Thousands of Dawoodi Bohras to gather at Indore for Syedna’s Muharram sermons

INDORE: Dawoodi Bohras, an Islamic community, will be gathering in Indore to commemorate their annual sermons scheduled on September 11.

A large number of believers are expected to attend the 10-day Muharram sermons by their spiritual leader Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin.

While the last sermons were held in Surat, the occasion has been considered to take place in India after a three-year gap.

The 10-day-long Ashara Mubaraka is observed in remembrance of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and his close offsprings, especially the sacrifices of his grandson Imam Hussain, who was martyred along with his family and companions in Karbala.

Every year, community members from around the world request Syedna to host the event in their cities. However, Indore was shortlisted after local jamaats from Marol, Pune, Godhra, Chennai and Mombasa insisted for the opportunity to host the event.

“Over 100,000 Dawoodi Bohras from different countries are expected to join the sermons. We are arranging for a large number of them to be accommodated in the homes of local community members, as well as trying to negotiate fair rates with hotels,” said Khuzaima Petiwala, local public relations coordinator.

“Our teams are coordinating with local authorities regarding matters such as traffic and sanitation in order to minimise inconvenience to our neighbours,” he added.

Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin will hold the sermons for the first time in Indore, which had earlier witnessed his father, the late Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin’s sermons in 1986 and 2002.