On Monday, August 12, Kano Emirate Council oraginised a special durbar in honor of President Alpha Conde of the Guinea Conakry, who visited the state with the purpose to celebrate Sallah with other Muslim faithful.
Conde’s visit coincided with Hawan Daushe durbar, one of the famous traditional horse processions in the state being organized by the emirate council annually.
As usual, the special durbar was held at Kofar Kudu, emir’s palace amidst crowd of dignitaries and other onlookers, who converged at the palace to witness the occasion.
The choice of Hawan Daushe to honor President Conde’s visit was considered best, as this particular durbar was considered to be the most colourful and most impressive among all the durbars being conducted during Sallah celebrations in Kano.
The visiting president, arrived the emirs palace at 4:18pm in company of his host, Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano State, where they went straight to a parlour above the emirs court at Kofar kudu from where special guests used to watch the durbar procession.
The durbar commenced at around 4pm when the emir left his palace in colourful procession, through Kofar Arewa, Kabara, Hasiya Bayero hospital, to Babba Daki, where he paid homage to his mother.
Traditionally, whenever the emir arrives at Babban Daki, he would disembark from his horse and enter the house that is hosting his mother for special greeting.
While the emir was inside the house, other horse riders led by their respective district heads proceeded to the palace and waited for the emir. At about 4:30 pm district heads and their contingents arrived at the palace and waited for the arrival of the emir.
Shortly after they arrived at the palace, the district heads and their entourage lined-up with their horses in front of the emirs court in what was described as “the royal exhibition of garment and regalia.”
The emir, Muhammadu Sanusi II, who rode a white camel, arrived the court at 6:02 pm. Immediately after he arrived, dignitaries seated including the the visiting president, Governor Ganduje and other signatories rose for a standing ovation, amidst cheers from thousands of spectators.
Emir Sansusi then disembarked from the She-Camel he rode from Kofar Arewa and climbed a white decorated horse that awaits him at Kofar Kudu and took a position adjacent to the main entrance of the palace, Kofar Kudu for the usual traditional greeting called Jahi.
Shortly after the emir took his position, the district heads, Yan Kwalkwali, Yan Silke, Yan Bindiga and other horse riders began the traditional greetings in a hierarchical order.
The emir remained on the back of the stallion until all the horse riders paid homage to him and this marked the end of the Hawan Daushe durbar.
However, what added color to the procession was the performance by local drummers during the event.
Chronicle observed that while Yan Tambura, a team of local drummers that always escort the emir during durbar were beating their drums on the back of camels, other drummers who also performed their best during the procession trekked from Kofar Arewa to Kofar Kudu during the special durbar.
Another group that also added value to the special procession was Yan Bindiga, a local gun shooters led by their leader called Mai-Tafari.
The main function of this group is to shoot their Dane guns whenever the emir arrives or leave the venue.
For instance, at the beginning of the procession, Yan Bindiga will fired several shots into the air to signify other horse riders that the emir has come out from his residence.
Again when the emir arrives at Kofar Kudu, the group would also fired several shots to notify the dignitaries of the arrival of the emir and so also when the durbar is over they will fired some shots to inform the gathering that the durbar is over.
However, despite series of calls by the emirate council and Kano state government for the need to conduct a peaceful durbar, the police and other security agents had to disperse some anti-new-emirates-protesters who chanted “sarki daya ne a Kano” meaning there is only one emir in Kano, pointing their index fingers towards where the dignitaries were sitting.
The durbar ended at around 6:35 pm as the emir retired to the palace through Kofar Kudu, after which the visiting president, his host and other dignitaries left the palace.
A source in the palace, who pleaded for anonymity, told Chronicle that the palace was happy to receive the august visitor, described him as a visitor of the entire country.
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