10th day of Muharram: Muslim community across Mumbai to observe ‘Ashura’ today
The traffic arrangements on a temporary basis will be placed from 3pm on July 17 till midnight.
3 min read
Shia Muslims mourn on this day to commemorate the martyrdom of prophet’s grandson Imam Hussain, who was killed in the Battle of Karbala. (File Photo/Shashi Ghosh)
MUSLIM COMMUNITY across the city will observe “Ashura”, the 10th day of Muharram, on Wednesday. Shia Muslims from across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) usually congregate in Dongri area of south Mumbai where they participate in Majlis (sermons) and recite nauhas (elegies) remembering the battle of Karbala in which the prophet’s grandson Imam Hussain and several members of his family were killed.
While Dongri was earlier the hub where Shias are headed to during Ashura, now there are several places like Bandra, Mira Road, Mumbra, Versova that see congregations which gather for mourning.
Zuhair Rizvi, a Bandra resident said, “While for the other nights, we attend religious sermons held in Bandra, for Ashura My family and I go to Dongri where we attend Majlis. We stay there till morning prayers after which we leave for our Bandra residence. This has been a tradition for over a decade.”
While Muharram is the first month of the Islamic calendar, the sighting of the new year moon marks the period of mourning for the Shia community. In several areas, “sabeels” distributing water come up as soon as the month of Muharram begins.
Shias mourn the battle of Karbala, fought in 680 AD at Karbala — located in present day Iraq — that led to the death of the prophets grandson Imam Hussain and several of his family members who refused to swear allegiance to Umayyad caliph Yazid I as the next caliph.
Shias dress in black clothes, disheveled hair to feel the agony that the prophets grandson and his army of 72 felt nearly 1400 years back.
Apart from religious sermons and nauhas being recited, there are several processions that are carried out in several parts of the city. In order to ensure that there are no traffic snarls due to these processions, the Mumbai police have issued an advisory with a list of traffic diversions for the movement of vehicles in Mumbai for Muharram processions on Wednesday.
According to the advisory, Taziya processions will be carried out in the area of Dharavi from Dharavi 60 ft. road, 90 ft. road, Mahim Sion Link road, Sant Rohidas Road and other adjoining areas.
The traffic arrangements on a temporary basis will be placed from 3pm on July 17 till midnight.
No entry routes: Sion Mahim Link Road will be closed for vehicular traffic from S.L. Raheja Route Junction to T-Junction; St. Kabir Marg (60 feet road) will be closed for vehicular traffic from Kemkar Junction to Kumbharwada Junction and K.K. Krishna Menon Marg (90 feet road) will be closed for vehicular traffic from Ashok Mill Naka to Kumbharwada Junction.
You May Like
Photos
