Despite spending a lifetime in Karachi, I often felt that I don’t know much about my very own province. With each passing year, tales of robberies and kidnapping in Sindh were not exactly encouraging and only added to the lack of tourism material. Hence, good intentions and a desire to see more of Sindh were just not enough. Having no idea about tourist-worthy sights in Sindh, road conditions or travel time was quite bewildering.

So when the Indus Resource Centre offered a five-day tour of Sindh, I pounced at the opportunity. In the end, I was so glad that I did! The five days spent in rural Sindh brought to light our heritage; simultaneously it taught me humility and made me proud of our culture, and demonstrated the meaning of true hospitality.

The highlight of the first day was the wall at Ranikot, a wonder in itself. In the middle of nowhere, a high wall, like the wall of China, runs for nearly 30 miles and encloses nothing but barren land. Who built these ramparts and when, is a mystery waiting to be solved. Nevertheless, the stark beauty of the land punctuated by man’s endeavour in the form of a massive wall simply takes your breath away.

It took just a five-day road trip to the interior to fall in love with the culture and heritage of Sindh

Next was the Shrine of Hazrat Shahbaz Qalandar in Sehwan. Most towns and villages in Sindh are built around shrines which form the centre of the settlements with the main bazaars radiating from them. Covered in a variety of blue tiles, the shrine of Hazrat Shahbaz Qalandar is topped with an impressive dome. The beautiful verandas and courtyards teem with insistent beggars and touts who touch and pester the visitors, which is a tad annoying.

The next day, we headed to Arore, the capital of Sindh in ancient times. There we saw the remnants of a mosque built by Mohammed bin Qasim. Though nothing much remains, the fragments hint at the greatness of the mosque. The area is distinctive in its terrain. It is a mix of barren, sandy stretches of desert and green fields of wheat and lucerne wherever a source of water is available. In the Rohri hills sector of the desert, there are high outcroppings of sedimentary rocks, weirdly shaped like mushrooms, due to wind erosion. Some are topped by tiny shrines. It is believed that if a supplicant undertakes the arduous climb to the top, his prayers are answered.

That evening we spent some time at the shrine of Sachal Sarmast. The shrine itself was similar to the shrine at Sehwan but our experience was entirely different. There were no beggars and the courtyard was serene and calm. After Maghrib prayers (which even the women were allowed to offer in the attached mosque), small groups of musicians began singing Sachal’s poetry. At one point, there were three such groups performing concurrently. The singing was not aimed at any particular audience but was an expression of spontaneous devotion to the great poet.

The highlight of the third day of our Sindh adventure was an introduction to the property of the erstwhile Talpurs of Khairpur. It was in 1955 that Khairpur State merged into Pakistan. The ex-ruler still lives in the palace called Faiz Mahal. We were given a tour of the grounds and the Darbar of this impressive building. The Darbar is the central portion of the palace with a façade of stately columns while the two wings of 10 rooms each flank this hall. Inside are opulent furnishings, a throne chair and historical photographs on the walls. Both inside and out, the palace shows signs of neglect and deterioration. It is sad to see the tattered remains of a grandeur of the past era.

The Shahi or Sheesh Mahal, another property of the ex-ruler, is in even worse condition. Here the decaying walls of the central hall are covered in exquisite paintings and mirror work which are now falling to pieces. The grounds have become part of the desert. The whole place cries out for someone to renovate it and put it to good use.

Our trip to Mehrano, yet another possession of the Talpurs, finally lifted our spirits. This is a game reserve dedicated by the Talpurs to animal conservation. We saw multiple herds of fat deer peacefully roaming around, quite unafraid of us since they had never faced danger at the hands of humans.

Kot Diji Fort was our next stop. Once a part of Khairpur State it was later given to the government of Pakistan by the last Talpur ruler. The fort is still in good condition. The high walls and turrets tower over Kot Diji can be seen from the National Highway. Inside, there are walls within walls and a series of three gates, studded with pointy brass knobs to deter all foes. The fort is used for the presentation of cultural events.

The main feature of the fourth day was our visit to Mohenjo Daro. How awe-inspiring to realise that our very own Indus has been meandering to the sea for 5,000 years, helping mankind since the dawn of time to eke out a livelihood on its banks. The ruins of the city put our present day towns to shame. For instance, in the ancient Mohenjo Daro, there were covered drains, garbage collection areas and public baths. Unfortunately, many visitors to Mohenjo Daro do not appear to be cognisant of the rules of cleanliness as you find wantonly discarded juice cartons and plastic wrappers everywhere. The Mohenjo Daro museum, though small, is well-curated and self-explanatory.

On the last day we headed homeward via the Nara desert, which spreads all the way south to Thar. This is a relatively long route to Karachi and the road is often bad, but the majesty of the desert makes up for these drawbacks. Mile upon mile of uninhabited sand covered by scrub and thorn bushes are occasionally punctuated by greenery so lush that it hurts the eyes. These are the areas where water is present. In one such patch were yellow fields of mustard (sarson) as far as the eye could see. It would perhaps be fit for a location for a Bollywood film song.

The best part of the drive was our stop at Chotiari Dam near Sanghar. Here the Nara canal has been dammed and a huge lake has been formed. We were served Rohu fish, caught from the lake waters, for lunch and then taken for a soul satisfying boat ride on the lake just as the shadows lengthened. Who could have thought that such a lake would be found in the midst of this dry wilderness!

Heading home, we had already started feeling homesick for the rhythms of Sindh. The date groves of Khairpur, the fruit laden guava trees of Larkana, the trailers heavy with sugarcane hitched precariously to tractors, the grossly over-loaded trucks of hay, the shrines, the palaces, the feasts of chawal ki roti and sabzi and most of all the people of Sindh. I know a five-day trip is not enough to get to know Sindh, but at least the introduction has begun and I feel prouder than ever to be a part of this historic province.

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, January 3rd, 2016