Muharram 2020: No Procession In Delhi, Hyderabad; Shia Board Issues Advisory Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) said people should be encouraged to observe Muharram at home due to the coronavirus outbreak. “No permission shall be granted for procession or tazia during Moharram festival," the DDMA order read. Tazia, which means mourning, is a replica of the tomb of Husain, the martyred grandson of Prophet Muhammad. In Hyderabad too, people have been advised to practice Muharram maatam at home. The All India Shia Personal Law Board (AISPLB) has issued its Muharram advisory, asking people to follow all norms of social distancing, wear masks and wherever possible, take part in Muharram rituals online or via TV channels broadcasting them. AISPLB issued a 14-point advisory. Children, pregnant women and the elderly have been advised to stay at home and use online and other mediums to be part of the sermons. Water and food distributed among the poor as 'tabarruk', should be packed and sealed, and guidelines issued by the administration should be followed. Several Imambaras have planned entry on a 'first-come-first' basis while others will limit the number of entry tokens for the devout to 50. The first month of the Islamic calendar, Muharram is a mourning period in remembrance of Imam Husain-Prophet Muhammad's grandson and his family and companions who were martyred by Yazid in Karbala (Iraq) in 680 AD.