Monday, November 27, 2017

Trip Report: Mohenjo Daro, Ranikot, Mehar, and Sehwan from Karachi

Mohenjo Daro - Pakistan's Prime Archaeological Site Situated in Sindh

Duration: 2 Days trip in Mid-November, 2017 DIY with local support

Route: Karachi-Ranikot-Mohenjodaro-Mehar-Sehwan-Hyderabad-Karachi

Transport: Hired Toyota Corolla from the Karachi-Mehar route operator – Rs. 16,500

06:15 am Left Karachi. Watched sunrise on the Super Highway

08:30 am Reached Jamshoro. Breakfast at Zaman Hotel: Tandoori parathay, Omelet, Fried eggs, Daal ghutala, Vegetables – tenday, and the ubiquitous wood-fired tea.

10:30 am Ranikot Detour. Visited Mirikot. Met Sadiq Gabol – the unsung legend!

12:00 pm Back to the highway

2:00 pm Namaz break off highway near Mehar

3:00 pm Roadside Lunch at Radhan village near Mohenjo Daro

3:45 pm Reached Mohenjo Daro

5:00 pm Left Mohenjo Daro and reached Mehar where we had night stay in a village courtesy my college time friend Mujtaba Tunio. Witnessed the village life and enjoyed the traditional Sindhi hospitality to the fullest.

7 am Visited Rice fields around the village. Had breakfast.

10:30 am Started the return journey

12:30 pm Visited Sehwan: Lal Shahbaz Qalandar

3:30 pm Reached Hyderabad Latifabad to meet a relative

8:00 pm Back home Alhamdolillah


Could not find enough time to make a detailed Trip Report so resorted to detailed Captions in the below picture (mostly rants) for those who might be interested.

Sun Rising Up: Karachi Hyderabad Super Highway

Watching At Least 1 Sunrise A Month is the Target These Days!

Zaman Hotel Super Highway - Got our Table in the Open to Enjoy the Sunlight Breakfast!


 Sann Entrance of Ranikot Fort: Pronounced Ranni-kot

Inside Ranikot: Mirikot in the Center and Shergarh on Top Left while the Greenery is along the freshwater stream

Mirikot Exterior

From Inside Mirikot: Cultivation by Villagers along the Stream. The Vicinity is inhabited by the Indigenous Gabol Tribe.

Shergarh Calling: Visible in the Top Center

Inside Mirikot: Intricate Carving, Arch, and Stairs

The Incompetent Sindh Government Could only Erect a Lame Unauthentic Gate to Control the Entry at Mirikot to Capitalize in Future on the Growing Popularity of Ranikot Fort Rather Than Doing Something Worth

The Beautiful Ancient Water Supply Well Turning into a Modern Day Garbage Bin

Camel Herds of All Colors; Black, White and 'Camel' are a Common Sight on Ranikot-Sann Link Road

Mehar-Mohenjo Daro Link Road

This Enroute Pump had a Functional Toilet!

My Beautiful Sindh - Rice Roots after the Crop is Taken Out, Red Thrasher Working on the Right of the Bran Mound while the Peeping Green is the Newly Cultivated Wheat

Lunch Time - Roadside but Fresh

Mohenjo Daro's Mound Believed to be an Ancient Buddhist Stupa

The Excavated City of Mohenjo Daro

White Stones Represent the Ancient Sewerage System which is Even Non-Existent in Today's Sindh and Over Flowing in Karachi

"Mujhe Kis Ney Nikala!" Looks Like an Attempt to Put the Controversy to End

An Ancient Well - as per the non-so-ancient White Board 

Excavation of the Other Side of the Site may Bring More Insights

Enlarged Replica of Priest King - the Prized Statue Excavated from Mohnejo Daro

The Original Palm Size Priest King at Karahci's National Museum

"Long Tunia": A Village Near  Mehar Town, District Dadu, Sindh where We Enjoyed the Traditional Sindhi Hospitality

Rice Roots which are Burned Especially in India and Supposedly Cause the Smog. Rice Field Itself Produces Methane Gas. Here I Officially Declare that I am a NonBeliever - in Climate Change!

Farmers' Gold: Freshly Cut Paddy Destined to the East Asia - Philipines, Malaysia, etc. for Bhaat. In Pakistan We Usually Have a Different Variety with Bigger Grains

A Local with the Fresh Catch from the Village Pond. People in the Village Have Lesser Facilities Than Us in Cities But They Are Happier and Closer to Nature

Impressive Mosque Behind the Enthusiastically Built Shrine in Long Tunia Village Where We Stayed - District Dadu, Sindh

The Shrine of Shah Usman Marwandi, known as Lal Shahbaz Qalandar - the Grand Sufi of Sindh

The Sehwan Shrine is the Heavily Frequented and Most Enthusiastically Revered by People of the Region Belonging to Almost All Sects and Religions

The Elaborate Interior of Lal Shahbaz Shrine

Persian-Sindhi Craft is at Best at Lal Shahbaz Shrine

Another Sample of Beautiful Art Work at Sehwan Mazar

Pattern Variety at the Shrine is Amazing

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