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Husaini Dalan a Shiite shrine in the old part of the
city of dhaka,
attributed to the Mughal Period. It is a common practice among the Shia
community to build edifices to commemorate the martyrdom of al-Husain,
at the battle of Karbala in Iraq on the tenth day of Muharram 61 AH (10
October 680 AD). The building seems to have been originally erected by
one Sayyid Murad during the governorship of shah
shuja, who, although himself a Sunni, was eager to preserve
and patronise Shiite institutions. Traditions relate that Sayyid Murad,
having seen al-Husain in a vision erecting a tazia khana (house
of mourning), was inspired to raise the building, which he named Husaini
Dalan. The original building may have been a small structure, expanded
to its present form in later times. The east
india company repaired it in 1807 and 1810, and a portion of
the building was reconstructed after the earthquake of 1897.
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Husaini Dalan (view from
the south) |
Courtesy: Md Johir
Uddin |
The building stands on a high platform ascended by a
flight of steps on the east and consists of two main halls placed back
to back. The shirni hall, facing south, is coloured black to indicate
sorrow and mourning for the death of al-Husain, and the khutba
hall, facing north, has a mimbar with seven wooden steps. In the
latter hall are hung several religious symbols. To these halls have been
added subsidiary halls in two storeys on the right and left, probably
meant for women. The southern facade of the building is flanked by two
three-storey polygonal hollow towers, crowned by domes. The parapet of
the building consists of coloured merlons, and over its four corners are
four kiosks. The building as a whole gives a modern appearance with remnants
of older architecture here and there.
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Hussaini Dalan, a silver
relica |
From the first to the tenth day of Muharram, the Husaini
Dalan becomes the chief attraction of the city. Mourners, including Sunni
Muslims, assemble there, listen to sermons and join in passion plays crying
'Ya Husain, Ya Husain'. On the ashura (tenth day), a great procession
parades through the main streets of the city to a place in the western
part of the city symbolically called Karbala. [ABM Husain]
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