As Muslims all over the world continue to celebrate Eid-el Kabir, residents of Katsina metropolis and other towns in the state have been forced to patronize the only amusement park in the city as well pay visit to family and friends as part of the Sallah celebrations.
21st CENTURY CHRONICLE visited the Al Dusar Park and Zoo on Murtala Muhammad Way in Katsina Sunday afternoon and evening and it was already filled with residents as at 11am. It was still filled around 6pm.
In Katsina, like several other northern states, Eid celebrations are colourful when marked with the durbars. These durbars were even made more colourful during the colonial days when the British would attend and even make speeches.
The Katsina Emirate Council, with financial support from the state government, organizes two such durbars every year.
On the Sallah day, the Emir mounts a horse, alongside all his District Heads, Village Heads and other traditional title holders from the Eid praying ground to the palace where the state governor and his entourage will be waiting for him to exchange greetings. It’s called Hawan Sallah.
The following morning, the Emir takes his District Heads, Village Heads and other traditional title holders to the Government House in a long procession of colourful displays, accompanied by drummers, hunters and others to greet the governor. It’s called Hawan Bariki and it was added into the list of durbar in the colonial master’s days.
This year, few days to the Eid, the Katsina Emirate Council announced the cancellation of both Hawan Sallah and Hawan for the Eid-el Kabir.
In a statement released by the Katsina Emirate Council, the assistant council secretary, Sule Mamman – Dee said the suspension was due to the current security situation in the state.
Alternative fun
Unlike in other years, the park was filled to its brim by residents who have thronged the place to spend time with their family members.
A federal civil servant, Idris Abubakar said his routine on every Eid was to take his children to the old government house for them to watch the durbar.
“You know it has touches of history. This Hawan Sallah and Hawan Bariki, we grew up watching it but we’re always eager to witness it again because the horse procession is just wonderful,” Mr Abubakar said.
He said he took his three children and wife (who is from Zamfara state) to witness the durbar every Eid, but had to seek for an alternative this Eid.
“When I heard about the announcement over the radio, I knew I had to seek for an alternative to take the children somewhere else for spend time and have fun,” he said.
Abdullahi Sale doesn’t have a family but he too was at the park.
“You know that the Hawan Sallah beautifies Sallah celebrations but we’ve no option since the emirate council said it would not do it. This is something we’re used to watching for years,” he said.
He, however, said he accepted the decision to ban the Hawan Sallah in good faith.
Al-Amin Batsari, a business man in the state, said he used the opportunity to take his children and wife to the park because there was no Hawan Sallah or Hawan Bariki.
“As you can see, I just came out from the park. My children expected to see horse and royal regalia but when we came they saw different things. It was fun anyway and I like the fact that they enjoyed it. Since there would be no Hawan Sallah, we needed this to make them happy,”he said.
A senior supervisor at the park, Haruna Bukar Umar, said despite the economic issues, they witnessed high number of clients this Eid.
“I know that there’s a economic situation which makes things very hard for the people and you know Eid- el Fitr is different from Eid El Kabir in terms of visitors in the park but the cancellation of Hawan Sallah has no doubt helped us to record more clients and we hope that by tomorrow and next tomorrow (Monday and Tuesday) there will be more people coming,” he said.
