Come Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calender, a pall of gloom descends on several parts of the city. For, it was in this month that Hazrat Imam Hussain, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad, and his family was martyred over 1,300 years ago in Karbala, in present-day Iraq.
For the Shias of the city, and a large number of Sunnis as well, it is a time of mourning.
The period, leading to the Ashura, the day of martyrdom, the 10th of Muharram, is marked with councils of contemplation, remembrance and narration of the event.
“It is a time when Hazrat Imam Hussain and his family were martyred. It is a very important time not just for us, but also for people of several faiths. We see men, women and children cutting across religions coming here. The martyrs were even denied water,” says Mir Abbas Ali Moosvi, mutawalli (manager) of the historic Badshahi Ashoorkhana.
Mr. Moosvi says that as many as 5,000 worshippers arrived at the Ashoorkhana from Thursday evening to Friday in the afternoon. “Today is the 3rd of Muharram. The activity is expected to pick up all the way to the 10th of Muharram,” he says.
Water is an important theme in Muharram. This is why all along Darul Shifa, Mandi Mir Alam and other places, the devout are seen installing sabeel. “Sabeel is a stall where volunteers and the devout hand out water to passers-by and anybody who is in need of it. Nobody should be denied water,” says Raza Ahmed, a businessman from Noor Khan Bazaar.
Heavy activity is expected at Bibi ka Alawa and other ashoorkhanas as well.
A procession in which participants will indulge in khooni maatam (self-flagellation leading to bloodletting) on 10th of Muharram, corresponding to September 21, is expected.
The procession will leave from Bibi Ka Alawa in Dabeerpura and travel to Chaderghat via Charminar Etebar Chowk and Purani Haveli.
