‘Alams’, an integral part of Muharrum celebrations, are installed in ‘Shahnasheen’ where ‘zaris’ and ‘tazias’ are kept in public and household imambars. He was also taken out in procession.
‘Tazia’ and ‘zaris’ are replicas of Imam Hussain’s shrine in Karbala, Iraq.
‘Nature‘ is a sign of Imam Hussain’s eternal victory as well as sorrow, because his head, together with other martyrs, was raised on a spear and paraded through the cities.
The tragedy of Karbala occurred in 680 AD, when 30 years after the death of the Prophet Muhammad, the tyrant Ummaiyad king, Yazid, declared himself the Caliph of Islam. He demanded the loyalty of Imam Hussain, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, by asking Hussain’s hand under his hand, because the practice of surrender was common at that time.
However, instead of surrendering to Yazid’s tyrannical, unjust and immoral rule, Imam Hussain surrendered his own head and 72 of his followers in a battle that took place on the 10th of Muharrum in Karbala, Iraq, in 61 Hijri. (October 10, 680 AD).
To mark that Hussain’s hand had risen higher than Yazid’s, a metal emblem of a human hand on a decorated wooden mace was called ‘alam’.
The sign of five human hands also shows faith in five saints – Mohammad, Ali, Fatimah, Hasan and Hussain.
In today’s military terms, ‘alam’ means the flag, standard or colors assigned to a combat unit. In Islamic tradition, this flag bearer is called ‘alambardar’. There are three legendary flag bearers in Islamic history – Maula Ali, the father of Imam Hussain, Ali’s brother Hazrat Jafar, and Maula Ali’s other son, Hazrat Abbas.
Like Ali, Jafar and Abbas were equal to courage and victory. However, in ‘Jang-e-Maota’ (Battle of Maota) both of Jafar’s hands were cut off. According to Islamic history, in heaven, Allah gave him two wings of ‘zamrud’ (emeralds), so Jafar’s ‘nature’ is completely green, decorated with two wings on top.
‘alam’ Abbas, who also lost both hands in the battle of Karbala, is now the main ‘alam’. When he tried to give ‘mashk’ (water bag) to Hussain’s thirsty children, a small ‘mashk’ made of cloth was attached to this ‘alam’. It is a reminder of his tireless but abortive efforts to provide water for Husain’s thirsty children for three days because the water supply was blocked for Hussain and his followers by Yazid’s army.
The enemy’s arrow pierced Abbas’s ‘mashk’ and the water meant to quench the thirst of Hussain’s children spilled on the sands of Karbala. Since then, ‘mashk’ has been a component of ‘Alam’ Abbas.
This ‘Mashk’ is named ‘Mashk-e-Sakina’, which is the water bag of Imam Hussain’s four-year-old daughter Sakina, who gave the bag to her uncle Abbas to carry water for thirsty children.
Abbas’ ‘Alam’ has five basic components – ‘chad’ (a wooden mace), ‘faraira’ (triangular flag-like cloth attached to this mace), ‘patka’ (a rectangular banner decorated with gold and silver embroidery). , ‘mashk’ (symbolic water bag) and ‘panja’ (insignia of the holy hand).
At first, the ‘alam’ only had a light green ‘faraira’ but now it is black or white with a red mark spread over it symbolizing the blood of Abbas.
‘Patka’ is the next addition to ‘nature’. Perhaps, the practice of Muslim courts and royal processions carrying rectangular banners decorated with verses from the Qur’an has been extended to the ‘natural’ Muharrum.
in the movie’Raid Sultan‘, filmmaker Kamal Amrohi describes the same banner held by the Sultanate army. In addition, there is a ‘nature’-like banner attached to a cloth-wrapped mace in the hall of Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur. Banners similar to ‘patka’ are also carried in religious processions of Christian monasteries in Iraq, Syria, Central Asia and Europe.
The Muslim states of India, especially the Shia rulers of Awadh, Murshidabad, Bengal, Hyderabad, Completeand Mahmudabad added a royal flavor to the ‘azadari’ (proclamation of Muharrum).
Alams made of precious metals and ‘patkas’ are also decorated like royal banners.
In India, the interface between Indian tradition and Islam has been mutually enriching. The tower on top of Jaisalmer’s Badal palace is called ‘Tazia Tower’ because it resembles the ‘tazia’ taken during Muharrum.
During Muharrum, such ‘alams’ are annually displayed in public and private imambars in the subcontinent.
Over a period of time, the ‘natural’ sacred hand icon changed in design, motif and size.
