TRADITIONS: THE SONG OF THAR
“For centuries, Hamarcho has portrayed our previous hurdles, our hope for a bountiful crop yield and a prosperous life for the Thari people,” says Arjan Meghwar, referring to the folk song which is part of the pre-harvest tradition in Thar. The folk song of Hamarcho, which depicts aspirations of three generations, is a way for Tharis to remember the sufferings of their past, celebrate the present and envision a bright future.
As crops grow, farmers’ families, friends, neighbours and relatives come together to weed out grass from the land — the grass is considered harmful for the growing crop and a single family is unable to do this on their own. This community event held in the monsoon season or ‘Waskaro’ (in Dharki language) is known as Aabath and Kherd in Dharki. Harmacho is sung during this event and can be heard in the fields of Thar after the rains.
“It boosts morale and enthusiasm,” says Noor Ahmed Janjhi, a research scholar on folklore and folk literature. “Its linguistic aestheticism is in its harmony. Legendary poet Shaikh Ayaz has even composed a novel with Hamarcho,” he further adds.
Prior to harvest time, Tharis sing a special song to keep plugging along at their laborious field work
And indeed Aabath and Kherd is not just about farming, it is about bringing the community together through poetry and song; a reminder that friends and family are there for each other. I set out to see this traditional farming activity deep in the desert.