Karachi Landmarks – The Chowkandi Tombs

Royal and Elegant but Ignored by Karachi Wallas. Chowkandi tombs are a masterpiece of craftsmanship but hardly given due respect by its countrymen. On the left of utterly commercialized N-5 (while heading to thatta) it is marked by a small signboard. FAST-NU building on the right serves as a better landmark. It takes half an hour from Airport to reach there. Ugly commercialization has ruined the area while Chowkandi remains an instant getaway from the obnoxious urban development around. Enter the gate and landscape changes drastically. Greasy landscape of the highway disappears and is replaced by an art lover’s paradise.

Chowakndi graveyard was built by Baloch tribes, Jokhios to be more specific. It has been inhabited from 15th to 18th century. Each grave is a combination of five or six carved stones. Carvings are in Arabic and Persian but overall structure is indigenous. Similar graveyards are found in interior Sindh notably in Sukkur and Mirpur Khas. Stones on each grave is not bonded with others and is simply put over each other. This worries people who care for our heritage. These stones are easy target for smugglers who have successfully smuggled part of our heritage already.

Chowkandi needs a wall to be built around. and it needs local visitors.

Immediately!