Travel Journal: Kano State Durbar Festival

August 01, 2016 Unknown 9 Comments

Apart from my youth service, another reason I'm in the North is to really experience Northern Nigeria. I've heard a lot of stories and myths. Some of which sound outrageous and others somewhat mystical. Ignoring the stories, I decided to experience these things myself. To be candid, if you really want to enjoy the North, I suggest you stay in the more developed states. If not, you might find yourself disappointed. I ended up in Kebbi state. I'm not too sure if I'm happy or sad about it. It's a really nice and peaceful state but lacks the kind of vibes I was hoping to get. I got a little disappointed then I got invited to Kano State by a really good friend to witness the Durbar Festival. He knows me too well and knew I wouldn't turn down an offer to see it first hand. So I took his offer up. 

You might be wondering, "What is a Durbar Festival?". Well, according to Wikipedia-

"It is said that A Durbar festival is an annual festival celebrated in several cities of Nigeria. It is celebrated at the culmination of Muslim festivals Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. It begins with prayers, followed by a parade of the Emir and his entourage on horses, accompanied by music players, and ending at the Emir's palace. Durbar festival is celebrated much in kastina. Durbar festivals are organised in cities such as Kano, Katsina and Bida, and are considered tourist attractions.

The Durbar festival had been in hausaland for more than 500 years. It was introduced by Sarki Muhammadu Rumfa of Kano in the late 14th century, as a way of demonstrating military power and skills before going to war. The festival is also an opportunity for local leaders to pay homage to Emir throughout the Jahi cheering."

My trip to kano was nothing short of amazing. It was incredibly fun and I met really cool interesting people. I owe it totally to my host and his friends. There were challenges but they tried to make me see the good sides. Now I can't promise that your trip would be a fun as mine but I can assure you it would be worth while.