Jamshedpur, Nov 15: Muharram is the first month of the Islamic calendar and begins with mourning of the death of Imam Hussein, who was also the grandson of Prophet Mohammad.
Imam Hussein and his followers were killed in the battle of Karbala on the tenth day of this month. The mourning period lasts for 10 days and the tenth day is called Ashura. Since he was a Shia imam, the day is very significant for this sect of the Muslim community.
Since an imam was killed during the battle, it is a month of complete mourning for the community.
“No celebration or auspicious activity is carried during the month of Muharram. Some of the popular traditions are that people re-enact the battle of Karbala to spread awareness about his sacrifice and some people also indulge in zanjir matam or self-flagellation using iron chains or sharp objects.
This is to realise the pain that the imam went through,” explained Md Eqbal, a resident of Jugsalai.