The most popular time to visit the shrine of the sufi saint and poet Shah Abdul Lateef Bhitai (1689-1752) is during the annual Urs that takes place for three days in the Islamic month of Safar (that fell in December in 2014).

During the Urs, the shrine is bustling with devotees and there is hardly any space to move. I decided to visit the shrine on a regular day in January to get a feel of this very special place at a quieter time.

The shrine is located at about a three hours' drive from Karachi along the National Highway. A branch road about 30 minutes beyond Hyderabad takes you to the town of Bhit, where the shrine stands on a mound.

Bhit is the Sindhi word for 'mound' and thus the name Bhit Shah.