Drum beaters preserve Sehri tradition in Islamabad
Source: The Nation
ISLAMABAD - The centuries-old tradition of a drum beater waking people up for Sehri remains alive even in the federal capital of Islamabad. For centuries, the majority of people would wake up to the loud drumbeats in the wee hours, heralding the beginning of Sehri time during Ramazan. However, with modern technology, this tradition has declined but is still kept alive by drum beaters like Faqeer Hussain. Faqeer Hussain still beats the drum at Sehri and wakes up the people in sector G-7, Islamabad. Talking to APP, he said, "I feel very happy to wake the people up. I never enjoyed any other event like this and feel that I am doing a religious activity. 'I don't perform this duty for the sake of cash but I do it only for the hereafter,' he added. "It's not that the people of my area do not have modern equipment; they do have, but they want to keep this custom alive," he added.
The drum beaters visit various streets, usually around 3 to 4 AM. Most of the time, he calls out loudly, "Utho rozay daro" and makes sure that the thunderous beat of his drum, along with his slogans, is loud enough to wake up the residents of a particular locality. Those who perform this duty during Ramadan go from house to house to receive their reward at the end of the holy month.