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    My favorite artworks from European Museums

    My favorite artworks from European Museums

    Gandhara Art in Humboldt Forum: Life of Lord Buddha

    Gandhara Art in Humboldt Forum: Life of Lord Buddha

    Jewish Heroes Square in Krakow, Poland

    Jewish Heroes Square in Krakow, Poland

    Block no. 4 in Auschwitz concentration camp

    Block no. 4 in Auschwitz concentration camp

    Ottoman tent in Princess Czartoryski Museum in Krakow, Poland

    Ottoman tent in Princess Czartoryski Museum in Krakow, Poland

    The Steam Engine Building, Potsdam, Germany

    The Steam Engine Building, Potsdam, Germany

    Assyrian human-headed winged bull from Nimrud; 9th cent. BCE; Pergamon Museum, Berlin

    Assyrian human-headed winged bull from Nimrud; 9th cent. BCE; Pergamon Museum, Berlin

    Catacombs in St Peter’s Abbey Salzburg, Austria

    Catacombs in St Peter’s Abbey Salzburg, Austria

    St Nicholas Church in #Leipzeg, #Germany

    St Nicholas Church in #Leipzeg, #Germany

    Gloriette, Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna,Austria

    Gloriette, Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna,Austria

    Matthias Church on Buda Castle Hill, Budapest

    Matthias Church on Buda Castle Hill, Budapest

    The Neptune fountain in Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna, Austria

    The Neptune fountain in Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna, Austria

    The Dohany Street synagogue in Budapest

    St Peter’s Abbey Church in Salzburg, Austria

    St Peter’s Abbey Church in Salzburg, Austria

    The Residence Fountain in Salzburg: Oundof Music

    The Residence Fountain in Salzburg: Oundof Music

    Sultana Daku and Raj Bhawan of Nainital

    Sultana Daku and Raj Bhawan of Nainital

    Sultana Daku and Raj Bhawan of Nainital

    Sultana Daku and Raj Bhawan of Nainital

    Jahan koshan cannon, Murshidabad

    Jahan koshan cannon, Murshidabad

    Takht-e Marar, Golestan Palance, Teheran, Iran

    Takht-e Marar, Golestan Palance, Teheran, Iran

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      My favorite artworks from European Museums

      My favorite artworks from European Museums

      Gandhara Art in Humboldt Forum: Life of Lord Buddha

      Gandhara Art in Humboldt Forum: Life of Lord Buddha

      Jewish Heroes Square in Krakow, Poland

      Jewish Heroes Square in Krakow, Poland

      Block no. 4 in Auschwitz concentration camp

      Block no. 4 in Auschwitz concentration camp

      Ottoman tent in Princess Czartoryski Museum in Krakow, Poland

      Ottoman tent in Princess Czartoryski Museum in Krakow, Poland

      The Steam Engine Building, Potsdam, Germany

      The Steam Engine Building, Potsdam, Germany

      Assyrian human-headed winged bull from Nimrud; 9th cent. BCE; Pergamon Museum, Berlin

      Assyrian human-headed winged bull from Nimrud; 9th cent. BCE; Pergamon Museum, Berlin

      Catacombs in St Peter’s Abbey Salzburg, Austria

      Catacombs in St Peter’s Abbey Salzburg, Austria

      St Nicholas Church in #Leipzeg, #Germany

      St Nicholas Church in #Leipzeg, #Germany

      Gloriette, Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna,Austria

      Gloriette, Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna,Austria

      Matthias Church on Buda Castle Hill, Budapest

      Matthias Church on Buda Castle Hill, Budapest

      The Neptune fountain in Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna, Austria

      The Neptune fountain in Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna, Austria

      The Dohany Street synagogue in Budapest

      St Peter’s Abbey Church in Salzburg, Austria

      St Peter’s Abbey Church in Salzburg, Austria

      The Residence Fountain in Salzburg: Oundof Music

      The Residence Fountain in Salzburg: Oundof Music

      Sultana Daku and Raj Bhawan of Nainital

      Sultana Daku and Raj Bhawan of Nainital

      Sultana Daku and Raj Bhawan of Nainital

      Sultana Daku and Raj Bhawan of Nainital

      Jahan koshan cannon, Murshidabad

      Jahan koshan cannon, Murshidabad

      Takht-e Marar, Golestan Palance, Teheran, Iran

      Takht-e Marar, Golestan Palance, Teheran, Iran

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      Muharram terminology

      inOur Cultural Heritage
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      Muharram terminology :
      as seen in this painting by Sewak Ram, “A Muharram Scene”, Patna, India c1807 (Victoria and Albert Museum)


      Today on the Alam, patka and the Alamdar. Every imambara is decorated with alams with elaborate patkas.

