Mela of Uch Sharif begins with the usual zeal and fervour in Bahawalpur

Uch (Urdu: اوچ‎; "Uuch"), frequently referred to as Uuch Sharīf (Urdu: اوچ شریف‎; "Noble Uch"), is an historic city in the southern part of Pakistan's Punjab province. Uch may have been founded as Alexandria on the Indus, a town founded by Alexander the Great during his invasion of the Indus Valley.[1][2] Uch was an early stronghold of the Delhi Sultanate during the Muslim conquest of the subcontinent. Uch was a regional metropolitan centre between the 12th and 17th centuries,[2] and became refuge for Muslim religious scholars fleeing persecution from other lands.[2] Though Uch is now a relatively small city, it is renowned for intact historic urban fabric, and for its collection of shrines dedicated to Muslim mystics from the 12-15th centuries that are embellished with extensive tile work, and were built in the distinct architectural style of southern Punjab.[2]

Bahawalpur