Among the unusual patterns, ‘Taimuri alam’ Mahmudabad Fort Imambara is a rare antique article.
Likewise, full length ‘alams’, now rare, were installed in the imambara of Nawab Luft Ali Khan and Badshah Nawab Sahab in Patna, Bihar. Only four ‘alams’ like this can be seen in Lucknow.
They are installed in Qasr-e-Hussaini, Naya Najaf, Imambara of Agha Baqar and Imambara of Ghariyali in Chowk.
In Iraq and Iran, huge ‘alams’ are taken out on roller stands.
Historian imambara family Rana Safi in Jalali city of Aligarh and in Shamshabad, Farrukhabad, has the finery of embroidered ‘patkas’ preserved through generations.
Traditional ‘Patkas’ and ‘Awazi alam’ (precious stones hanging on both sides of the emblem) can be seen in the imambar of Deputy Azeem Sahab at the Sultan’s Palace, in Wazirganj, Lucknow.
Awadh historian Ammar-e-Yasir has a collection of various antique ‘alams’. The explanations of the articles are also interesting.
‘Par-e-buraq’, ‘jangi alam’, ‘doo saifi’, ‘naiza’, ‘nishan’, ‘tughra alam’ (burnt calligraphy), ‘alam-e-mahi (fish), ‘taoos’ (peacock ). ), ‘sher daha’ (lion head), ‘zareechy’ (wood ‘patka’), ‘safai-e-birangi’ (border like soft rice), ‘do saifi’, ‘teenage saifi‘ (double & triple sword), ‘panja’, ‘zuliqari’ and ‘awezi alam’ are the names given according to their design.
The ‘natural Zulfqari’ can be seen in the member (stair pulpit) of the Kala Imambara of Lucknow.
The sacred hand insignia of ‘nature’ also has the appeal of symbolic participation. In the Muharrum ‘majlis’, people raised both hands to cry out the slogan ‘Labbaik Ya Husain’ (Ya Hussain, we are here to be with your cause).
In India, during the 10 main days of Muharrum, three main processions are famous. ‘Bibi ka alam’ of Hyderabad, Telangana, and ‘Alam Fatahe Furat’ and Alam Shabe Ashur in Lucknow. Muharrum congregations in Srinagar, Zadibal, Badgam and Kargil of Jammu & Kashmir, are also important.
‘Tazia’ and ‘zaris’ are replicas of Imam Hussain’s shrine in Karbala, Iraq.
‘Nature‘ is a sign of Imam Hussain’s eternal victory as well as sorrow, because his head, together with other martyrs, was raised on a spear and paraded through the cities.
The tragedy of Karbala occurred in 680 AD, when 30 years after the death of the Prophet Muhammad, the tyrant Ummaiyad king, Yazid, declared himself the Caliph of Islam. He demanded the loyalty of Imam Hussain, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, by asking Hussain’s hand under his hand, because the practice of surrender was common at that time.
However, instead of surrendering to Yazid’s tyrannical, unjust and immoral rule, Imam Hussain surrendered his own head and 72 of his followers in a battle that took place on the 10th of Muharrum in Karbala, Iraq, in 61 Hijri. (October 10, 680 AD).
To mark that Hussain’s hand had risen higher than Yazid’s, a metal emblem of a human hand on a decorated wooden mace was called ‘alam’.
The sign of five human hands also shows faith in five saints – Mohammad, Ali, Fatimah, Hasan and Hussain.
In today’s military terms, ‘alam’ means the flag, standard or colors assigned to a combat unit. In Islamic tradition, this flag bearer is called ‘alambardar’. There are three legendary flag bearers in Islamic history – Maula Ali, the father of Imam Hussain, Ali’s brother Hazrat Jafar, and Maula Ali’s other son, Hazrat Abbas.
Like Ali, Jafar and Abbas were equal to courage and victory. However, in ‘Jang-e-Maota’ (Battle of Maota) both of Jafar’s hands were cut off. According to Islamic history, in heaven, Allah gave him two wings of ‘zamrud’ (emeralds), so Jafar’s ‘nature’ is completely green, decorated with two wings on top.
‘alam’ Abbas, who also lost both hands in the battle of Karbala, is now the main ‘alam’. When he tried to give ‘mashk’ (water bag) to Hussain’s thirsty children, a small ‘mashk’ made of cloth was attached to this ‘alam’. It is a reminder of his tireless but abortive efforts to provide water for Husain’s thirsty children for three days because the water supply was blocked for Hussain and his followers by Yazid’s army.
