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Pakistan "Pilgrims of Sehwan Sharif" Jay Dunn 17 images Created 30 Mar 2008

Pakistan Sindh, 2004. From all over Sindh's glaring deserts, villagers of every kind put their few rupees together to rent buses. Their destination is Sehwan Sharif, a Muslim pilgrimage center on the banks of the Indus River. Sometimes crowding together in impossibly dangerous conditions, they come for a chance to pray at the tomb of the Sufi saint Hazrat Lal Qalander. As it has done for centuries, the shrine rises proudly up from hundreds of dusty brown buildings around it with a triumphant glittering gold dome, the minarets surrounding it balancing blue tile and silver trim with an ascetic grace.

From dawn till dusk, in the hard light streaming through great high doors, beggars and mendicants, fakirs and supplicants, women with deformed babies, children leading blind parents, the dirty and the desperate beseech this said last descendant of the prophet Mohammed for miracles, mercy, forgiveness, or just a change of luck.

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Humanitarian Issues & Cultural Tradition Worldwide
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  • Pakistan, Sehwan Sharif, 2004. The golden dome of the shrine of Hazrat Lal Qalander, seen at sunset from the library of Dr. M. Ahsan Siddiqui.
    Pakistan.JDUNN.01.pilgrims.jpg
  • Pakistan, Sehwan Sharif, 2004. Circling clockwise around the inner shrine, men chant and drape silken banners over the tomb of Hazrat Lal Qalander as a mark of respect.
    Pakistan.JDUNN.02.pilgrims.jpg
  • Pakistan, Sehwan Sharif, 2004. Pilgrims come from miles around, often arising in the dark, for a chance to board local hired conveyances that arrive in Sehwan before the day gets hot.
    Pakistan.JDUNN.03.pilgrims.jpg
  • Pakistan, Sehwan Sharif, 2004. Adorned with some forty pounds of steel around his arms and legs, a devotee spiritually chains himself to the outer gates of the tomb of Hazrat Lal Qalander.
    Pakistan.JDUNN.04.pilgrims.jpg
  • Pakistan, Sehwan Sharif, 2004. Sehwan has long been a desert crossroads, and is still a minor agricultural hub in Sindh Province.
    Pakistan.JDUNN.05.pilgrims.jpg
  • Pakistan, Sehwan Sharif, 2004. Supplicants throw rose petals on the symbolic graves of famous Sufi figures near the main shrine building.
    Pakistan.JDUNN.06.pilgrims.jpg
  • Pakistan, Sehwan Sharif, 2004. Believers collect holy water from the shrine of Hazrat Lal Qalander one drop at a time.
    Pakistan.JDUNN.07.pilgrims.jpg
  • Pakistan, Sehwan Sharif, 2004. Pathan shrines in Sehwan are lavishly mirrored in the belief that no single shard should capture capture the truth.
    Pakistan.JDUNN.08.pilgrims.jpg
  • Pakistan, Sehwan Sharif, 2004. Lost in their own world, two sisters pray for the unknown at the tomb of Hazrat Lal Qalander. Pilgrims often come to ask for a change of fortune.
    Pakistan.JDUNN.09.pilgrims.jpg
  • Pakistan, Sehwan Sharif, 2004. In the best tradition of Muslim hospitality, Dr. M. Ahsan Siddiqui opened his medical practice and then his Sehwan home to a journalist.
    Pakistan.JDUNN.10.pilgrims.jpg
  • Pakistan, Sehwan Sharif, 2004. Indus River Just south of the town, water buffalo arise from the cool Indus. When rains are good, this mighty river can rise high enough to cover much of the nearby farmland.
    Pakistan.JDUNN.11.pilgrims.jpg
  • Pakistan, Sehwan Sharif, 2004. Wearing their best clothes, girls from the countryside wait for their parents to return from the shrine of Hazrat Lal Qalander. Pilgrims arrive every morning from all over the area.
    Pakistan.JDUNN.12.pilgrims.jpg
  • Pakistan, Sehwan Sharif, 2004. The area closest to the Indus River, though prone to flooding in the rainy season, is most favorable for town residents to collect water for daily needs.
    Pakistan.JDUNN.13.pilgrims.jpg
  • Pakistan, Sehwan Sharif, 2004. A testament to his importance, the beautiful tilework of Hazrat Lal Qalander?s tomb is of the highest craftsmanship. Golden doors from the Shah of Iran adjoin the south entrance. .
    Pakistan.JDUNN.14.pilgrims.jpg
  • Pakistan, Sehwan Sharif, 2004. Children give a warm welcome to strangers and pilgrims alike along the back streets of Sehwan.
    Pakistan.JDUNN.15.pilgrims.jpg
  • Pakistan, Sehwan Sharif, 2004. A devotee kisses the floor within the shrine of Hazrat Lal Qalander. Anointing himself with a fragrant oil sold inside, he sat quietly in the morning cool for some time.
    Pakistan.JDUNN.16.pilgrims.jpg
  • Pakistan, Sehwan Sharif, 2004. At the eastern door of the shrine of Hazrat Lal Qalander, new friends with shy smiles and curiosity to spare.
    Pakistan.JDUNN.17.pilgrims.jpg