8th Muharram

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Hi Everyone,

Right now in Hyderabad it is Muharram, and I have been busy going to mourning ceremonies (majalis) and touring the many houses where these ceremonies occur, called ashurkhanas. An ashurkhana can be as simple as a closet in someone’s house, or a large structure similar in size to a mosque. Besides a gathering place, an important function of the ashurkhana is to house the alams, which is a metal crest on a pole that is meant to suggest the battle standards of the Karbala martyrs. Alams are usually passed down from generation to generation, and can be made of simple metal or sophisticated materials. Also, some alams are covered in sandalwood. As you can see from the pictures, some alams are more than life-size, and some extend the length of an arm.

I’m sure you can imagine the strange looks I receive and the attention I get when I step into some house or an ashurkhana for the majlis—everyone asks who I am, what am I doing there, etc. Everyone quizzes me on my knowledge of the battle which took place 1,400 years ago—and when I misspeak they are quick to correct me. However, people thus far have been so gracious and so surprised that some American is interested in their commemorations!

I have taken many pictures of what I have seen so far throughout the Old City and here they are for your enjoyment. Today is the 9th of Muharram, and tomorrow is Ashura, the culminating day of the mourning ceremonies for Imam Husayn. I am joining a family this morning and I will not be staying at my school tonight as my Shi’i contact insists that I stay at her house. She has been incredibly hospitable to me and I feel I many never be able to reciprocate!

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Photos

Inside an Ashurkhana
Pictures of the Shi'a Imams Ali and Husayn

Inside an Ashurkhana
This is Imam Husayn's horse, Zuljenah. The portrait is after the Karbala battle.

Ashurkhana
This is one of the city's more popular ashurkhanas. Everyone is trying to touch the alams, which are in the back.