Ashura at Amin Imambada Mumbai 2003

Ashura at Amin Imambada Mumbai 2003, a photo by firoze shakir photographerno1 on Flickr.

Ashura in Mumbai is a very sad moment for the Shia community..its the 10 day of the Martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hussain the beloved grandson of the Holy Prophet.

In Mumbai the Irani Shias stage a passion play at Amin Imambada, a traditional fare that depicts good against the evil of Yazidiyat.
The entire area is totally packed, on one end are the quintessential braveheart Shia women who watch the events from the rooms in the Imambada, and on the edge within the courtyard, and from the parapet above the ground.

The women have been coming here since they were little kids, now older they are still a force to reckon with, always squabbling , fighting amongst themselves to get a strategic place to view the events..you dont mess with them ever..God save you..

There is in the center of the courtyard a fountain that has a platform from where the damam beaters add the cacophony to the entire Ashura proceedings..

Slowly the procession enters the courtyard, the Kama matam and the zanjir matam start, the Zuljana the Taboots the cradle of Ali Asghar the Alams, being a dominant part of the juloos, where young mothers place their newborn dressed in green kafan to signify the martyrdom of Imam Hussains 3 month son Ali Asghar who was brutally shot down like a wild beast from an arrow of archer Harmullah..

There is Shimr all in red with his army who beats the crowd , Shimr snatches Ali Asghars cradle ill treats the child in the cradle..
There is Imam Hussain on the horse facing the wrath of the Red Army of Shimr, he is trampled thrown drown from the horse ..
All these visuals are needed to break the dam of the Irani Soul..
The matamdars go berserk , sword matam takes place near the rear exit , Habib Nasser, Mamu from Byculla cutting through flesh..

Habib will be rushed to Habib Hospital and 172 stitches to sew up his grevious wounds..

I have never done matam here , I have to shoot pictures , so I keep my kama matam for the Ashura procession in the evening..

Amin Imambada is a must visit place on Ashura day..
Nasser from Lucky Hotel Bandra introduced me here ...though I have come here when I was a young kid myself..
The Shia Child becomes Man at Amin Imambada..