Sitting on the roadside and taking sips of hot green tea, Peshawarites have kept alive the old tradition of story telling by chatting with one another in the historic Qissa Khawni Bazaar, the street of story tellers.
Modern times have transformed every aspect of Peshawar, which has the singular distinction of being the only oldest living city in South Asia, yet the gatherings in Qissa Khawni Bazaar have lent lasting life to a tradition that has existed since time immemorial.
At night, when business activity comes to a halt, people residing in different localities of Peshawar city assemble at the Qissa Khawni Bazaar and chat with one another, reminiscing on an old practice when professional story tellers used to recite tales of war and love to traders and soldiers.
This central bazaar, situated within the interior area of Peshawar city was known in history as the `Street of story tellers, where professional story tellers would tell stories to caravans of traders and soldiers visiting the city.
According to a prominent archaeologist, Professor Ahmad Hassan Dani's book `Peshawar Historic City of the Frontier', visiting travellers or townsmen would gather at Qissa Khawni to be regaled with stories by the professional story tellers in the evenings. Traders, tourists and people would visit the area and enjoy story listening with green tea.
"Today the story tellers and the art of story telling has vanished, but the traditional environment of the bazaar is still the same, intact," observed Muhammad Shoaib, a city dweller but not a professional story teller, who regularly meets his friends in the bazaar after dinner to exchange day to day happenings over a cup of green tea.
The practice of story telling has become transformed into a friendly chat amongst people of all age groups. The topic of light discussions range from sharing views on local matters, to national and world politics, adds Shoaib.
It is interesting to note that in the evening, makeshift shops are set up in the historic bazaar and people are offered Tikkas, Kababs, Lassi, Kheer, Fresh juices, Falooda a (traditional cold, sweet dish).
Apart from the makeshift eateries, green tea is a permanent and core feature of the food activity. Tea shops still adorn the bazaar with their large brass samovars and numerous hanging tea pots and tea cups.
"Story telling alone is not the only feature that makes Qissa Khawni a distinct place; it has a history of bravery, shown by the people of Peshawar while struggling for freedom in the 20th century," observed Aftab Ahmad, senior journalist and cultural activist from the Walled City.
'It was the site of the massacre of 400 freedom fighters before independence in 1930. On April 23, 1930, British troops opened fire on the freedom lovers at this bazaar, leaving 400 people dead and wounding scores of others', Aftab added.
'Every year', he continued, rallies are staged by political parties and cultural groups to pay homage to the 1930 martyrs. The memorials erected in the heart of the bazaar by a former mayor Saeed Ahmad Jan in 1983 are a place of reverence for all and sundry.
Aftab also revealed that another special feature of the Qissa Khawni Bazaar was its gate, which was known as the Kabuli Gate. The gate was one of the 16 gates of Peshawar. It was the most beautiful gate of Peshawar.
The Indian cinema legend, Dilip Kumar (Yousuf Khan), a Hindko speaking Peshawari, missed the gate when he visited his home town in 1988. His ancestral house is situated behind the Qissa Khawni Bazaar, so are the houses of Raj Kapoor and Shah Rukh Khan, other Peshawari legends of the Indian cinema.
"At the end of the 19th century, Peshawar was a Walled City with a population of 50,000. But now the people count has crossed the one million mark. It is no longer a walled city. The wall is present now, but in bits and pieces, Aftab added.
The Archaeology Department of NWFP has proposed a project to the City Development and Municipal Department (CDMD) for restoring the lost glory and grandeur of Qissa Khawni by renovating the old buildings, Director Archaeology Saleh Muhammad, told this scribe.
The approximate cost of the project is Rs 40 million, while the Archaeology Department has released an amount of Rs one million to the City Development and Municipal Development (CDMD) for PC:I of the project.
Under the project, he stated, the old buildings of Qissa Khawni would be renovated. There are a number of Balakhanas in the bazaar which are now in bad shape. If these buildings were not renovated as a whole, the department would try to improve the condition of their facades for retaining the original shape. Saleh Muhammad said the CDMD had hired a consultant and work on the project would be started shortly.
District Nazim Peshawar, Haji Ghulam Ali, when contacted said that the City District Government was giving due attention to the Qissa Khawni Bazaar which was the heart of Peshawar city. He said recently that his government had constructed new footpaths in the bazaar using marble tiles instead of bricks, which spoke of the importance he attached to the bazaar. Haji Haleem Jan, President Traders Association Qissa Khawni Bazar, observed that the historic bazaar did not receive the much needed attention from the quarters concerned and its condition was deteriorating day by day. He said that excessive encroachment and increasing traffic had badly affected the bazaar and now people avoid visiting it due to these problems.
He demanded that the government should expedite work on the project for the renovation of the old buildings in the bazaar. He suggested proper seating arrangements be made for people who gather at the Qissa Khawni at dusk, reviving the old tradition of social gatherings and story telling.
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