Mourning peaks on Muharram 8

LAHORE :The mourning activities of Ashura-e-Muharram reached close to the peak on Friday, 8th Muharram, as a number of Tazia and Alam processions of Hazrat Abbas were brought out in various parts of the city under strict security measures.

Besides, a number of majalis held in city Imambargahs where Zakerin retold the Karbala incident with particular emphasis on the martyrdom of the companions of Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA) and the philosophy of Azadari.

Large number of chest beating and Noha reciting mourners participated in the processions held to commemorate the sacrifice of Hazrat Abbas (RA), the step-brother of Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA), who laid down his life after waging valiant war against the enemies. The processions passed through their routes and ended peacefully in the evening. The main procession was taken out from Pando street, Islampura in the morning and marching through its route culminated at its starting point.

Other two processions included the one from Urdu Bazaar and other Abbott road. The 8th of Muharram is also associated with Hazrat Ali Akbar (RA), the elder son of Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA), who stood by his father’s commitment and also marshalled the Karbala martyrs as assistant of his father.

Hazrat Ali Akbar also used to say Azan and was called the Moazan of Caravan-e-Karbala. His Azan-e-Fajr on the day of Ashura holds vivid memories of the battlefield. The authorities made tough security measures for the security of the processions as thousands of police personnel belonging to different branches of law enforcing agencies were deployed to monitor them and maintaining the security. Tougher measures are being considered for the next two days, including clamping a blanket ban on mobile phone service in the city and pillion riding on motorbikes, to beef up the security measures.

The routes of processions are closed for the entry of passers-by, while policemen are deployed along the routes and also at the rooftops of the building along them. The residents of the buildings alongside are barred from opening their windows and coming to roofs but women and children were allowed to watch the procession from windows.

All routes are scanned and checked by squads before the arrival of the processions. All side entry and exits of the routes have been sealed by barricades and police personnel are deployed on top of the buildings along the routes of the processions. The district government has also set up a main control room in DC office with hundreds of CCTV cameras monitoring the situation round-the-clock.

Major processions included the Zuljanah and Taboot from inside Bhaati Gate which after following its designated routes ended at Chatterji Road in the night. Zuljanah processions from Lytton Road while Taboot processions from Said Mitha Bazaar were brought out in the night which ended at inside Bhaati Gate in the morning.

Zuljanah processions were also brought out in other parts of the city, including Model Town, Krishan Nagar, Imamia Colony, Jafaria Colony and Mughalpura. Thousands of faithful mourned, chest-beated and self-flagellated themselves at different points of the procession route and the Nohakhwans recited the events of the Ashura.    

The Matam (chest-beating) intensified as Zakerin in their majalis elaborated the massaibs (torments) on the family of Hazrat Imam Hussain and their companions who were deprived of taking water from the Euphrates River by the government forces from the 7th of Muharram.

On Saturday (today), 9th Muharram, the mourning activities will reach their peak with the bringing out of the central Zuljanah procession from Nisar Haveli inside Mochi Gate in the night.

The central Zuljanah will march through its traditional route and culminate on
Sunday (tomorrow), Ashura Day, at Karbala Gamay Shah after several other Zuljanah processions will join it along the route.