Happy Muharram

Muharram 

Muharram or Muharram is a gazetted holiday in India, denoting the beginning of the Islamic year. It is a day off for many workers in the country. Muharram is the first month of the Islamic calendar. The Islamic community considers this month to be the holiest month. The word Muharram denotes forbidden. The festival of Muharram moves from year to year since the calendar of Islam is a lunar calendar. The Sunni Muslim community fasts on the tenth day of Muharram, which is called the Day of Ashura. During the festival, Shia Muslims do different aspects with different intentions.

Significance Of The Festival

The Shia Muslim community mourns the demise of Hussain Ibn Ali, the son of Ali and the grandson of Prophet Muhammad from the Karbala battle. Karbala is a famous destination of pilgrimage in Iraq. Hussain Ibn Ali was killed in Karbala in 680 AD. Till the end, he fought the army of Yazid I and was finally killed in the battle. The 10th day of Muharram, the Day of Ashura, is an occasion to remember the brave sacrifice of Hussain. The Day of Ashura is also important to Muslims because it is reported that on this day Moses and his followers obtained victory over the Egyptian Pharaoh.

How Is Muharram Celebrated?

Muharram is considered to be the period of recalling and mourning the martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hussain by the community of Shia Muslims, which starts mourning from the first night of Muharram and will continue for the next 2 months and 8 days. A greater amount of importance is placed on the first ten days of the festival. The community wears black clothes on the opening day of Muharram and submits prayers. Black color denotes the color of grieving. On the tenth day, Shia Muslims take out processions via streets. They walk barefoot on the roads. They sing and suppurate loudly as an act of mourning for Hussain. The same celebration is observed during the Muharram holiday 2018.

Public Life During Muharram Holiday 2018

The tenth day of Muharram, the last day, is a gazetted holiday in the country. Therefore, post offices, banks and government offices shall remain closed on the day. Islamic businesses and stores may remain closed or have reduced working hours. Large parades, marches and prayer meetings can cause the local disruption to traffic. Muslim-dominated localities may face the traffic issues during the festival.

Where To Spend The Muharram Holiday 2018

Muharram is one of the most significant Islamic festivals. The festival is celebrated in all parts of the country by Muslims and Hindus as well. Karnataka, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh are the three Indian states, which are famous to celebrate the festival. If you planning a trip during the festival, consider visiting these three states to relish the real beauty of the festival.