On the fifth day of Muharram, intense mourning ceremonies were held across Lucknow to commemorate the sacrifices made by Hazrat Imam Hussain (A.S.) and his family during the Battle of Karbala. Devotees flocked to Imambaras from early morning, participating in majlis (religious gatherings) that recalled the harrowing events of 680 AD.
A striking ritual took place at Imambara Shahnajaf in Hazratganj, where mourners walked barefoot over burning embers symbolizing the burning of Imam Hussain’s tents by Yazid's army. The ritual, organised by Anjuman Masoomia Asgariya, was preceded by a sermon by Maulana Faridul Hasan.
Elsewhere in the city, noted clerics delivered sermons focusing on the martyrdom of young children from Imam Hussain’s family, including Hazrat Ali Asghar (6 months) and Hazrat Aun and Mohammad, sons of Hazrat Zainab. The sermons evoked strong emotions, with mourners weeping and beating their chests in grief.
In Imambara Kasre Husaini, Maulana Mohammad Miyan Abdi urged devotion to the Qur'an and Ahlul Bayt as the only safeguard against misguidance. Similar messages were echoed by clerics in Imambara Takia, Imambara Agah Baqar, and Jannatmab Chowk, emphasizing the spiritual significance of Wilayat and the true interpretation of Islam.
At Karbala Munshi Fazle Husaini, symbolic tazias and cradles representing the martyrs were paraded as part of a ziyarat. Meanwhile, devotees observed the ritual of “mannat wearing”, where children donned symbolic items like chains and locks in memory of the suffering of Imam Zainul Abideen (A.S.), the only male survivor of Karbala.
The city will continue Muharram observances on Wednesday with a fire mourning procession at Asafi Imambara and cradle ziyarat at Imambara Malka Jahan after maghrib prayers.
