A Spiritual Pursuit

Naoha and Marsiha are a sad,poetic way of explaining the martyrdom and suffering of Imam Hussain who was massacred in Karbala along with his family members,including a six-month-old baby,by the-then emperor,Yazid,” says Jawad Askari,who is famous in the city for his recitals in Imambaras as a reciter of Naoha and Marsiha. The tenth day of Muharram marks this tragedy and Shias remember and mourn for the entire month. “Inflicting pain on ourself is a way of conveying to the Imam that we really miss those moments when we could come to his aid. This is the intention,” explains the reciter,who is also a master of ghazals and the art of compering in Persian,English and Urdu.

Elaborating on how devotees express their regret,“To create an atmosphere of mourning,Shaam-e-garibaan is performed in pitch darkness. It begins with the moulana (priest) narrating

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the scenario of Karbala. This is followed by a Marsiha and a Naoha recital,which I often deliver in many Imambaras.”

After Shaam-e-garibaan,other gestures of mourning follow. “As the mourning reaches its peak,there is heavy chest-beating and inflicting wounds on oneself with dozens of double-edged knives dangling from a chain. This is the process of Zanjeerzani,” he adds.

There are also rituals like Qammazani,which involve hitting the center of one’s head with a sharp dagger-like weapon and Aag ka maatam,which involves walking barefoot on inflamed coal,he says.

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“Although most of these practices involve deep cuts and a lot of bleeding,there are no casualties and the wounds are healed miraculously. It is an expression of the intensity of faith,” he says.

Suchi Adhikari