Hyderabad: With just a day remaining for Ashura, a trained elephant named Laxmi from Tumkur, Karnataka, has been organised to carry the iconic Bibi ka Alam in Hyderabad’s ancient Ashura procession scheduled for Sunday, July 6.
The announcement comes after a long delay when the Telangana Forest Department had previously refused permission for an elephant from Delhi, allegedly due to transportation logistics.
For centuries, Bibi ka Alam, a major relic remembering Bibi Fatima, the daughter of Prophet Muhammad, has been taken on a caparisoned elephant on the 10th day of Muharram, Ashura, a practice going back to the Qutb Shahi and Asaf Jahi periods.
The standard contains six black bags that are packed with diamonds, rubies and emeralds, gifted by the 4th Nizam and afterwards enriched by the 7th Nizam, Mir Osman Ali Khan. The Bibi ka Alam is removed from Bibi ka Alawa in Dabeerpura and passes through different areas of the Old City before reaching Chaderghat.
The elephant is chosen following trial sessions to ascertain if it can withstand massive crowds, drumming and the emotional depth of the procession. Some of the prominent elephants in the past have been Hyderi, Rajani, Madhuri and Hashmi.
Her health tests and paperwork were approved by the government of Karnataka and Telangana.
Every year, the elephant arrives 4 to 5 days before Ashura. But with just a day left this time, it remains to be seen whether she will be taken out for a trial run.
Ashura procession draws thousands annually and is ranked among the most austere and iconic Muharram processions in India.
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