A model town: Meethi Mithi

Silence hangs over the small town of Mithi like a thick cloud that refuses to pour.

MITHI:

The first thing you notice as you enter Tharparkar district through the arched gateway is the silence. It hangs over the small town of Mithi like a thick cloud that refuses to pour.

Mithi is an almost dead town. The facades of newly-constructed and under-construction buildings are a desperate attempt to instill some life into it. The main marketplace, conveniently located around the single-road that leads into the city is slightly busier. Here, people from far-flung villages arrive hanging on four-wheeler jeeps, to buy their monthly rations or for any other work in town.

Camels, cows, bufallos and other livestock openly roam the streets. With the number of livestock close to six million, the headcount is almost four times the population of the district. They stroll along the road, in the middle of it and are kings of the smaller streets. The vehicles must honk fervently before trying to maneuver around them.The animals couldn't care less. They move at their own leisurely pace, indifferent to the mechanical monsters or their owners. Crime rates are so low that people never have to tie or cage their livestock. They roam around the streets, finding food for themselves among the rubbish.

If you wish to experience Tharparkar, you must visit it by night. In Mithi, the 'Gadi Bhatt' dune is a must-go. No words or pictures can do justice to the breathtaking view from this vantage point that gives a bird's eye view of the whole town.

The sparkling bulbs across the city appear like stars in the dark of the night. It seems the world is upside down and the stars are below your feet. The almost eerie silence is only pierced by the shrill chirping of the crickets. Suddenly there is a commotion as the sounds of galloping breaks the silence. Around half a kilometre away is a herd of sheep trotting away. They appear small from so far away but the sound of their hooves reverberates in the otherwise soundless night for the next two minutes.

People often question why the people of Thar don't migrate to more fertile land permanently. We now know the answer. The view is to die for.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 26^th, 2014.