Thatta: the city of vibrant and fascinating faces

(Photo : Rahul Aijaz)

I felt like Hunter S. Thompson. No, more like Raoul Duke (or Rahul Duke, you might say). Only I was not high on acid. I found myself in the middle of a very small city known as Thatta in Sindh, Pakistan, which boasted of academic excellence in Sindh a couple of centuries ago. It was the same Thatta where scholars and poets pursued their thirst of knowledge; the same Thatta where hundreds and thousands of saints and rulers are buried; and the very same Thatta, which is still inhabited by Sindhis full of energy and followers and devotees of those saints.

(Photo : Rahul Aijaz)

I figured that the people of Thatta live a rural lifestyle. While exploring Thatta, I found the mentality of the people to be laid back. Perhaps that is why people from cities like Karachi visit here often, to seek escape from the busy city life. Nonetheless, their enthusiasm and love for their hometown was what caught my attention.

(Photo : Rahul Aijaz)

Encapsulation of the liveliness
I was specifically fascinated by a sentence uttered by one of the locals in the market when the person ahead of him slowed down due to a puddle of mud. He exclaimed, “Halo, halo! Asaan jo khoobsurat sheher Thatto!” meaning “Move on, it’s our beautiful city, Thatta.”

This was pure sarcasm. But for me, it encapsulated the liveliness of the people of Thatta. They were by no means lethargic or gloomy. Of course, the city is not well developed as you would expect when you find out that Thatta boasts of the famous mosque built by Mughal emperor Shahjahan; one of the largest necropolises in the world, Makli; and the largest freshwater lake of Pakistan, Keenjhar Lake. But, that does not affect the mindset of the people. They are as cheerful as they come.

This short series of photos consists of portraits that try to capture the “khoobsurti” (beauty) of Thatta, not through the landmarks and the historic architecture that it possesses, but in the faces of people that dwell there.

Walking in the main bazaar of Thatta, which runs like a river through the whole city, I saw a number of interesting faces. People did not wear masks; they showed who they were. They were not afraid of being judged. Everyone lived together, from the beggars to the bread-earners.

My images are an attempt to show a portrait of the city Thatta. Every face I saw told me a different story of the city and its experience. There were those who had spent their lives in the city and seen it change through the years. Their faces talked about the evolution, the change the city has gone through. The wrinkles on the faces of the old men, the touching smiles of the children who ran their houses by themselves – every face spoke.

(Photo : Rahul Aijaz)

Every face is a new story of ‘the beautiful city of Thatta.’

(Photo : Rahul Aijaz)

Through this series, I capture the interesting juxtaposition of elements that occur naturally in the streets of Thatta. The people of the wonderful city have a distinct look, a look with a lot of character in them. They are not ordinary faces, but faces that you will remember. From the endless soul-searching stares to the interesting activities they are involved in, the people of Thatta remind everyone who visits or gets a peek at their lives that even though the city is not at its prime in terms of cultural excellence and educational importance, Thatta will always remain beautiful, no matter what.