Muharram in Birethplace of Sita in Nepal

Daha of Janakpur in Nepal

Dr.Mazhar Naqvi

Janakpur, the birth place of God Shri Ram Chandra’s wife Sita,in Nepal witnesses observance of Muharram by local Hindus every year with a difference. Instead of Taziya, the local Hindus call it as Daha. Local historians attribute the participation of Hindus in Muharram procession to the influence of Sufism in the region. It was Sufis who apprised the Hindus about the message of Hazrat Imam Hussain as a symbol of the eternal conflict between forces of virtue and evil.

On the tenth day of Muharram, the Tazia, also called Daha in the vicinity of Janakpur, is taken around town in procession with mourners beating their chests and shouting 'Ha Hussain, Ho Hussain' with Hindu volunteers managing the crowd. In the evening, the Daha is buried. Just as Muslims participate enthusiastically in Holi, Hindus share the pangs of the Muharram commemorations. 
Like Muslims, Hindu boys also tie the string of bells around their waist and tinkle wildly whenever they  jump to the wails for Imam Hussain. Muharram was marked with traditional fervour in 2019 too. The VDC contributed Rs 10,000 to the kitty and Hindu volunteers offered eatables to the devotees  poured in from surrounding villages.
Muharram has also been used as an occasion beyond traditional practices and became an occasion for political mobilization in the recent past. Muslims are angry at the way the police and administration have behaved in Janakpur and they are with the majority Hindus in demanding their rightful place in Nepal's polity.

Janakpur's Muslims came with the Maharani of Tikamgarh to build the Janaki temple. Many of these rajmistris, or royal masons, settled down behind the building they had constructed. As Janakpur has become a magnet for rural migrants, land prices have shot through the roof. While most of the original settlers around the temple have sold their property and moved out to cheaper locations nearby, some still remain. They were the targets of police atrocities last week.

Muslims are a significant minority in Nepal, and comprise between four (say census figures) and eight (say community leaders) percent of the population. They live in almost every Tarai district, and Nepal has more Muslims than some of the smaller west Asian sultanates such as Bahrain (586,000) or Qatar (885,000). A 'New Nepal' can't be built without including them in nation-building.
Forward-looking states promote national solidarity and harmony between diverse groups by establishing impartial institutions, constructing a shared history, collective memory, and common heroes. Sometimes camaraderie developed in the trenches helps cement bonds. But nothing builds a sense of citizenship as effectively as participation in a freedom struggle.

Hindu mythical agents of virtue always win and truth prevails. In Islamic traditions, victory is known only on Judgement Day, each struggle is important. Hence, Muharram message is an integral part of Nepali culture.

(Source: Mades Times. Picture Courtesy Google Images)