AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): As the Month of Muharram approaches, the residents of Kashmir, the only Muslim-majority region in India, are prepared for observing Muharram rituals.
In the streets of Srinagar and other areas of Indian-administered Kashmir, black flags and banners have been erupted in memory of Imam Hussain (PBUH) and his respected companions.
Muharram is one of the most significant festivals celebrated by the Muslim community in India as it marks the beginning of the Islamic New Year.
The tenth day of Muharram is known as Ashura. Among Shia Muslims, Ashura is observed through large demonstrations of high-scale mourning as it marks the martyrdom of Hussein ibn Ali, the third Imam of Shia, who was martyred during the Battle of Karbala in 680 CE.
"Shojaat Ali," a Kashmiri calligrapher, is preparing banners for the mourning ceremony of Imam Hussain.
Banners are in great demand as they are an inseparable part of Muharram in different parts of Kashmir.
Shojaat Ali in an interview with Iran Press, said: "People from different parts of Kashmir, even from Kargil, come to me to design them banners."
"We need to spread the message of the Karbala uprising to a wider audience using various methods such as fabric printing, mourning, and media," he added.
Imam Hussain's mourning ceremony is observed in various regions of Kashmir. However, the Indian authorities have prohibited mourning two significant gatherings in Srinagar, the state capital of Jammu and Kashmir, on the 8th and 10th of Muharram (Ashura) since 1990.
.........................
End/ 257