Hyderabad: In wake of the surging COVID-19 cases, festivals and other age-old religious activities have been restricted to homes this year. With Ganesh Chaturthi and Muharram just around the corner, both will continue to buck the trend as no permissions have been given by the authorities for people to come out and observe anything in public.
While the Ganesh Chaturthi festival falls on August 22, Muharram processions are to be observed on August 30. Both will be a low-key affair this year. Mangesh, a Dhoolpet Ganesh idol maker, speaking to siasat.com, said that people have been opting for smaller idols this time. “It would not be wrong if I say that this time they would be very few bigger Ganesh idols, as 99% costumers were purchasing smaller ones,” he added.
The popular Ganesh idol at Khairtabad, which stood at 61-feet tall last year, will only be nine-feet according to the Ganesh Utsav Samiti members. Every year, the Khairtabad pandal attracts thousands of devotees from across the state.
Krishna, a resident of Begum Bazaar said, “Until last year, we installed a very big Ganesh idol in our store and also at home. But this time, it is going to be a small one and we would submerge the idol in our home itself. Safety has become the need of the hour.”
Shia Leaders request permission for the Muharram procession
On the other hand, the Muharram procession which is one of the most extravagant events of the Shai Muslim community in Hyderabad, is likely to be a low-key affair, as only the main rituals are likely to be followed, sans the procession.
This time Shia Muslims will undertake traditions in the comfort of their homes. Called ‘Maljis-e-Aza’, it is a 10-day long observance. (Moharram is the first month of the Islamic calendar). This is done in three stages, the first one is known as Marsiya/Soaz, which is an elegiac poem written to commemorate the martyrdom and velour of Hussain ibn Ali and his comrades of the Karbala.
The second is Hadis, which is done to recall the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (A.S) and the last one is Noha which mean mourning and recalling the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (A.S) and do Matam. Lastly, the Major processions are led on the last day of Moharram every year at the Qutb Shahi-era Ashurkhanas. One of those is the ‘BiBi-Ka-Alam’ which is taken out on an Elephant from the ‘BiBi-Ka-Alawa’ Ashurkhana in Dabeerpura.
Shia leaders wait for guidelines from govt:
Meanwhile, the caretakers of Ashurkhanas are still waiting for guidelines for the processions and are demanding that the centuries-old tradition should not be disturbed. They said that the ‘Bibi Ka Alam’ should be allowed to be taken on an elephant while enforcing other COVID restrictions like social distancing.
Moulana Syed Nisar Hussain Hyder Agha, a prominent member of the Shia community, said, “We would always follow the guidelines by the government but we still are urging for permissions for the 10th Muharram procession with very less people, as the shariya has no alternative.”
Murtaza Mossavi, one of the caretakers of the historic Badshahi Ashurkhana, said that they have already restricted the entry aged people and kids and that they will allow people only if they wear gloves and face masks when they come to the Ashurkhana.
Importance of Moharram in Hyderabad:
Hyderabad’s very foundations lie in Shia Muslim culture, as its founders, the Qutb Shahi kings, were orthodox Shia Muslims. They laid the ground for Shia Muslim customs, which forms the core of Hyderabad’s culture even today.
Shia Muslims are essentially followers of Imam Ali, who was the cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Mohammed. Ali is also considered to be the rightful heir of the Prophet by the Shia sect. In the late 7th century, one of his sons, Imam Hussain, was supposedly killed in a battle with the Islamic caliphate.
The death is believed to have taken place on Ashura, the 10th day of the Islamic month of Moharram. It is Hussain’s death that Shia Muslims mourn every year during Moharram. The mourning takes place in Ashurkhanas, which house battle standards or relics known as Alams from the battle of Karabala where Hussain was killed.
The tradition is not just followed by the Muslim community but also the Hindus in parts of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, Moharram is observed as Peerulu Pandaga or Festival of The Saints.