of my trip I couldn’t help but think to myself how much touristic potential Sindh has. Unfortunately most of the monuments I happened to check out were in a pretty sorry state, there were barely any rest houses or facilities for travellers along the highway. Adding to all this there was rubbish everywhere. If due attention is not given to these heritage sites. They may in the near future completely disappear and become a legacy of our past confined to archives and history books.

Bilal Hasan

Karachi

Published in Dawn, March 31st, 2019