The enemy’s arrow pierced Abbas’s ‘mashk’ and the water meant to quench the thirst of Hussain’s children spilled on the sands of Karbala. Since then, ‘mashk’ has been a component of ‘Alam’ Abbas.
This ‘Mashk’ is named ‘Mashk-e-Sakina’, which is the water bag of Imam Hussain’s four-year-old daughter Sakina, who gave the bag to her uncle Abbas to carry water for thirsty children.
Abbas’ ‘Alam’ has five basic components – ‘chad’ (a wooden mace), ‘faraira’ (triangular flag-like cloth attached to this mace), ‘patka’ (a rectangular banner decorated with gold and silver embroidery). , ‘mashk’ (symbolic water bag) and ‘panja’ (insignia of the holy hand).
At first, the ‘alam’ only had a light green ‘faraira’ but now it is black or white with a red mark spread over it symbolizing the blood of Abbas.
‘Patka’ is the next addition to ‘nature’. Perhaps, the practice of Muslim courts and royal processions carrying rectangular banners decorated with verses from the Qur’an has been extended to the ‘natural’ Muharrum.
in the movie’Raid Sultan‘, filmmaker Kamal Amrohi describes the same banner held by the Sultanate army. In addition, there is a ‘nature’-like banner attached to a cloth-wrapped mace in the hall of Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur. Banners similar to ‘patka’ are also carried in religious processions of Christian monasteries in Iraq, Syria, Central Asia and Europe.
The Muslim states of India, especially the Shia rulers of Awadh, Murshidabad, Bengal, Hyderabad, Completeand Mahmudabad added a royal flavor to the ‘azadari’ (proclamation of Muharrum).
Alams made of precious metals and ‘patkas’ are also decorated like royal banners.
In India, the interface between Indian tradition and Islam has been mutually enriching. The tower on top of Jaisalmer’s Badal palace is called ‘Tazia Tower’ because it resembles the ‘tazia’ taken during Muharrum.
During Muharrum, such ‘alams’ are annually displayed in public and private imambars in the subcontinent.
Over a period of time, the ‘natural’ sacred hand icon changed in design, motif and size.
Among the unusual patterns, ‘Taimuri alam’ Mahmudabad Fort Imambara is a rare antique article.
Likewise, full length ‘alams’, now rare, were installed in the imambara of Nawab Luft Ali Khan and Badshah Nawab Sahab in Patna, Bihar. Only four ‘alams’ like this can be seen in Lucknow.
They are installed in Qasr-e-Hussaini, Naya Najaf, Imambara of Agha Baqar and Imambara of Ghariyali in Chowk.
In Iraq and Iran, huge ‘alams’ are taken out on roller stands.
Historian imambara family Rana Safi in Jalali city of Aligarh and in Shamshabad, Farrukhabad, has the finery of embroidered ‘patkas’ preserved through generations.
Traditional ‘Patkas’ and ‘Awazi alam’ (precious stones hanging on both sides of the emblem) can be seen in the imambar of Deputy Azeem Sahab at the Sultan’s Palace, in Wazirganj, Lucknow.
Awadh historian Ammar-e-Yasir has a collection of various antique ‘alams’. The explanations of the articles are also interesting.
‘Par-e-buraq’, ‘jangi alam’, ‘doo saifi’, ‘naiza’, ‘nishan’, ‘tughra alam’ (burnt calligraphy), ‘alam-e-mahi (fish), ‘taoos’ (peacock ). ), ‘sher daha’ (lion head), ‘zareechy’ (wood ‘patka’), ‘safai-e-birangi’ (border like soft rice), ‘do saifi’, ‘teenage saifi‘ (double & triple sword), ‘panja’, ‘zuliqari’ and ‘awezi alam’ are the names given according to their design.
The ‘natural Zulfqari’ can be seen in the member (stair pulpit) of the Kala Imambara of Lucknow.
The sacred hand insignia of ‘nature’ also has the appeal of symbolic participation. In the Muharrum ‘majlis’, people raised both hands to cry out the slogan ‘Labbaik Ya Husain’ (Ya Hussain, we are here to be with your cause).
In India, during the 10 main days of Muharrum, three main processions are famous. ‘Bibi ka alam’ of Hyderabad, Telangana, and ‘Alam Fatahe Furat’ and Alam Shabe Ashur in Lucknow. Muharrum congregations in Srinagar, Zadibal, Badgam and Kargil of Jammu & Kashmir, are also important.