HYDERABAD: For the first time in probably over 400 years, when the custom was started by the Qutb Shahis, there will be no traditional Bibi ka Alam procession on the 10th day of Muharram on Sunday.
The Telangana High Court had already refused permission for the annual procession citing the Covid-19 pandemic, dashing the hopes of stakeholders such as the members of various Ashoorkhana committees.
The members had hoped for some relief through a petition submitted to Hyderabad Police Commissioner Anjani Kumar but that too was disposed of, according to reports.
Usually, on the 10th day of Muharram, thousands of Shias take part in a procession to mark the martyrdom of Imam Hussain, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad, in the battle of Karbala in 681 AD. The Bibi ka Alam, which includes an elephant, starts from the Bibi ka Alawa in Dabeerpura and passes through several areas of old city.
Historians say the Alam (standard) contains a wooden plank on which Syed Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet and mother of Imam Hussain, was given her ablution before burial.
As of now, several Ashoorkhanas have installed sanitiser gateways on their premises. Shia leaders have appealed to the community members to observe the mourning in the Ashoorkhanas itself, where they assure that social distancing would be maintained. One can also mourn at their homes, they said.