Jhando Bheel sits under the shadow of the Kumbhatt tree — also known as Acacia Senegal — surrounded by sand dunes outside his village, Kharo Doongro. The village is located seven kilometres north of Mithi, the administrative capital of Tharparkar district in the southern Sindh province.

Bheel, who is in his sixties, is currently living in a makeshift hut made from leaves, wood and bushes. Two of his sons are with him at the hut, where Bheel spends time to keep an eye on his cattle that are grazing on the many Kumbhatt trees in the area.

Dressed in a black kurta shalwar, his moustache is black but his stubble is almost white. There are some strands of white hair on his head, concealed under the traditional Muslim skullcap. The black beads around his neck, visible under the unbuttoned kurta, have made a black circle in his white-haired chest. His clothes and cap have visible signs of the desert sand.

In the wide expanse around him, the silence of the desert is punctuated with the sound of the wind and the tinkling of bells, including those around the necks of Bheel’s goats.

For centuries, Thari herders have relied on bells to track their cattle. But these humble instruments are more than just tools — they shape the soundscape of the desert, influence folk music, and carry a legacy of craftsmanship…

Inside the hut, different types and sizes of bells are kept in plastic bags. Some of them are very small, while others are quite big. “The big bells are for larger cattle, such as camels and cows, while the little ones are for goats and sheep, with every bell having its own name as per the size,” Bheel tells Eos.

THE BELL TUNER

Along with being a herder, Bheel is also an expert bell tuner, having been in the profession for over two decades.

Bheel buys the steel bells, sans the clapper, from the local blacksmith. “Here, I just set their tunes and, after that, I sell them at the animal market every Sunday in Mithi,” he says.

He explains that a key material for the bell is the inner black wood of the Kumbhatt tree, which serves as the basic tuning source. “In the local language, people call this wooden part

“laar” [clapper], and it is seven to eight inches,” he says.

The tune is created when the clapper strikes the inside of the bell, which generates vibrations and the resulting soundwaves, with the size, shape and material of the bell determining the sound it will create.

Bheel explains the various sizes of the bells, explaining that the smallest is called “kirak”, which is tied to goats and sheep. Then, there are medium-sized bells, called “char-ana” and “aath-ana”, which are also for goats and sheep. Then come “chiro” and “chher”, which are for cows and buffalo. “Kharko” and “double-kharko” are the biggest among the bells and they are tied to camels.

Speaking about his bell-making process, Bheel tells Eos that he starts with trimming the wood to hang inside the bell, which should hang at least three to four inches outside the lip of the bell. “If this part of wood is not visible outside the bell circle, then the bell is not going to ring,” says Bheel. “After that, I start creating tunes with the help of a hammer and other parts of iron,” he continues.

There are two main types of bell tunes, continues Bheel. “One is locally called ‘sarlo’, which is sweet and heart-touching, while the other one is locally called ‘hakkar’, which is a bitter tune,” Bheel continues.

In every herd, one animal takes the lead and the rest of the cattle follow it to the pasture, explains Bheel. “The sarlo-tuned bell is tied to the animal leading the herd,” he says.

DESERT ACOUSTICS TO TRACK CATTLE

Khet Singh Rajput, 35, says bells are essential to keep track of their cattle. “Not only do we know the tune of our animal bells, but our herd also knows the tune of the leading animal’s bells,” says Rajput, adding that the cattle follow the sound.

In the case of a small herd, a bell is only tied to the animal leading the herd. “But if the herd is big, say more than 100 animals,” continues Rajput, “then we tie a bell to four to five animals. The tune of all these bells would be sarlo,” he adds.

The bitter hakkar-tuned bells are used for animals that are lazy or do not follow the herd-leader. “The hakkar tune guides us to where our animal is,” Rajput continues.

Furthermore, the bells serve as a geolocator for herders, so they can ensure that their cattle are in pasture land and not destroying crops on cultivated farmland. “During the rainy season, we put bells on more animals to keep better track of them,” Rajput says. This also creates a melodic environment, not just for the herder but anybody in the vicinity, and serves as a celebration of rain in the desert, Rajput adds.

At the same time, herders say, it is essential to buy the right type of bell for their animal. The melody has to be in tune with the type of the animal it is for, says Bheel. The bouncy, irregular steps of goats and sheep can create an uneven rapid jingling, which needs to be considered while crafting the bell, continues Bheel.

Along with that, gait patterns and pace are an important consideration, too. For cows, with their steady, heavy walk, the bell sounds are likely to be rhythmic and deliberate; while for camels, with their swaying gait, the bell is likely to create a rolling, intermittent sound.

THE SOUNDSCAPE OF THE DESERT

Abdul Ghani Lund, also in his thirties, says Bheel tunes the bells as per the herder’s desires. “When our ears like the bell’s tune, then we purchase the bell from him,” says Lund. He acknowledges that there are only two dominant tunes, but adds: “You know, if the same song is sung by 10 singers, everyone has their own tune, just like every bell has its own tune.”

For the herders, the bells are also a way to adorn their animals, and not just a means for tracking herds.

Dr Rafique Wassan, who is associated with the anthropology and archaeology department at the University of Sindh, Jamshoro, calls the tinkling of the bells a part of the soundscape of Tharparkar, or most pastoral societies. “It manifests the indispensable presence of music, acoustic culture and environment in Thar,” he tells Eos.

It is also seeped in Thari culture, with its sizeable population of semi-nomadic, pastoral communities that rely on livestock. The sound serves more than the functional value of tracking herds, distinguishing ownership or keeping track of animal behaviour, such as the tempo of the bell suggesting a herd in distress.

The polyphonic sounds emanating from grazing cattle also turn into a symphony, with folk musicians playing traditional instruments in sync with the natural rhythm of the bell, creating symphonies and composing songs, adding to the rich folklore of the area.

The writer is a field researcher based in Tharparkar, Sindh. X: @Jogekhalid

Published in Dawn, EOS, March 30th, 2025