Atop ancient bridge, Karachi residents feed meat to birds, fish to earn ‘spiritual rewards’

KARACHI: Since 1854, when the Native Jetty Bridge was constructed in the seaside metropolis of Karachi, it has served many purposes.

When Karachi’s port started its operations during the British Raj, the newly built bridge connected the city to the harbor, as it still does today. Over the decades, the bridge has been used as a jumping pad for residents wanting to end their lives by plunging into the depths of the Arabian Sea. 

But through all these years, it has also remained a favorite destination for people in Karachi seeking to earn some sawab, or reward from god, by feeding meat to eagles, crows and fish. 

Every day, hundreds throng to the gate carrying bags of meat or balls rolled out of flour to throw up at eagles circling in the sky or into the water at fish and other sea creatures. The visitors consider the ritual a type of sadaqah, the Islamic ideal of voluntary giving. Some say it helps earn ‘Allah’s rewards’ and ward off evil eyes. Others say they do it as a way to seek forgiveness since birds are considered one of the creatures dearest to god.

Akhtar Balouch, a Karachi-based writer and researcher, told Arab News the tradition of feeding birds at the Native Jetty bridge dated back to the time of its construction in 1854 when the city was a small town with a population of only a few thousand people.

“The ritual was initiated by its [Karachi] Hindu residents,” he said. “However, Hindus did not prefer meat themselves and offered other varieties of food. The birds only started receiving meat in their meals when the Muslim population espoused the same practice.” 

In August, 1947, when the British left after three hundred years in India, the subcontinent was partitioned into two independent nation states: Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan. Immediately, there began one of the greatest migrations in human history, as millions of Muslims trekked to West and East Pakistan (the latter now known as Bangladesh) while millions of Hindus and Sikhs headed in the opposite direction. Among those who left present day Pakistan in large groups were Karachi’s Hindu residents.

The urban population of Sindh at the time of the Partition was around one million, of which half were Hindus, including in the provincial capital of Karachi.

For Hindu residents of Karachi and Muslims alike after them, the Native Jetty Bridge, Balouch explained, had been a convenient place to perform the ritual of giving due to its proximity to the sea: Hundreds of birds were always present in the area and meat readily available from nearby fisheries and shops.

Zafar Ahmed, who regularly visits the bridge, said the birds could not speak or ask for food and so were the most deserving.

“There is a sense of pleasure and fulfillment when we feed them,” he said. “God listens to us and solves our problems when we take care of his creatures.” 

Hasina Begum, who was at the bridge last week with her young son, said she fed the birds and fish “to push her problems away.” 

“We come here every month to wash our sins,” she said as she tossed a piece of meat to a group of eagles circling the sky. “When my son faces a hardship or falls ill, I give these birds meat as sadaqah and it always works.”