Seharkhwans, drum-beaters who keep an age-old Ramzan tradition alive in Kashmir

Srinagar: With Ramzan come the Seharkhwans -- the drum-beaters who wake up people for the pre-dawn meal 'Sehri' -- to the cities and towns of Kashmir.

Hundreds of these men who arrive from remote villages have kept the age-old tradition alive, despite the ubiquity of modern gadgets such as mobile phones and alarm clocks.

From time immemorial, their drum beats have woken up Kashmiris for that one meal that keeps them going as they fast during the day.

Mohammad Shafi Mir, a resident of Barzulla, said that Seharkhwans have an important role to play during the holy month. "Ramzan is not free of rigours. We finish the taraweeh (long, late-night prayers) around 10.30 pm, and by the time we go to sleep, it is already midnight. To wake up again in four hours for the Sehri and the Fajr (early morning) prayers is tedious. Unlike mobile or clock alarms, you cannot switch off their drum beats." Each Seharkhwan takes up a 'territory' of one or two mohallas. For some, this is a source of livelihood. For others, an act of devotion.

Many of them wait 11 months for Ramzan, as the earnings during this month provide for their families for an entire year.

"We are from a remote area and this is my livelihood. I work as a labourer for the rest of the year, but the earnings in those 11 months are still less than what I earn during Ramzan," Abdul Majeed Khan from Kalaroos in Kupwara district said.

Khan, who has been a drum-beater for 20 years, said his work starts at 3 am in the morning and ends at 5 am.

"People pay us generously at the end of Ramzan. Allah has blessed them," he added.

Mohammad Mehboob Khatana, who has been coming to Srinagar for 22 years every Ramzan, said while he makes a living for his family, he is also hopeful of getting a reward from the God Almighty for the good deed of waking up people for Sehri.

"We wake people up for fasting. We do this not just for a livelihood, but also in the hope of a reward in the next world," he said.

Ghulam Rasool Payar, a veteran of more than 50 years, is a familiar figure in the old city. He said the financial gains are a bonus, as his main aim is to serve people.

"I have been doing this work for the last 50 years. I do not pester the residents for payments, as I feel the bigger reward is with the Almighty," he said.