Mehroob Mushtaq & Numan Bhat
SRINAGAR: In the early morning, when Kashmir is cloaked in darkness and its residents are sound asleep, the sound of drums pierces the silence, and a voice cries out, “Waqhtey Sahar!” Sahar’s time has come.
These are the Sehar Khans, who bang their drums in the streets of Kashmir before sunrise to encourage Muslims in the valley to wake up for their pre-dawn meal, or sahar, so they can prepare for the hours of fasting that lie ahead during the holy month of Ramzan.
The Islamic month of Ramzan, which begins with the sighting of the crescent moon, is the ninth month on the lunar calendar. One of Islam’s five pillars is fasting, which is a key component of Ramzan all across the world.
Throughout the holy month of Ramzan, Kashmiris have practised a centuries-old tradition known as Sahar-khwani, or calling for pre-dawn meals. However, in recent years, the younger generation in Kashmir have started rejecting the Sahar khan tradition.
Muhammad Altaf, a Sahar Khan (drummer), starts strolling the streets of Soura Srinagar every night during the holy month of Ramzan to awaken Muslims for dawn meals when the majority of Kashmir is still in a deep sleep.
Each year, Muhammad Altaf, 27, leaves his home in Aaragam village in the Bandipora region of north Kashmir with his drum and travels 75 km to Srinagar, just a few days before the beginning of the holy month of Ramzan.
He wakes people up for sehri at 3:00 a.m. by strolling through the tight pathways and dark alleyways. “Waqt-e-sahar” (it’s time for pre-dawn meals), Altaf yells loudly. As he passes, houses’ lights begin to come on.
Sehri is typically eaten between 3:45 am to 5:00 am in the morning. He travels from one lane to the next while yelling “Waqt-e-sahar” and drumming.
This year, many people in Srinagar have told him, ‘Don’t come to our neighborhoods’. They feel the drumming tradition is too noisy and disturbs their sleep. Some people are even asking the drummers to skip their streets.
Altaf said, “This year, I was told by residents, ‘why are you coming in our lanes and disturbing us’. If we have to wake up for Sehri we will. We have set the alarm on our phones, so it is better not to disturb us.
Arif Nazir, a resident of Raj Bagh, Srinagar, thinks the tradition of Ramzan drummers should end. “The loud drum sounds disturb people with medical conditions who can’t wake up for Suhoor. This also affects families with newborns because the noise can scare the babies. Many in the community agree with Arif, saying the drumming tradition is outdated and causes unnecessary disturbance.”
For Sahar Khan, the drumming tradition, however, intersects with both his issues of livelihood and piety.
“We work as labourers throughout the rest of the year. The month of Ramzan also gives us a respite from the hard labour work that is tough for us during the month of fasting,” he says.
About 35 years have passed since he first visited Srinagar with his father, who died three years ago. He is not alone. During this period, his 66-year-old uncle, a few relatives, and several neighbours also serve as Sahar khans in the city.
As a result of the availability of modern technology in homes, such as cell phones, alarm clocks, and radios, many young people have begun to underestimate the value and tradition of “Sahar Khan,” saying that it has become out-of-date.
Haris Khan, a young man from Soura Srinagar, said that he no longer requires “Sahar Khan” because he has an alarm on his cell phone. “We don’t need the Ramzan drummers now because of technology. In the past, drummers played an important role in waking people up for suhoor, but nowadays, alarms and mobile apps do that job. Although the drummers have a rich cultural history, technology has made their traditional role less necessary.” he added
Imtiyaz Khan, 45, (Another Sahar Khan) said,” I think the perception of Sahar Khan for people has changed as I see this culture dying. It seems our work is obsolete to people. Though we come here, travelling long distances, we are not being welcomed the way our elders were. We are not being encouraged,” he said.
“At the end of the month, our earnings are about 2,000 rupees and a few bags of rice that we collect from the locality where we work. As it is nearly Eid, we will be going back to our village soon. Most of the Sahar Khans in all the localities of Srinagar are from our village so we go together in trucks and take the bags of rice,” he added.
This year, those bags may be leaner.
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