      1. First of all you can see the fluttering standards called alam – these are borne on wooden staffs. The alam is the standard of the army of Imam Hussain and represents the martytrs but particularly associated with Hazrat Abbas, the brother of Imam Hussain and the commander in chief of the army. He is called the Alamdar.
        Abbas for whom Mirza Dabeer wrote:
        “Kis sher ki aamad hai ke rann kaanp raha hai
        Rustam ka jigar zer-e kafan kaanp raha hai.”
        the alams can be seen fluttering throughout the procession.
      1. The alams have cloth patkas hanging on the wooden staff. these have various symbols embroidered on them in gold and silver.
      1. though it can’t be seen here but the alam will also have a small mashkeeza hanging from it, symbolising the mashk (waterskin bag) that hazrat Abbas took to the river Euphrates to fill for his thirsty niece Sakina. he was martyred by the army of Yezid and was brought back to the camp of Imam Husain dead. Since he had promised his brother that he would not fight and would only fill water his sacrifice is particularly tragic
        His bravery was legendary and he was the best warrior of his times, but bound by his oath to his brother unable to fight.

      Mir Anees celebrated this brave warrior with the words

      naara tha ke haan aey sipah’e Sha’m, khabardaar
      Abbas e dilaawar hai mera naam, khabardaar
      hai qahr’e ilaahi meri samsaam, khabardaar
      naizah hai mera maut ka paighaam, khabardaar

      maiN lakhT e jigar saaheb’e shamsheer’e do-sar hooN
      hoshyaar ke maiN sheir e ilaahi ka pisar hooN

      because Hazrat Abbas could not fight as he had wanted to and his wish remained unfulfilled he has become bab-ul hawaij- the door for asking for fulfilment of wishes from Allah.

      PHOTO 2- Alam from met Museum
      Photo 3- Alam with patka in bara Imambada, Lucknow
      Photo 4-maskeeza (in silver) attached to a alam in bara Imambara, Lucknow

      The taziya, seen throughout this painting
      The earliest record that we get by a Muslim historian of the events of Karbala and Husain’s martyrdom is from the Maqtal of Abu Mikhnaf (d. 157/774).
      While his maqtal wasnt preserved, his descriptions were partaly preserved in later sources, notably al-Tabari (d. 310/923).
      We know that Bibi Zainab along with her nephew Imam Zainul Abidin was the first toestablish an assembly or majlis to mourn Imam Hussain in Damascus after their release from imprisonment by Yezid.
      This tradition contunued and Shias ( partisans of Hazrat Ali) continued this tradition annually on the tenth of Muharram (ʿAshuraʾ) with special ceremonies and the so-called passion plays (taʿziya).

      The literal meaning of taziya is a passion play where the events of Ashura ( 10th Muharram) were commemorated.
      Ashura epitomised epic spirit and resistance of evil and oppresion and sacrifice in the path of Allah.
      This is how it was observed in Iran and the Persianate world.
      In South Asia particularly the subcontinent a taziya refers to Miniature Mausoleums (imitations of the mausoleums of the martyrs of Karbala, generally made of coloured paper and bamboo). These are of various sizes and elaboration in design and kept in the imambaras. On 10th Muharram they are removed anf taken out in ritual processions for symbolic burial in Karbalas ( name given to Shia cemeteries) .
      This is called thanda karna.
      These processions are taken out by Sunnis and Shias and i have personally witnessed many Hindus, Christians and Jews joining in.
      There is a tradition that if a child is taken beneath a taziya he/ she remains healthy.
      Photo below is of a passion play or Persian taziya. Source wikipedia

      Raziya in Chota Imambara, Lucknow

      Please read A history of Tazita making in Lucknow

      https://india.shafaqna.com/EN/taziya-making-in-lucknow-a-brief-history/

      Note: Today most azadars (mourners of Imam Hussain and the martyrs of Karbala will wear black or green)

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      Rana Safvi

      Come, explore and fall in love the Beauties of Delhi (Dilli ki Ranaiya’n) and the World with me, Rana Safvi

      I have a masters in medieval history from the prestigious Centre for Advanced Studies, Dept. of History, AMU. A firm believer in our Ganga Jamuni Tehzeeb, I am passionate about gaining and sharing knowledge and these days I am doing it via the social media platform.

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      © 2018 Rana Safvi - A blog Exploring Ganga Jamuni Tehzeeb of India, website handcrafted by Abu Sufiyan.