Lucknow: Hundreds of Shia mourners on Tuesday took part in the traditional Mehndi Ka Juloos, held on the seventh day of the Islamic month of Muharram to commemorate the martyrdom of Hazrat Qasim, nephew of Imam Hussain, who, along with his 72 companions, was martyred in the Battle of Karbala in 680 CE.The procession moved from Bada Imambara to Chota Imambara, with mourners carrying two elaborately decorated mehndi zaris symbolising the wedding preparations of Hazrat Qasim. His marriage had been fixed with Imam Hussain’s daughter, Fatima Kubra, but before the wedding could take place, Hazrat Qasim was martyred in the battle.Escorted by camels, elephants and Zuljanah, Imam Hussain’s horse, the procession drew large crowds along its route. Mourners raised slogans of “Labbaik Ya Hussain” and “Ya Hussain” while performing seenazani, or chest-beating. The march was accompanied by sozkhwani singers reciting elegies.Historian Roshan Taqi said the procession was introduced in Lucknow by Nawab Mohammad Ali Shah during his reign between 1837 and 1842. “Nawab Wajid Ali Shah later introduced mehndi songs to the procession, adding a unique cultural dimension to the observance,” he said.
