As the sun sets over the Tharparkar desert, casting a warm golden hue across the landscape, the courtyard of a little-known ashram [hermitage] in Islamkot transforms into a lively haven.
asserted
courtyard → set → haven
Flocks of birds arrive to roost, filling the air with their chirps and songs, as locals bring grain offerings.
asserted
locals → arrive → offerings
“This ashram is run on pure faith and love,” says Lachman Das, now in his eighties.
asserted
Das → run → eighties
He has spent the last two decades as the caretaker of the Sant Nenuram Ashram.
asserted
He → spend → Ashram
The ashram feeds more than a thousand people a day, as well as tens of thousands of animals and birds, almost entirely through community support and without government funding.
asserted
ashram → feed → funding
“When Sant Nenuram was alive, he would walk through the town’s streets, visiting different shops to collect donations and flour to serve the needy,” Das tells Eos.
asserted
Das → walk → Eos
“To keep his sacred memory and mission alive, we continue this work today.”
asserted
we → keep → work
For Das, the hermitage embodies Tharparkar’s long tradition of coexistence and seva [service].
asserted
hermitage → embody → coexistence
This tradition of seva — or sheva as it is pronounced in Thar — dates back generations and is deeply intertwined with the mystical, pluralistic culture of Sindh.
asserted
it → pronounce → Sindh
The tradition continues to thrive in Islamkot, a historic desert town shaded by ancient neem trees.
asserted
tradition → continue → trees
For decades, the Sant Nenuram Ashram in Thar has offered free meals to anyone who arrives at its doors, continuing a tradition of community service that extends from people to animals and birds
A BAREFOOT PILGRIM RETURNS
Born in 1898, Sant Nenuram developed a strong commitment to humanitarian work and a deep love for nature from an early age.
asserted
Nenuram → offer → age
Though he received little formal education, he was deeply influenced by the inclusive poetry of Sindh’s Sufi traditions, including the works of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, Sachal Sarmast and Sami.
asserted
he → receive → Bhittai
He was also well versed in the writings of regional mystics such as Bhagat Kabir and Baba Bulleh Shah.
asserted
He → verse → Kabir
According to accounts of his life, he once joined a group of pilgrims on a barefoot journey that took him to the village of Kekri in Rajasthan.
uncertain
that → accord → Rajasthan
There, he stayed at the ashram of a famous spiritual figure, Guru Kaniram, and absorbed the principles of devotion.
asserted
he → stay → devotion
In 1935, he returned to Islamkot and established his base at the site of another ashram, Puran Bharti Madhi.
asserted
he → return → ashram
Initially, it served as a resting place for seasonal migrants travelling towards the irrigated barrage areas, where they could feed and water their livestock free of charge.
uncertain
they → serve → charge
Witnessing the extreme poverty around him — most locals could barely afford one meal a day — Sant Nenuram started a langar [free communal meal] that has operated continuously since then.
uncertain
that → witness → langar
“The Sant’s legacy transcends religious and social boundaries,” says Das.
asserted
Das → transcend → boundaries
“Everyone is welcome and no one is ever asked about their faith or caste.”
asserted
one → ask → faith
This ethos extends beyond humans to the desert’s wildlife.
asserted
ethos → extend → wildlife
Inside the premises, clay pots placed across the courtyard are kept constantly filled with fresh water, and the areas designated for feeding birds are kept covered with grain.
asserted
areas → place → grain
The ashram also maintains its own livestock, ensuring a steady supply of milk for visitors and pilgrims.
asserted
ashram → maintain → visitors
Dileep Kumar, a devoted follower of the saint, spends his evenings here.
asserted
Kumar → spend → evenings
“Here, the hunger of every creature matters,” he tells Eos.
asserted
he → matter → Eos
“Humans, animals and birds all find sustenance in this courtyard.”
asserted
Humans → find → courtyard
A KITCHEN WITHOUT A LEDGER
Keeping such a large operation running in the middle of the desert is no simple task.
asserted
operation → keep → desert
The ashram relies on an unusual system of anonymous donations, managed entirely by the local community.
asserted
ashram → rely → community
Whether the contribution comes from a local resident or an outsider, no donor’s name or address is recorded in any ledger.
asserted
name → come → ledger
Instead, every offering is acknowledged on its receipt with the phrase: “Nenuram ne diya, Nenu ne liya” [Given by Nenuram, received by Nenuram].
asserted
offering → acknowledge → Nenuram
Beyond serving as a place of sustenance, the ashram is also a repository of regional culture and history.
asserted
ashram → serve → culture
It preserves personal items used by Sant Nenuram so that younger generations can learn about his austere life.
asserted
generations → preserve → life
The original well, dug when the ashram was established, is another important part of the site.
asserted
ashram → dig → site
According to local lore, the wells in Islamkot yielded bitter, brackish water before the ashram was built.
uncertain
ashram → accord → water
When Sant Nenuram had this well dug to provide drinking water for people and animals, local accounts hold, its water became sweet.
asserted
water → have → people
The site also holds spiritual significance for devotees from different religious communities across Sindh.
asserted
site → hold → Sindh
Before setting off for various regional festivals and fairs, devotees of all backgrounds visit the ashram to light a sacred fire behind the samadhi [tomb] of Sant Nenuram.
asserted
devotees → set → Nenuram
Only after performing the ritual and receiving the saint’s blessing do the pilgrims proceed on their journeys.
asserted
pilgrims → perform → journeys
As rising prices make basic necessities increasingly difficult to afford, the free kitchen keeps hunger at bay.
asserted
kitchen → rise → bay
Santosh, a 35-year-old labourer, visits the ashram every afternoon for lunch.
asserted
Santosh → visit → lunch
…and 11 more, not listed.
The Aporia
