In Mithi, a town in Pakistan, Hindus and Muslims have come together in a rare display of religious harmony. During the recent overlap of the Hindu festival of Holi and the Islamic month of Ramadan, Hindus prepared meals for fasting Muslims, while Muslims gathered to welcome a Holi procession, showcasing a unique bond of unity in a predominantly Islamic nation.
“All the traditions and rituals here are celebrated together,” said Raj Kumar, a 30-year-old Hindu businessman. “On Holi, Hindu youth are joined by Muslim youth, celebrating together and applying colors on each other. Even at the end of the Muslim call for prayer, the imam says ‘peace to Hindus and Muslims.’”
This year, Holi, the vibrant festival of colors marking the arrival of spring, coincided with Ramadan, a month of fasting, prayer, and reflection for Muslims. Both events are based on lunar calendars, causing their dates to shift annually.
In Mithi, one of the few towns in Pakistan with a Hindu majority, hundreds of Hindus held a procession through the streets, warmly welcomed by their Muslim neighbors at the city square.
“We have learned to live together since childhood. This has come to us through generations, and we are following it too,” said Mohan Lal Mali, a 53-year-old local who helped arrange a meal for Muslims to break their fast.
Mithi, a town of around 60,000 people, stands out in a country where 96% of the population is Muslim and only 2% are Hindu. Cows, considered sacred in Hinduism, roam freely through the streets, and women wear traditional embroidered sarees adorned with mirror work. Beef is not sold in the town, as it is prohibited in Hinduism, and Muslims only sacrifice goats during festivals.
Fozia Haseeb, a Christian woman from Karachi, traveled 320 kilometers (200 miles) to witness the interfaith harmony in Mithi. “People following three religions are here: Christians, Hindus, and Muslims,” she said. “We wanted to see for ourselves whether this was true, and there is no doubt it is.”
During Ramadan, Muslims focus on peaceful prayer and reflection, and Hindus in Mithi respected their neighbors’ observance by toning down the usual exuberance of Holi celebrations.
“Today, you might not see colors on me, but in the past, they would drench me in colors,” said Muslim cleric Babu Aslam Qaimkhani, as he applied colored powder to the face of local Hindu MP Mahesh Kumar Malani.
Malani, the only elected minority member in Pakistan’s national assembly, highlighted the mutual respect between communities. “If a Hindu runs for office, Muslims also vote for them, and vice versa,” he said.
In Mithi, Holi celebrations included processions and temple visits, all conducted without armed security—a stark contrast to other parts of Pakistan, where religiously motivated violence and discrimination are on the rise, according to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.
Despite these challenges, Mithi remains a beacon of peace. “There are no divisions among us. We all are humans, and we all are equal,” said 19-year-old Muslim laborer Amaan Ullah.
Local officials attribute the town’s tranquility to its remote location in the Tharparkar desert, which borders the Indian state of Rajasthan. The area’s infertile soil and limited water access spared it from centuries of conflict, including the violence of the 1947 Partition, when many Hindus fled to India.
However, recent infrastructure developments and a nearby coal project have brought an influx of outsiders, including supporters of radical Islamist groups like Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), which focuses on blasphemy issues.
“People coming from outside the city are causing some doubt and a slight sense of fear,” said Padma Lodha, a 52-year-old Hindu headmistress. “But overall, things are still well-controlled and peaceful.”
Mithi’s enduring harmony serves as a testament to the power of coexistence, even in a region often marked by religious tension.
