The Thar desert lies in the Tharparkar District and is a continuation of the Rajasthan arid zone. Of the district’s 28,170 sq km, most is arid except for the coastal belt in the south. The desert has a colorful heritage, with its own folklore, culture, flora and fauna.
Hindu and Muslim communities live side by side in villages of round, thatched mud huts, and peacocks wander freely through the settlements. Camels, cattle and goats are the wealth of the desert.
In the far south-east, at Nagarparkar, the sand gives way to the pink granite Karoonjhar hills and a group of old Jain temples — a world away from the dunes.
Is Thar right for you?
- Suggested time
- 2 – 3 days
- Activity level
- Easy — village visits by road
- Best for
- Desert village life, temples and crafts
Combines well withKarachiHyderabad
Compare Thar with another destination →Places to see
Mithi
The district headquarters and the main market town of the desert.
Nagarparkar & the Karoonjhar hills
Pink granite hills rising out of the desert, sacred in local legend and dotted with temples and springs.
Jain temples
Around Nagarparkar, the old Jain temples of Gori, Bhodesar and Nagarparkar town, with carved stone and painted ceilings.
Naukot Fort
A brick fort built by the Talpur rulers of Sindh on the edge of the desert.
Village life
Round thatched huts, painted walls, wells worked by camels and bullocks, and herders moving with their flocks.
Good to know
- Market towns
- Mithi, Naukot, Islamkot, Nagarparkar and Chachro are market centers of mud-and-brick houses, narrow lanes and bazaars.
- What to buy
- Tribal embroidery and silver jewellery.
- Where to stay
- Rest houses are the best option, though some lack basic facilities such as running water.
- Best time to visit
- August and September, when rainfall is highest and the desert at its greenest — or December to February, when days are cool and nights cold.
- Getting there
- By road from Hyderabad or Karachi to Mithi, then on to Islamkot and Nagarparkar.
Header photo: Herders in Tharparkar — Baig Aamir, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons