Remembering a supreme sacrifice

The air was rent with the sorrow-filled voice of the man reading the marsiya (an Urdu lamentation with a tune) as people dressed in black walked in hordes through the swelling crowd to the Shia Muslim shrine in the town of Doddaballapur, north of Bangalore, on November 22, 2013.

The 17th of the Islamic month of Mohurram is when this town comes alive as it witnesses a huge gathering of Shia Muslims and peoples of other faith to commemorate the sacrifice made by the Holy Prophet’s grandson Hazrat Hussain in Karbala, Iraq, in 680 AD.

The historically famous ashur khana (Shia Muslim place of worship) is the majlis (mourning ceremony) took place. The majlis is followed by a procession where the alam , which is a symbol of the battle of Karbala, is taken out from the ashur khana . The alams are generally made of metal and shaped in the form of a hand. This ashur khana is said to have been built by Abbas Khuli Khan, in the 1700s.

This large event has an interesting history behind it. According to Khaiser Hussain, a resident of Bangalore and a regular visitor to this ashur khana , the alams , that are taken out in this procession were found in a well by a non-Muslim a short way from the ashur khana , around 300 years ago.

Of these Alams , which were found in such fascinating circumstances, only one remains.

On asking Hussain about the history of this majlis and procession, he says that it dates back to the past 70-80 years. “Today, it has transformed into something massive with Shias from all over the country attending it,” he says. “Around thousand people walked from Bangalore to Doddaballapur for the event,” says Taqi Mohammed, a resident of Bangalore.

Saeed Abbas, who has come for the majlis , says that there are stalls offering refreshments to these travellers all along the way from Bangalore. Religious harmony is something that makes this event stand out. Apart from the history behind how the alams were found, this event is attended by people from all faiths and not just Shias. An Urdu poem read out at the majlis which states that Hindus will commemorate the sacrifice of Hazrat Hussain exemplifies this harmony.

The procession is also famous for the matam (self-flagellation) that mourners do to remember the sacrifice made at Karbala.

The procession ends at the well (now dry) where the alams were found and at sunset as people light candles at the ashur khana , the soft reassuring light signifies the end of this once-a-year gathering.

(The author is a student at the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai.)

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