Alams Draped in Black

8th Muharram

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February 8th 2006
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, w ... read more

Asia » India » Andhra Pradesh » Hyderabad

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The Indus Valley civilization, one of the oldest in the world, dates back at least 5,000 years. Aryan tribes from the northwest invaded about 1500 B.C.; their merger with the earlier Dravidian inhabitants created the classical Indian culture. Arab in... ... read more