Spectacular horse-riding processions called ‘Hawa’ and other displays are among the durbar events held during the two annual Sallah ceremonies in Kano, drawing thousands of spectators from within the country and abroad.
“His royal highness, the Emir of Kano, has decided to suspend the Sallah celebrations because of his fragile state of health and urged members of the public to pray for his speedy recovery and for the return of peace to the state,” Wamban Kano, Alhaji Abbas Sanusi, said at a news conference at the emir’s palace yesterday.
He said the emir would only attend the Eid prayers marking the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, after which he would retire to his palace.
Bayero, 80, returned from a foreign medical trip a month ago though this is the first time the palace is officially acknowledging that his state of health is poor.
The different ceremonies held during Sallah which are now shelved this year are Hawan Sallah, Hawan Daushe, Hawan Nasarawa and Hawan Dorayi, observed in that order on the Eid el-Fitr day and the next three consecutive days.
During these events, the emir joins a horse-riding procession along Kano streets and also visits some historical places in the city.
The palace said this cancellation does not affect the Eid el-Kabir celebrations coming up in late October.
Yesterday’s announcement came as a shock to many people, because this was the first time that the festivals were being suspended throughout the 49 years that Bayero is emir of Kano.
“It’s the last thing we expect to hear from the emirate council. Nobody anticipated the cancelation of the Sallah celebrations. Many people believe the celebrations serve as the perfect epitome of the genuine Hausa culture which must be sustained for the sake of posterity,” an elderly resident Malam Muhammadu Idi told our reporter.
The Sallah durbar in Kano is considered the most popular in the country because it draws thousands of people from the country and other parts of the world.
Last year, the state government advised the emir against taking part in the Sallah celebrations because of his ill health, but this sparked controversy and Bayero ignored the advice.
But months later Bayero went on weeks-long medical trip to London and returned on July 12, prompting speculations about his state of health.
Though the palace said the durbar suspension was because of the emir’s health, many people in Kano believe that security concerns might have also contributed to the decision.
Just last week, the palace cancelled the annual I’itikaf observed in the last 10 days of Ramadan, citing insecurity.
Kano has seen intermittent incidents of violence since the major Boko Haram strike on January 20 that left 186 people dead according to official death toll.
“The emir is right to cancel the celebrations as the state is no longer safe. You remember that the I’itikaf was also suspended for security reasons,” resident Aliyu Gali told Daily Trust.
“Even if the Emir decides to do the Hawan Sallah, not everybody would be willing to watch the spectacle.”
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