FAISALABAD: A unique tradition has been reported in a Faisalabad village, where for three days the entire village eats ‘kheer’ as all milkmen from the area contribute their days supply to making kheer for every villager.
Milk men in Chak number 118-GB have said that they prepare for these days in advance and everyone looks forward to the week.
Bathan Azmat Ali said that on Friday, Saturday and Sunday he didn’t distribute milk and instead worked with other milk men in the area to prepare kheer. “It is our bit for charity as all of us contribute our milk supply to make kheer for everyone. For these three days, everyone in the area is fed and no one goes to bed hungry,” Ali said.
Ali said that early in the morning after Fajr prayers, he and others head towards the village centre where they prepare kheer in large cauldrons. “The Kheer takes up the entire village’s supply of milk for three days but we feed many people in the process,” he said, adding that locals celebrated the three days every year with dances and singing.
Basharat said that every year three days were set aside for the festival. “We give milk in God’s name and the entire village takes part. All of us spend our day making kheer for whoever gathers to have it,” Basharat said.
Distributing kheer at homes in the area has been a tradition for 60 years and every year on fifth of Zeqad milk is not sold in the market or distributed to peoples homes. More than 100 maunds of milk are gathered and kheer is cooked by all the milk men in the surrounding villages. Village elder Haji Umer Hayat (82) said that the event was for charity and always brought the villagers together.
“Everyone gathers and we eat together. It is wonderful,” he said. Khizr Hayat, his son, said “We are keeping our forefathers tradition alive and by the grace of God we will continue to keep it alive. Every year we cook kheer and gather in this ground, it is more than just a charity event as we meet every villager and get to know each other,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 18th, 2010.
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