Hyderabad: Bibi-ka-Alam procession on Ashura
On the tenth day of Muharram, which is known as Ashura, the alam is taken out in a procession.
Hyderabad: The Bibi-ka-Alam installed at the Bibi-ka-Alawa in Dabeerpura dates back to the Qutb Shahi era. The standard contains a piece of the wooden plank upon which Fatima-e-Zehra, alias Bibi Fatima, the daughter of Prophet Mohammed, was given a final ablution before the burial.
The relic from Karbala reached the Golconda kingdom during the rule of Abdullah Qutb Shah. Aliuddin Arif, the mujawir of the Bibi-ka-Alam, says, “The relic has been wrapped in gold and incorporated in the alam, which is made of alloys. During the Asaf Jahi era, offerings of diamonds were made to the standard.”
On the tenth day of Muharram, which is known as Ashura, the alam is taken out in a procession. Hamed Hussain Jaffery, a Shia leader, says, “We recall the events of the battle of Karbala, the martyrdom of Hazrath Imam Hussain, and the agony of his mother Fatima-e-Zehra.”
The alam passes through Shaik Faiz Kamam, Etebar Chowk, Old Malwala Palace, Charminar and Khadam-e-Rasool.
“It is demounted from the elephant for a short while and taken into the premises of Khadam-e-Rasool, where the impressions of Prophet Mohammad’s feet, which were brought from Madina during the era of the Nizam, are kept,” Mr Jaffery says.
After the halt at Khadam-e-Rasool, the procession continues towards Chaderghat, with brief stops at Purani Haveli and Aza Khana-e Zohra, where members of the Nizam’s family make offerings.
“The procession ends at the Masjid-e-Ilahe in Chaderghat,” Mr Jaffery says.