Hujra culture still alive in KP despite mushroom growth of social media
PESHAWAR (APP): Despite mushroom growth of social media platforms, the nearly 5,000 years-old culture of hujra is still continued in villages of Khyber Pakthunkhwa where people celebrate joyous occasions including marriages and birthdays on beatsdrums besides swapping tales of day to day happenings in a soothing environment.
Enjoying the musical rabab with tabla played by artists Dilaram Khan and Masood Khan in a marriage function, the residents of Mohib Banda Nowshera gather in the hujra of Bahadar Khan on every Sunday where they exchange views on regional and international issues, sports, culture besides celebrate their siblings’ successes.
‘As per my father’s will, I had never closed my hujra doors for anyone since 2000. Today, we had gathered to celebrate the engagement of a local youth amid beatsdrums and rabab that enthralled youth,” said Bahadar Khan, whose hujra was a centre of warmth, friendship besides cementing bonds of brotherhood and tolerance in society.
He said that children learn alot from seniors citizens at hujra besides abiding to rich Pakhtuns culture.
“The culture of hujra was as old as history of Khyber Pakthunkhwa itself” said Bakhtzada Khan, senior research officer archeology and museums department KP while talking to APP.
On the basis of archaeological evidence recovered from Gor Kathri excavations, he said hujra was existed in some 5000 years ago in KP and continued even today despite invasion of social media.
He said that Pakhtuns was very ancient tribe of the region whose history can trace to about 5,000 years ago, adding the origin of the hujra is as old as Pakhtun history.
“This institution had originated alongside the social life of Pakhtuns because hospitality was second nature to them and to be hospitable, they needed the hujra where people warmly welcome guests even today”.
He said it was hard to imagine a village without a hujra in a paktuns society in ancient history and was passed from one generation to other. The great pashto poets, Rehman Baba, Khushal Khan Khattak, Ghani Khan, Ameer Hama Shinwari and Rehmat Shah Sail also highlighted signficance of the hujra in their literary works.
He said hujra is a multi-purpose cultural space, exclusively for men, built and maintained collectively by the villagers as it ties them together as a community.
“A hujra is considered much more than a mere building or a room in a village. It has served as a seat of learning, a centre for teaching young people about Pakhtun traditions by abiding to ‘Pashtunwali’ — the code of conduct of Pakhtun society,” he said.
Inspite of increase of internet services and influence of social media platforms, he said that hujra hold its place. It serves as a community centre, social club, parliament, alternate dispute resolution centre, wedding hall, literary and traditional music club.
He said that hujra had a long occupied centre-stage in Pakhtun communities for good reason where people shared each other’s success and griefs.
Pashto Ghazal maestro and Pride of Performance Khyal Muhammad said that hujra is the backbone of Pashtun society and has a unique distinction in global cultures.
“When I was young, the hujras were jampacked with people. My first priority was stage performance in hujra compare to other forums,”he said. With passage of times, he said that hujra were converted into houses due to population bulge and speedy growth of social media tools.
Famous actor, Javed Babar said that other nations may have guest houses, community centres, gymnasiums, playgrounds and wedding halls but, in Pakhtun culture, all of these activities take place in one hujra, which is a reflection of Pashtun’s rich culture.
He said that it was hujra where youth was used to learn ethics such as respect for elders and avoiding idle talk; adding a person well-versed in the norms of the hujra is called ‘hujra pass.”
Babar said that in case a person was a PhD scholar, but unaware of the values of the hujra, he is deemed as someone who has not mastered the ethics of Pakhtun culture.
He said that hujra functions as a sort of parliament house for Pashtuns where they can achieve collective goals such as specifying a proper burial place for someone in the graveyard or resolving security issues besides young people learn the art of dialogue and dispute resolution here.
The speakers said that revival of the hujra is not an impossible mission and certain steps such as the installation of wifi for youngsters need to be taken, so that they can fulfill their educational and entertainment needs under the supervision of elders.
They said indoor games such as table tennis could also be introduced to attract their presence and participation.
The experts feared that if Pashtuns fail to revive the hujra, Pakhtun youth will be left isolated and this could lead to psychological and mental health issues besides a setback to local politics.
They underscored the need to re-establish the hujra with the consensus of all stakeholders such as the political government, the community, cultural experts and institutions necessary to bolster peace.
The experts said that KP government could chalk out a plan for the revival of hujra such as allocation of rooms for a library, indoor games, a meeting hall and guest room with internet facility and essential furniture to facilitate young lots.
They said that constructing shops nearby could generate revenue which could be used for the maintenance of the hujra.
ANP led government in 2008-2013 had provided special funds to 700 hujras collectively owned by the people in the entire province. These hujras were converted to community centres that help people to participate in social, political and recreational activities in positive manners.
