Muharram mourning – the village way

Dressed in sombre black, with long hair reaching his shoulders, 53-year-old Shetab might pass off as any other villager. But a rectangular black flag in his hand sets him apart. As does his powerful and sombre baritone voice, which reaches you before he arrives at your doorstep.

Holding the flag reverently, Shetab walks from door to door, extending a verbal invite for a religious gathering of mourners. Bulao, the tradition of extending verbal invites, is a distinct cultural feature of Jais, a small town in Uttar Pradesh, about 100 km from the state capital Lucknow.

Sombre, baritone invite to a mourning

Shetab is on a pious mission, inviting mourners to attend the majlis (religious gathering) on each of the 68 days of azadaari (mourning) during Muharram. Every year Muslims mark the memory of Imam Hussain, Prophet Mohammad’s grandson killed in Iraq some 1,400 years ago during a battle against tyranny and injustice.

The mourning processions include lamentations accompanied by the beating of the chest, soulful recitations of dirges and elegies. These processions happen on the tenth and fortieth day of Muharram. The religious gatherings are organised at private residences and religious monuments. Attending them is considered a pious obligation.

Shetab has been delivering the Bulao for the last 39 years, while his family has been doing it for several generations. When his father became ill, he had to step into his shoes. He was only in the sixth grade.

Generations keep traditions alive

Shetab’s verbal invite delivered in his inimitable style includes the name of the host, the day, place and time of the gathering. The host’s name is retained forever, even decades after his death.

“It is our firm belief that those who spread the rugs on which the mourners sit during the religious gathering never dies,” said 87-year-old Shameem Iqtidar, whose father died in 1965, but is still announced as the host of the religious gathering he started.

Iqtidar is happy that this tradition in her hometown continues in this age of digital technology.

Jais, considered a land of poets and scholars, is one of the oldest places holding Azadaari processions in India, dating back to over 1,000 years.

Many young urbanites, such as Shubair Naqvi, an animation expert based in New Delhi, make the effort to return to their village to mark the mourning, continuing the centuries-old culture.

“I manage a social media page to keep everyone informed. Each year I come and stay here to take part in these rituals during Muharram. Many of my family members settled elsewhere do so too,” he said.

Distinct rural practices symbolise harmony

There are other distinct practices associated with this tradition found in rural UP. The fortieth day procession is one of the biggest and starts from the monument believed to have been constructed during the reign of Emperor Akbar.

Before the procession begins, a salutation is given for the replica of Imam Hussain’s tomb using the insignia of his army commander.

“The dirges are recited in Persian,” said Naqvi.

Women mourners carry henna in large cloth-covered wicker baskets and other items meant for a bride. They recite soulful dirges in their local dialect, offering their condolences to Imam Hussain for his newly-wedded nephew lost in the battle.

Examples of such unique features are present in most of the small towns of Uttar Pradesh. The town of Khairabad in the Sitapur district has the tradition of making a structure supported by 52 wooden poles, representing communal harmony. While the procession in the town of Bilgram of the Hardoi district dates back to the Mughal period.

The beauty and significance of these traditions is that people from all castes, sects and faiths take part in the processions and impart a local heritage to the mourning, leading to cultural fusions and communal harmony.

Kulsum Mustafa is an independent journalist based at Lucknow. Views are personal.