Noori is the famous folk character of Sindhi culture. There are thousands of stories and events are associated with Noori and her spouse Jaam Tamachi. Several local and international documentaries, dramas, and stage plays have been made on Noori and Jam Tamachi’s love story. The folk characters have great significance in the local Sindh community even, people love to name their kids as Noori and Jam Tamachi. The central character Noori is also known and called Mai Noori by the locals.
Lake Keenjhar is been located 130 km away from Karachi city, the provisional capital of the Sindh and economical hub of Pakistan. There are several resorts been established on the Keenjhar Lake from where you can rent out private boats to have boating and to reach out to the tomb of Mai Noori.
The tomb is inside the lake in the distance of almost 4km. Another tomb can be seen in the lake before the central one of Mai Noori’s which is known as the tomb of the spiritual teacher of Mai Noori. The distance between both tombs can be measured at around 500 km. In the Keenjhar Lake, still, some signs are remaining of the fishermen community from the era of Mai Noori. The water of the lake is clean and hygienic however, it remains always rampant due to heavy winds. The tomb is a roofless round shaped small building that can be reached through stairs from the ground, however, is present, these stairs can hardly be seen due to heavy water in the lake. There are two graves in the tomb, one is known as Shah Hondro’s grave (the spiritual teacher) and the second one is about Mai Noori’s. The famous folk story about Noori and his beloved Jam Tamachi reveals that Noori was the daughter of a poor fisherman however, Jam Tamachi was a rich man who was also part of feudal lords. The interesting thing that makes the love story unique and different from other folk stories, that it was not an incomplete but complete and successful love story. Noori and Jam Tamachi went married and lived happily after.
Afterward, Noori went died in the life of Jam Tamachi and he buried her in the same place beside the lake where they met the first time. However, at that time the area was not underwater. In the era of President (late) Gen. Ayub Khan, the lake got reconstructed and expanded on a massive area, however, as a goodwill gesture and respect, the authorities made sure to secure the tomb and made it approximately 100 feet heightened than the lake. Noori’s husband Jam Tamachi was buried in the historic graveyard of Makli that is 35km away from Keenjhar Lake. The unforgettable folk story of Noori and Jam Tamachi is been discussed by several poets even famous folk poet Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai also had discussed the story in his poetry. The tomb of Noori in the middle of Keenjhar Lake will tell the unforgettable love story of Noori and Jam Tamachi till the end of life.