Photos: Tuwairij Ceremony held in Karbala, Iraq

(AhlulBayt News Agency) - According to the Imam Hussain shrine, this year’s Tuwairij Ceremony was held with the massive participation of devoted pilgrims.

During the ceremony Saturday, marking the day of Ashura, the pilgrims marched from Quntara Islam district outside of Karbala to the holy shrine of Hazrat Abbas (AS) and then to the holy shrine of Imam Hussein (AS). The event was held after the noon prayers under tight security, the Astan said.

Al-Hindiya or Hindiya is a city in Iraq on the Euphrates River. Al-Hindiya is located in the Kerbala Governorate and is the seat of Al-Hindiya District. The city used to be known as Tuwairij (Arabic: طويريج‎), which gives name to the "Tuwairij run" (Arabic: ركضة طويريج‎) that takes place here every year as part of the Mourning of Muharram on the Day of Ashura.

On Ashura, which marks the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hussein (AS) and 72 of his companions, in the Battle of Karbala, Shia Muslims all over the world held ceremonies and processions to mourn the occasion.

Imam Hussein’s (AS) martyrdom is considered by Shia Muslims as a symbol of the struggle against injustice and the need to preserve the purity of Islam.