Mithi: In a rare and heartwarming display of religious harmony, the residents of Mithi, a desert town in Pakistan’s Sindh province, came together to celebrate both the Hindu festival of Holi and the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
Mithi, known for its unique religious coexistence, is one of the few places in Pakistan where Hindus form the majority. Unlike many parts of the country, religious divisions are scarcely felt here.
“All the traditions and rituals here are celebrated together,” said Raj Kumar, a 30-year-old Hindu businessman. “On Holi, Hindu and Muslim youth celebrate together, applying colors to each other and enjoying the festivities.”
This year, Holi and Ramadan coincided, an occurrence dictated by the shifting lunar calendar. Despite the fasting obligations of Muslims, Hindus prepared meals for their neighbors to break their fast, while Muslims warmly welcomed the Holi procession in a display of mutual respect and brotherhood.
Last week, hundreds of Hindus held a vibrant Holi procession through the streets of Mithi, where they were warmly received at the city square by their Muslim neighbors. “We have learned to live together since childhood,” said Mohan Lal Mali, 53, who helped arrange an iftar meal for fasting Muslims. “This has been passed down through generations, and we continue this tradition.”
Mithi’s cultural landscape is distinct. Cows, considered sacred in Hinduism, roam freely, and there are no beef shops in town. Women wear embroidered sarees adorned with mirror work, and during Islamic festivals, Muslims sacrifice goats instead of cows in respect of their Hindu neighbors’ beliefs.
With a population of around 60,000, Mithi stands as an exception in Pakistan, where 96% of its 240 million people are Muslim, and only 2% are Hindu. The town’s deep-rooted spirit of coexistence has even drawn visitors from other parts of the country. Fozia Haseeb, a Christian woman who traveled from Karachi, expressed her amazement. “People from three religions—Christians, Hindus, and Muslims—are here. We wanted to witness this harmony ourselves, and there is no doubt about it.”
Hindus in Mithi understood that Muslims observing Ramadan would not participate in Holi with the usual fervor but still shared moments of joy. “Today, you might not see colors on me, but in the past, they would drench me in colors,” said cleric Babu Aslam Qaimkhani while applying colored powder to the face of Hindu MP Mahesh Kumar Malani.
Malani, the only elected minority MP in Pakistan’s National Assembly, highlighted the unity in Mithi. “If a Hindu runs for office, Muslims vote for them, and vice versa,” he said, underscoring the absence of religious divisions in the town.
While security concerns often accompany religious gatherings in other parts of Pakistan, Mithi’s Holi celebrations were peaceful and required no armed security. Local officials describe the town as having a low crime rate with “no major security challenges.”
Muslim laborer Amaan Ullah, 19, summed up the town’s ethos: “There are no divisions among us. We all are humans, and we all are equal.”
Officials believe Mithi’s peaceful existence stems from its geographical isolation, nestled in the sand dunes of the Tharparkar desert near the Indian border. While a major coal project nearby has brought laborers from other provinces, the town’s deep-rooted traditions of religious coexistence remain strong.
“Their businesses, daily lives, and interactions have been intertwined for centuries, and they continue to stand strong,” said local official Abdul Haleem Jagirani.
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