Harappa : Modern Town

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Harappa Town, District Sahiwal, Punjab, Pakistan

Here are two girls walking in the covered bazaar [mostly] that stretches through the center of Harappa town. Small stalls open off the street, offering either a general or specific approach to vending. Some would have nothing but hookahs, or pans, or shoes. Some would be a veritable Kwikie mart, with food, household goods, cards, party supplies, you name it - they'll pull it out of somewhere.

Much of the present Harappa town lies on a mounded or raised area of the plain. This would suggest that this has been a town for five millennia, or at least outskirts.

Author in covered [mostly] bazaar in Harappa town. Every week or so we would visit town, browse the small-town bazaar, get some sweets, and check things out. As my language skills improved, I found that I could hardly have a minute in town without running into a workman, getting invited for chai [milk tea], or finding someone who wanted to hang out. My second year all the workmen knew me, which given their hospitality meant I had to be polite enough to at least have some chai.

Buffalo finding their way home from a day in the country feeding. Buffalo are an important source of income - as they generate a lot of milk daily. They are also used for traction, and eventually dinner.

Every year on Saint Patrick's Day [though they don't know that], a mehla comes past Harappa. This is focused on a large pilgrimage to an important Sufi saint, Sakhi Sarwar. His tomb is in the hills west of Multan, the final destination.

Central to this are the holy men, pictured here [there are a number of others] who are on the pilgrimage. Every day they move down the old trade road toward Multan, giving blessings and offering prayers.

I found it a strange coincidence that every year on Saint Patrick's Day, a bunch of mystics dressed in green showed up along with a country fair. We would get the day off, a little fun before the last month of concentrated effort.

Along with these mystics would come a whole fair. Rides [dangerous, but more fun because of that], sweets, musicians, crafts, ... even the Well of Death! This was a circular area where motorcycles would ride up and down circular vertical walls. It made a lot of noise, and was immensely popular with the locals.

If anyone has more information about this mehla, pilgrimages, or anything related - please e-mail me. I'd love to learn more.

Musicians at the melha.

Father and son sweet [mittai] sellers at the mehla. These sweets take a little development of the palate to appreciate, but are wonderful sources of nutrition on the road traveling [lots of milk solids, high calorie].