Historical and Current Influences

It is hard to find another part of the world with the same enduring sense of place as the ralli region. Conquerors have come and gone, governments have changed, yet the Indus River continues to flow, and without much inbound migration, the people remain much the same. One resident of Lower Sindh, when asked during a visa interview whether he would return to Pakistan, responded with surprise: “Why would I not return? My family has lived here for 5,000 years!”

The traditions of the ralli region are ancient and strong. Identity is closely tied to family traditions, ancestral lineage, religion, and occupation. Rallis form a natural part of this way of life. Some ralli patterns echo motifs found on ancient pottery unearthed after millennia underground. For generations, people could identify a ralli's village or area of origin simply by its design.

Today, however, change is underway. Devastating floods along the Indus in 2010-2011 and again in 2022 displaced thousands of people and destroyed numerous villages. Earthquakes, other natural disasters, and the rapid encroachment of technology are also reshaping lives. Traditions that lasted for millennia now face significant transformation.