World Famous Imambaras of India

World Famous Imambaras of India

By Dr. Mazhar Naqvi

Azadari ( mourning) of Imam  Husain, is practiced in special halls called Imambaras. Throughout the month of Muharram, the first month of the Muslim calendar, as well as on other occasions important to devotees of martyrs of Karbala, assemblies (majlis) are held in the Imambaras. On the occasion of the Yaum-E- Ashura (death anniversary of Hazrat Imam Husain), the tale of Karbala is told, marsiya or elegies are recited, ritual mourning and matam (beating the breast as a sign of mourning) is done at Imambaras. The Imambara is primarily a north Indian institution , for they are known as Ashura Khana in South India. As Muharram rituals are celebrated throughout India at a very large scale for centuries, the country is dotted with thousands of Imambaras. Some of the most famous imambaras of India include Badshahi Ashurkhana, Asafi Imambara, Chota Imambara, Nizamat Imambara and  Hughly Imambara. 

Badshahi Ashurkhana (Royal House of mourning) , located on Mahboob Shahi Road in the old city of Hyderabad,  is one of the earliest and grandest Ashurkhanas. It was built in 1594 by Mohammed Quli Qutub Shah, the founder of Hyderabad City. Badshahi Ashurkhana is remarkable for its height and abundance of Chinese tiles used in the construction. Adorned with enamel-tiled mosaics, the building houses some ancient banners and relics that are displayed only during Muharram. With the decline of the Qutub Shahis, the Ashurkhana lost its former glory and in Aurangzeb’s period, this was utilized as a prison camp. During the Asaf Jahi rule, efforts were made to revive the erstwhile glory of the place.

Bara Imambara was built in 1783 in Lucknow by Nawab Asaf-ud-Daula. His objective in embarking on this grandiose project was to provide employment for people in the region during one of the worst famines that erupted during his regime. The famine continued for over a decade and so the construction of the building also remained till its disappearance. The architecture of the complex reflects the maturation of ornamented Mughal design, namely the Badshahi Mosque - it is one of the last major projects not incorporating any European elements or the use of iron.

The main imambara consists of a large vaulted central chamber containing the tomb of Asaf-ud-Daula. At 50 by 16 meters and over 15 meters tall.It has no beams supporting the ceiling, and is one of the largest such arched constructions in the world. There are eight surrounding chambers built to different roof heights, permitting the space above these to be reconstructed as a three-dimensional labyrinth with passages interconnecting with each other through 489 identical doorways.

Hughli Imambara is one of the most attractive imambaras of India. Every visitor to the town of Hughli is captivated by its large complex consisting of architecturally imposing buildings and structures featuring college, school, madarsa, mosque, hospital, marketplace, residences, tombs of holy figures, graves of Haji Muhammad Mohsin and his family members. Imambara was originally built by Faujdar Mirza Salahuddin Muhammad Khan, husband of Mannujan Khanam  in the late 18th century. Haji Mohsin had inherited the zamindari of Syayadpur from his childless half-sister, Mannujan. He maintained the family tradition by holding the muharram ceremonies  in the most public and gorgeous manner. All the buildings and rooms, mosques and saraikhanas or inns were built with marble blocks, and the walls decorated with texts from the Holy Quran. With precious furniture, carvings, chandeliers, lanterns, the silver-plated pulpit in the exquisitely decorated mosque, and a well-staffed hospital and college, the Hughly Imambara institution has assumed an exhilarating look from the 1860s.It is also a major tourist attraction of west Bengal.

Nizamat Imambara was built in 1847 AD. by Nawab Nazim Mansoor Ali Khan Feradun Jah. Son of Humaun Jah, Nazim Mansoor spent more than 6 lacs on the construction of Imambara in Murshidabad (West Bengal), after a devastating fire gutted the celebrated Imambara of Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulla. The foundation of the Old Imambara was done by Siraj himself, who brought bricks and mortar with his own hands, and laid the foundation of the building. The present Imambara is 680 feet long with varying breadths, that of the central block being 300 feet. Its site is slightly to the north of the old building. It took only 6 to 7 months in construction, under the supervision and direction of Sadiq Ali Khan. During construction the workmen received food in addition to their wages, so that they could work day and night without interruption.

The Imambara, perhaps the largest in India, is divided into 3 large quadrangles, is decorated with ornamental China tiles. Its massive pillars and arches are surmounted by a dome of majestic proportions. On the top of the arches and the spaces between them the walls are decorated with extracts of texts form the Koran. The chambers on the north and south were set apart as storehouses and workshops, where hundreds of men were employed for the management of the lights during the Muharram. Various kinds of cut-glass chandeliers, wall lamps, and Girandoles, adorned the various chambers of Imambara. The floors are covered with polished marbles. With its large proportions, its stately pillars, spacious marble floors, its innumerable chandeliers, some of which form part of the presents given by the East India Company, and its other magnificent equipments, the Nizamat Imambara stands unrivalled.

Chhota Imambara, known as Hussainabad Imambara, is an imposing monument also located in not far away from Bara Imambara. Built by Muhammad Ali Shah, the third king of Avadh in 1838, it was to serve as his own mausoleum. It is also known as the Palace of Lights because of its decorations during Muharram. The chandeliers used to decorate the interior of this building were brought from Belgium. It has a gilded white dome and several turrets and minarets. The tombs of Muhammad Ali Shah and other members of his family are inside the Imambara. The walls are decorated with Arabic calligraphy.( Author is Kanpur- Based Heritage Management Expert with deep Interest in Islamic Architecture.)