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Sehar khan , traditional Ramadan drum beaters, still playing their role in Srinagar ANI | Updated: May 07, 2021 13:54 IST
Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], May 7 (ANI): Amid the ongoing holy month of Ramadan, traditional drummers known as Sehar Khans in Srinagar have been carrying on with the ritual of waking up people by beating drums for Sehri, the pre-dawn meal before the fasting day.
In the era of technology, when many people rely on alarm features on various gadgets, these traditional drum beaters make it a point to continue the legacy.
A traditional drum beater in Srinagar, Nazir Ahmad spoke to ANI and said, These days people rely on alarm features on their mobile phones, but this is our old custom. I wake up at 2.30 am to go around the city beating drums.
The Muslim holy month of Ramadan is on, during which the faithful observe roza or fast from sunrise to sunset. The fast entails abstinence from eating, drinking, smoking and sexual relations to achieve greater “taqwa”, or consciousness of God.
Ramadan is observed to mark the month in which the first verses of the Quran, Islam’s holy book, were revealed to Prophet Muhammad more than 1,400 years ago.
During the month, Muslims wake up before the sun rises to have a pre-fasting meal, or suhoor, and break the fast at sunset with an iftar – followed by prayers that can go on late into the night.