NUHU HALIRU
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Durban festival is an old traditional culture that has come to stay in northern Nigeria. It is normally celebrated in the emirates where you have emirs. The Durban festival stands out unique as it is characterized by traditional ruler riding on horse, camels highly beautified with colourful regalia. Going down the memory lane, the Durban festival is said to be one of such celebratory festivals.
Presently, the festival revolves around the commemoration of two major festivals in the Muslim year: Eid-el-fitr (signifying the end of Ramadan, the Muslim period of fasting) and Eid kabir (slaughtering of ram to make sacrifice). The zazzau emirate rolled out three Hawan (riding on horse) namely Hawan Sallah, Hawan bariki and Hawan daushe set aside to mark the Durban festival celebrations. The council made adequate arrangement to ensure that the festival is a successful one just as corporate organizations of recent have taken interest in the sponsorship of such colourful and historic events. All roads lead to emir palace to catch a glimpse of the Durban festival. Old and young, male and female all troop out in mass on this day. As for the three days set aside for the festival, each programme (Hawan) is rolled out in each day. In the zazzau emirate, immediately after the eid the Durban carried out by the emir is the Hawan Sallah. After performing the eid prayer (Sallah), the emir rides on his well-dressed horse to greet his people and say happy Sallah celebration to them.
Hawan bariki, the emir rides on his horse on this day (day 2) to pay homage on white people. There was a place where the white men settled those days in Zaria and it is called “gelesu” and “babban dodo”. So the emir also takes a ride on his horse to this area which is believed to be government reserved area, GRAs.
Hawan daushe- which is usually on third day after the Eid comes about and name after the demise of a man called daushe. He (daushe) was a man who rode on his horse to pay homage on the emir in the palace. However, Hawan daushe implies riding a horse in memory of daushe came about after his demise and the emir felt they should continue with that tradition. So it become a tradition in his (daushes) memory. Hawan daushe in Hausa means riding on a horse in a memory of a man called daushe. So, instead of a man riding on a horse to pay homage to emir, it is the emir that rides on a horse to greet people in memory of daushe.
At the end the hakimi’s (district heads) trail behind in group to pay a homage to the emir. In the process, the best horse with best regalia and such person earns more respect and hailing in the emirate. The glistening of swords, drumming, dancing and singing, with a band of performers, intensifies the fanfare. It is quite a sight to behold! The Durban festival in zazzau emirate is a wonderful event to attend. It is a rich display of culture and fun in the northern Nigerian history.
The essence of the festival is to allow for the emir to greet his people, see how they are faring and carry out factual sight-seeing to improve on the structure and social well-being of the people of the area.it is also a gathering that brings together old faces. And this traditional activities normally attract a lot of visitors both within and outside the state. It also give people opportunity to see the emir. The celebrations bring a completion among the traditional title holders (hakimai). It is in addition, provides atmosphere for good business for persons whose popursely rear a horses for this day and events as they smile home with money made from the Durban festivals.