Cultural heritage is one of the most significant pillars of a society, and when we talk about Sindhi heritage in general, we are talking about diversity. The land has been ruled by Middle Easterns and Western rulers among several other prominent mentions throughout history. More known names include Muhammad Bin Qasim and Raja Dahir.
What’s special about a diverse range of rulers in Sindh is that all of them brought their own culture and heritage along. For example, Sindh consists of a unique range and design of buildings, tombs and other architecture in different cities which represents those rulers and their presence in the province over varying eras. However, due lack of interest and negligence, we are slowly but steadily losing out on our heritage built upon centuries.
In such circumstances, promotion of the province’s rich heritage is necessary to combat its deterioration, and one way to do so is by organising photowalks. Nowadays, photography is trendy among people, especially the youth. A number of people own DSLRs and if not, there would hardly be anyone who does not have a smart phone with good camera features. Since ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’, why not invest our energies into promotion of culture through photography?
A photowalk is an activity which is mostly performed by photographers, in which they walk through any specific area or city to capture pictures along the way. Purposes can range from exhibiting architecture to any specific culture or lifestyle. In this activity, photographers capture specific area or part of a city in their own unique style and perspective, blowing a new life into an already existing marvel.
Till now, more than 10 photowalks have been organised in Sindh. One of the photowalks was organised in Hyderabad, two in Tharparkar and rest of them were organised in Karachi. Hundreds of photographers participated and walked through the aforementioned cities, capturing the cultural heritage and rich architecture on offer.
The pictures were later exhibited in galleries in the respective cities. Locals and professionals from parts of Sindh were invited and showcased the beauty of the three regions via different perspectives. The participating photographers received deserved appreciation by guests and locals alike for their efforts.
Keeping in view the success of the 10 photowalks in Sindh, it is pertinent to mention here that such steps must be taken more frequently and spread over a wide area. Due to lack of awareness of Photo Journalism and photowalks in particular, people are unable to organise such activities in other culturally rich areas like Tando Muhammad Khan, Tando Fazil, Tando Jam, Shahdadpur, Achro Thar and Brahmanabad (Mansoora) that deserve more recognition.
Besides these, there are still more cities in interior Sindh that offer awe-inspiring architecture which deserves to be promoted among the general masses. Due to the lack of awareness of the value of those buildings and streets, we have already lost a lot of our history to land mafia and illegal encroachments.
The role of education institutes and universities regarding the importance of the subject of Photo Journalism is also significant to mention. Education institutes, including universities, should teach the course and also organise photowalks to historic places. What is most important is to exhibit the beauty of Sindh and Pakistan to the general masses and to the rest of the world.