Saturday 9 May 2015

Azadar Queens who Awaited Burial at Najaf and Karbala



Coffin of Sakina Begum( Inset) of Rampur -Courtesy Google

Dr. Mazhar Naqvi
Burial in the sacred land of Najaf-E-Ashraf and Karbala guarantees a sure passage to Jannat (Heaven).This is a common belief among Imamis. Nawabs of Rampur State also had total faith in the popular belief and they wished to be buried at Najaf after their death. They even purchased land in Najaf and bodies of royal households were carried to Najaf for last rites. However, Her highness Nawab Aftab Dulhan Sakina-Uz-Zamni Begum had to wait for more than 18 years for her burial at Karbala Moella. She had signed a will in 1993 from the deathbed, expressing her desire to be buried at Karbala where the holy shrines of Imam Hussain, Ghazi Abbas and other martyrs are located. However due to legal complexities her body could not be taken to Iraq. Her family embalmed her body in sandalwood, camphor, oils, herbs and henna, doubled-sealed in a casket which hanged two feet above the ground by an iron chain in a room that probably remained sealed for more than 18 years. 
The waiting finally ended in February 2012 following permission from the concerned government.Her coffin was taken out of her  Kothi Rampur Khas to be taken to Karbala. As the old coffin in which her body was preserved after her passing away had worn out during the years in waiting, a new Tabut (Coffin) was arranged and her body was kept in it for public viewing in the Zenana( Women) Imambara before being taken to Delhi Airport in an ambulance.
An Imami scholar  from Delhi performed the necessary rites and her close relatives bade a silent goodbye to Sakina Begum sharp at 6 AM .Her daughter’s son and grandchildren accompanied the late begum's to Iraq where she was laid to rest on the same day in Karbala. Sakina Begum belonged to Pirpur state and carried with her charms of a queen. She had great affection for Imam Hussain and other martyrs of Karbala and her active participation in Azadari still remains a topic of discussion during Muharram in Rampur. It was this love for Ahlebait-E-Athar that propelled her to prepare a will to explicitly put in black and white her desire to be buried at Karbala.
Begum was a strong lady and the last ruler of Rampur was believed to be at her command. She led a dignified life betting her status and and rarely stepped out of her residence. Much to the bewilderment of Rampur residents, she had come out of her 320 room Kothi Khas in the summer of 1984 to contest Lok Sabha elections. She defied all resistance and old timers describe her as an iron lady who never changed her decision after making up her mind. She had prepared her will with grit and determination but had to wait for a very long period for two reasons- Delay in permission from Iraqi embassy and lack of sincere efforts who were entrusted with the responsibility to take her body to Karbala.   
While Sakina Begum was lucky enough to be at Karbala at least after 18 years, a similar woman of eminence Hadi Begum Sahiba of Kanpur was not that fortunate. Her desire to be buried at Karbala remained unfulfilled. She had donated her property currently valued at Rs.2000 Crore in Colonelganj area for Marasim-E-Azadari. She too had willed to be buried in Iraq. After death, her body was kept in a coffin and waited like Sakina begum for over a decade. As the property donated by her became a bone of contention and several managers changed, nobody took interest in the fulfillment of her last wish. She was finally laid to rest in her own Imambara much to the heart-burning of local Imamis. Imamis still remember her contribution to preservation of Muharram rituals but fail to muster courage to criticize those responsible for the non-fulfillment of great azadar Hadi Begum’s last wish. Her Imambara however has surely been blessed by Masoomeen. It attracts maximum crowd of devotees during Muharram. The Chehlum procession of Hadi Begum Imambara is also historic and most popular in and around Kanpur. A new Mutwalli (Managing trustee) has recently been appointed by Wakf Board and he is promising to renovate Imambara at a grand scale. May Allah fulfill his desire so that the soul of Hadi Begum could find some peace at least.At present, there is not even a sign boared requesting the devotees to recite Sur-E-Fatiha for her. (References available on request)       

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