Hujra and jirga

Hujra

Hujra   in  Pashto stands  for Mehmaankhana or Drawing room. Hujra is derived from   Arabic means room or cell.  The  place where guests are entertained by housemates in south India, Bangladesh, Pakistan. Its   also called  baithak in hindko . The term hujra is especially prevalent in the predominantly Pashtun areas of Pakistan. Pashtun hujra are used mainly to entertain male guests by household males. Although sometimes  community hujra are also maintained by tribal units. In individual houses, the size and trappings of a hujra are sometimes indicative of family status. At our side hujra is kind of community center where men come have chit chat with their fellow villagers.

Rabab

Some times   people gathered in hujra for jirga .

Jirga is pashtun tradition in which respected people from their communities sit together and solve problems of people. Everyone respect decision of jirga. 

In old days rabab was used to play by the local artistes at night in singing mahfel or singing get together.

The rabab tradition is dying now a day which makes me sad because I loved that tradition. 

 Tribal jirga 

In this picture you can view a traditional jirga being held for some problem between two groups. The charpai (bed) are being put upside down position. That indicates an old tradition of tribal jirga held on special circumstances