The procession of the alam from Bibi-Ka-Alawa was taken out on Sunday to mark the tenth Islamic month of Muharram or ‘Ashoora’, observed as a day of mourning for Shias Muslims across the globe.
Several thousand bare-chested men of the community were part of procession as they mourned Hazrath Imam Hussain, the grandson of Prophet Mohammed, who died at the battle of Karbala, with chest-beating and ‘matham’ or the self-infliction of injury.
The procession made its way to Charminar through Yakutpura, where it received an offering or ‘datti’, from Commissioner of Police M. Mahender Reddy. It then passed to Mandi Mir Alam through Panjeshaw where it stopped at Qadm-e-Rasool for a brief while. Along the way to Purani Haveli, family members of Nizam and those of other former royal families made offerings. The procession then headed for Charderghat, its destination.
En route, Deputy Chief Minister Mohammed Mahmood Ali, GHMC Commissioner and South Zone Police Deputy Commissioner V. Satyanarayana made offerings. Congress leader Mohammed Shabbir Ali also offered ‘datti’ near Mir Chowk police station.
Police kept a vigil on the procession to ensure it passed off without untoward incidents.
