A fair us a fair, one would say. a huge gathering of a sea of people from all over. But what makes a fair special is that it is a reflection of the culture of the place wherever held. The fairs and melas of Sind especially hold true for it reflected its unity in diversity. Though Sindhis have a rich cultural background they are diverse in nature and vary from province to province. Fairs or melas proved to be common platform and a meeting place for these singularly diverse cultures.

Held on important occasions or mostly hosted as annual features for darbars, these malas attracted huge crowds from all over Sind. People came on foot, bullock carts, trains and just about anything that could get them there. Some travelled just for fun and to have a good time whereas some travelled to partake the blessings of the saints of the darbars; some came to thank for wishes fulfilled whereas some came to ask for wishes fulfilled whereas some came came to ask for boons. All in all it was a showcase of Sindhi culture at its purest form. To understand this feeling just walk down into a typical Muslim fair and although there are the same giant wheels and merry-go-rounds, you can still feel the aura of the culture of the people. Sind was no different. The people, their dresses, the excited cacophony of the various food stalls... all gave a glimpse of the different provinces of Sind.

Most of these melas were held for two-three days and darbar of town playing host used to lit up throughout the night. Music, dramas, freak shows, stand up comedies, films, games, etc. you name it and a mala had everything happening at the same time in different corners around the ground. The sutarphenis, thadal, chhola-dabals, gurda, kapoora, kababs, pakoda, kachaloo, beeh, etc., all mouth watering delicacies vied for attention and demanded a portion of your palate.

Melas also served a meeting place for relatives, friends and more importantly also as mating grounds as this was one time where the ladies and gents mingled freely with one another and romance was usually in the air for ones with an adventurous spirit. The teenagers indulged in good-natured eve-teasing whereas the old feasted on the youth of the maidens and gypsies with their eyes. On the flipside, it was boomtime for pickpocketers and punters who made a killing in the peak hours.

Lal Shahbaaz-jo-Melo was one such annual event, held is Sehwan and was considered to be one of the biggest melas in Sind. The aura and the atmosphere had that distinct feel to it and there are still many alive today who have been a part of what is said above and probably their descriptions would do more justice than what is written.