Hyderabad: Ahead of Milad-un-Nabi celebration at Badshahi Ashurkhana, caretakers of the historic Badshahi Ashurkhana here urged the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) to restore the heritage structure’s lawn.
The Milad-Un-Nabi celebrations are scheduled to be conducted between October 20-23. In a letter to the civic body, caretaker Mir Murtuza Ali Moosvi said, “We request GHMC Urban Bio Diversity Wing for maintenance of Lawn, thousands of devotees will attend Milad-Un-Nabi (pbuh) Jashan. Your act of kindness would mean a lot to us.”
The lawn in question is located right inside the Badshahi Ashurkhana’s boundary wall, which was partly demolished by the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) in May this year.
In its defence the HMWSSB said it had to be done to undertake sewerage works in the area. However, the Badshahi Ashurkhana’s administrators have alleged that the boundary wall and the monument are in fact subject matter to a court ruling, which has reportedly been flouted.
The Ashurkhana is a protected heritage site, and is the second oldest monument of Hyderabad, as it was built immediately after the Charminar, which was constructed as the city’s foundation in 1591 by Mohd Quli Qutb Shah of the Golconda or Qutb Shahi dynasty (1518-1687).
What is the Badshahi Ashurkhana?
The Badshahi Ashurkhana was constructed between 1592-96, some time after the Charminar was built in 1591. Like other Ashurkhanas, this one too saw bad days for nearly a century after the Qutb Shahi dynasty fell to Aurangzeb’s army in 1687. And it wasn’t until Nizam Ali (the second monarch of the Asaf Jahi dynasty) came to power that the Badshahi Ashurkhana was given an annual grant.
An Ashurkhana is where Shia Muslims mourn during Ashura, the 10th of Moharram. The place is dedicated to Imam Hussain, a grandson of prophet Muhammad who was killed in the battle of Karbala. Hussain was the son of Imam Ali, the prophets son-in-law (and cousin).
Follow on Twitter | Posted by Mohammed Baleegh | 
