Ashura

 

 

For the devotees of Shi’a Islam, Ashura is a yearly exaltation of sacrifice. On the tenth day of the month of Muharram, they commemorate the death of Husayn ibn Ali, grandson of the Prophet Muhammad and the third Imam of his lineage. Through song and penance they evoke the Battle of Karbala, and pay homage to the martyrdom of women, children, and an entire army of men who fought to preserve Islam itself.

In Old Delhi, where these photographs were taken in 2007, the day begins with congregation at the Jama Masjid, the largest mosque of India. At midday a procession of men forms. Women and children line the sides of the procession and join in the singing of elegies. As the tragety is narrated over loudspeakers, people react as if hearing that it happened only yesterday, and to their own kin.

Throughout the Ashura procession, men prove devotion by spilling their own blood. Even young boys and the elderly undergo self-flagellation with knives, swords, and chains. Men beat their chests to the rhythm of drums, calling “Ya Husayn” in a single voice. As the rhythm builds to a crescendo, a thunder reverberates through the streets. Blood drips onto the ground. Then, for a moment, serenity passes over the faces of men who have submitted themselves to an approximation of martyrdom.

 

 

 

To hear the audio accompaniment to the photographs
use the player below.

 

 

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