Kano’s spectacular durbars

Durbar is a special horse procession that is synonymous with only traditional rulers in northern Nigeria. It usually holds during Sallah festivities or when the emirs intend to honour their special guests.
In Kano, Durbar includes a special procession organized by the Kano Emirate during Sallah festivities. Traditionally, the procession begins with a gun salute by a special team called Yan-Bindiga (armed guards). The gun salute is a signal to the people of Kano and horse riders that the emir is about to embark on the procession and therefore, all horse riders should get ready for the journey. This is why this particular gun salute is locally called Bindiga Daurasirdi, meaning the saddle signal.
Kano city was agog on last Monday, September 12 following the conduct of this year’s Hawan Daushe by the emir of Kano, Mallam Muhammadu Sanusi. The famous Kofar-Kudu was full to capacity, as people including diplomats, traditional rulers, academics, top government officials and other dignitaries from far and near converged at the palace to witness the annualdurbar celebration.
As the sun set and the weather clamed into beautiful evening complemented by subtle breeze, the Yan-Bindiga led by their leader, Maitafari – the Sarkin Yan-Bindiga fired several gunshots to signify the coming out of the emir for the procession of famous Hawan Daushe.
Shortly after the gunshots, the emir who was riding a royal she-camel, Taguwa, came out from the palace through Kofar-Kwaru and met with other horse riders who had been waiting for him there.
As is customary, the emir was surrounded by Giwar Sarki, a team of unflinching loyal courtiers and special guards. The Giwar Sarki team comprises Shamaki, Sallama, Dan-Rimi, Kilishi, SarkinDogarai and Makaman Dan-Rimi, among others. The main duty of this team is to protect the emir from anything harmful during the procession.
Immediately behind the emir is a local band mounted on camels. The main function of this group of drummers is to make the procession lively by drumming various local drums.
The very well-organized procession was conducted based on the hierarchical order of the district heads with each district head escorted by his subjects who were also gallantly dressed in different colorful attires and on decorated horses.
The emir’s camel was located almost at the heart of the procession. The Yan Bindiga group lead the processions, followed by Yan Kwalkwali, Yan Silke and the Dogarais – the emir’s local guards.
Hawan Daushe was initially a short ride from the palace to a Gwangwazo quarters where the emir’s mother resides. It was the emir’s fist outing during Sallah purposely to pay homage to his mother at her residence called Babban Daki. But as time went by, the procession was changed and made a little bit longer and more elaborate.
Although both Hawan Sallah and Hawan Daushe processions are conducted same day, the latter is much longer than the former.
While Hawan Sallah entails trekking from palace to the Eid-el ground, Hawan Daushe on the other hand takes the emir and his entourage to Babban Daki and back to Kofar-Kudu in an attractive and dramatic procession.
Hawan Daushe was introduced to Kano during the regain of Muhammadu Rumfa in the 1400s. This particular durbar always avail people of Kano city the opportunity to see the emir during Sallah festivities.
In compliance with the norms, Emir Sanusi led other horse riders to Babban Daki from Kofar Kwaru in a procession. He first stopped at Asiya Bayero hospital and received greetings from his district heads who also joined the procession according to their hierarchies. The emir and his entourage passed through Sabon-Titi, Galadanchi, Diso, Tudun-Wazirchi and then stopped at Babban Daki where the emir disembarked from the camel and entered into the premises to spend a little time with his mother.
While he was inside, the district heads and other horse riders did not stop at Babban Daki. Rather they moved on to Kofar Kudu in a procession to await the arrival of the emir. The emir on his part, after spending some time with his mother, proceeded to Kofar Kudu where dignitaries, members of the diplomatic corps and top government officials had converged to witness the durbar.
On his arrival, Sanusi stayed at a particular spot at Kofar Kudu to receive the traditional homage called Jahi from the district heads and other horse riders.
During the procession, the emir virtually stops at every ward and receives cheers from the crowd that had been waiting for his arrival. It was observed that series of mini dramas by musicians, dancers and drummers also take place while the procession was in progress.
Hawan Daushe is one of the most attractive events during Sallah celebration in Kano. It always attracts a mix of audiences from across the globe, which thronged Kano to witness the cultural event every year.
Hawan Panisau is a six-kilometer procession from the emir’s palace to Panisau village in Ungoggo local government area of the State. The purpose of this procession is for the emir to make himself available to his subjects who were not able to witness other durbars conducted within Kano city.
For the past eight years, Hawan Panisau had not held in Kano due to the health condition of the late emir, Alhaji Ado Bayero. However, Emir Sanusi has revived it yesterday as he led other horse riders to Panisau village in a colorful procession.
As usual, the procession began with gunshots salute by the Yan Bindiga. Like Hawan Dorayi which was conducted during the Eid-el Fitr, where the emir led his entourage to Panisau in an attractive procession.
Sanusi came out from the palace at exactly 7:35am through Kofar Kwaru and led the entourage to Panisau village. Unlike in Hawan Daushe, this time around the emir rode his famous white horse called ‘Kili.’
The emir wore a light brown babbar riga with royal attire Alkyabba over it, and a white turban. His white horse was also decorated. The district heads and other horse riders, on the other hand also dressed in different royal attires with their horses also decorated.
Like in Dorayi, the emir also has a mini palace in Panisau where he settles whenever he visits the village during Sallah. Panisau was also agog with merriment.
While there, the emir attended to his subjects in a normal palace sitting, listening to their complaints and attending to them one by one.
At about  4pm the emir led the entourage back to palace through different routes. The emir normally passes through many wards and whenever he approaches a crowd, he stops over and receives cheers from his subjects. Like the other durbars, Hawan Panisau was also terminated at Kofar Kwaru with series gunshots by the Yan Bindiga.
In both durbars, the processions are being made attractive by various traditional dancers and drummers as well as other local entertainers who accompanied the emir throughout the processions. Their styles in dancing and drumming always adds colour to the traditional durbars.
Aliyu Ibrahim Gwangwazo, a resident of Gwangwazo where Babban Daki is located, told Daily Trust Saturday that the Hawan Daushe durbar always makes him proud, as the emir pays a visit to their locality twice every year.
He said: “I don’t need to take my children to the palace to see the emir. I always wait here for him to come so that they can see him. Not only my children, even my wives used the opportunity of Hawan Daushe durbar to see the emir. So, we are proud to have the Babban Daki here in Gwangwazo,” he concluded.