Muharram procession passing through the old quarters of Hyderabad. Photo: Serish Nanisetti
| Photo Credit: Serish Nanisetti
The passion play of Muharram on the streets of Hyderabad’s old city carried an extra dose of grimness on Friday afternoon. The arterial road passing between Aza Khana Zehra (built in 1930s) to Darul Shifa (hospital built in 1590s) and beyond to Daira Mir Momin (graveyard from 1600s) bore no resemblance to the earlier years as buildings have been torn down, shops moved out and building debris lay strewn through the route.The change is evident. “We used to cook food at the Niyaaz Khana (kitchen) attached to the building. But this year we have to cook in the open,” said Rahim Khan of Act Public Welfare Foundation at the site. In earlier years, the processional elephant would enter the residence for the residents to offer their dhattis for benediction. For the first time, it was conducted in a makeshift way. Only a small portion of the Niyaz Khana, the wooden structure is still intact.Sitting on a white plastic chair outside Ashoorkhana Zainabia, Mohammed Ali points to a spot on the road to show the earlier extent of the property. “This tin shed and covering for the ashoorkhana we installed it ten days back. We have come onto the road,” he says surrounded by building debris.
