Hyderabad: Solemnity and mourning marked ‘Yaum-e-Ashura’ on Wednesday as the historic ‘Bibi-ka-Alam’ procession was taken out in the old city of Hyderabad in a traditional manner. Thousands of people participated in the ‘Bibi-ka-Alam’ procession, which passed through various parts of the old city before concluding at Chaderghat on the banks of the Musi river.
Background and Significance
‘Yaum-e-Ashura’ or the 10th day of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar, is observed in memory of the martyrdom of Prophet Mohammed’s grandson Imam Hussain and his followers at the Battle of Karbala. The ‘Bibi-ka-Alam’, believed to contain a piece of the wooden plank on which the Prophet’s daughter Bibi Fatima Zehra was given the final ablution, was installed over 430 years ago during the Qutub Shahi dynasty. The alam was carried on a caparisoned elephant brought from Karnataka.
Procession Route and Participants
The procession started from Bibi Ka Alawa and passed through Sheikh Faiz Kaman, Yakutpura Darwaza, Etebar Chowk, Charminar, Gulzar Houz, Penjeshah, Mani Mir Alam, Purani Haveli, and Darulshifa. A total of 25 groups of self-flagellating mourners led the procession, starting from Bibi Ka Alawa in Dabeerpura. Blood oozed from the heads and chests of bare-chested Shia mourners who flagellated themselves with sharp-edged objects. Amid cries of ‘Ya Hussain’ and recitation of ‘marsiya’ (elegies) and ‘noha-khwani’ (poems expressing sorrow), barefoot youths using knives, blade-encrusted chains, and other sharp-edged weapons inflicted injuries on themselves to show solidarity with the sufferings of the martyrs. Others were seen crying and beating their chests.
Security and Arrangements
Police made elaborate security arrangements for the procession. Traffic was diverted at a few points for the annual procession. Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari, Hyderabad Police Commissioner K. Sreenivas Reddy, other police officials, leaders of different political parties, and family members of the Nizam, the ruler of erstwhile Hyderabad State, offered ‘dhattis’ en route. Santhi Kumari personally supervised the arrangements made for the peaceful and smooth conduct of the procession. She congratulated the police for making perfect arrangements, stating, “It was my lifetime experience,” on offering ‘Dhatti’. Nawab Mir Muhammad Azmat Ali Khan, the ninth titular Nizam of Hyderabad, and other family members offered ‘Dhatti’ at Purani Haveli.
Challenges and Interventions
The ‘alam’ was carried on a female elephant named ‘Rupavati’, which was brought from Karnataka. The transport of the jumbo, belonging to Shri Jagadguru Panchacharya Mandir Trust in Davangere, was delayed due to certain issues with the Central government tweaking rules for inter-state transportation of captive elephants. Telangana’s Forest Minister Konda Surekha intervened and spoke to her Karnataka counterpart Eshwar Khandre.
Historical Context
The Muharram procession dates back to the regime of Qutub Shahi King Abdullah more than 400 years ago. It is said Abdullah’s mother Hayat Bakshi Begum initiated the annual procession. Camels, horses, and elephants were used for the procession during the Qutub Shahi period.
Sunni Muslim Observances
Sunni Muslims observed the day by fasting and holding meetings to remember the sacrifices of Imam Hussain and his followers who were martyred in 61 Hijri or 681 CE at Karbala in present-day Iraq. The fasting is observed on two days – the ninth and 10th or 10th and 11th of Muharram.
Statewide Observance
The day was also observed in various parts of Telangana in a traditional manner. Hindus also joined the processions in towns and villages.
