Lucknow & Uttar Pradesh
The most elaborate Muharram observance in India. The Bara Imambara and Chhota Imambara are central, the taziya-making tradition is a recognised craft, and the Ashura procession is one of the largest in the world.
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मुहर्रम
A month of mourning for Imam Husain, culminating in Ashura.
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Muharram 2026
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1 to 10 Muharram, the first month of the Hijri calendar; Ashura on the tenth
Muharram is the first month of the Islamic calendar, and for Shia Muslims it is a month of mourning for Imam Husain, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, who was killed with his family and companions at the Battle of Karbala on the tenth day, Ashura, in 680 CE. In 2026 Muharram is expected to begin around 26 June, with Ashura around 5 July.
The first ten days are observed with gatherings (majlis) where the events of Karbala are narrated, poetry recitation (marsiya and noha), and processions, particularly on Ashura. In India, the processions include taziya — replicas of Husain's tomb carried through the streets — and, at some locations, matam (self-flagellation) and zuljanah processions with decorated horses.
The tradition is strongest in Hyderabad, Lucknow, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Murshidabad, where the Ashura processions draw very large crowds and are a significant part of the city's public life. The large ornate taziyas made in Lucknow and the Bibi ka Alam in Hyderabad are the best known.
For Sunni Muslims, Muharram is also observed, with voluntary fasting on the ninth and tenth (Ashura), following the tradition that the Prophet fasted on Ashura. Both communities treat Ashura as a day of reflection, and charity and distribution of food and water are common.
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In the order a household actually does them.
1–9 Muharram
Nightly gatherings where the Karbala narrative is recited, with noha poetry, often in Urdu. In many cities this is organised at the neighbourhood imambara or a private home.
9 Muharram
Smaller processions with alam and a decorated horse, ahead of the main Ashura procession the next day.
10 Muharram (Ashura)
The largest procession, with taziyas, alam, marsiya recitation and sabeel distribution. Routes are fixed and heavily policed, particularly in Lucknow, Hyderabad and Delhi.
After Ashura
Taziyas are buried or immersed, marking the end of the mourning period for the year.
This is where most festival sites give one national answer to a question that has several.
The most elaborate Muharram observance in India. The Bara Imambara and Chhota Imambara are central, the taziya-making tradition is a recognised craft, and the Ashura procession is one of the largest in the world.
The Bibi ka Alam procession is the city's largest, and the Deccani marsiya and noha traditions are distinct from the Awadhi ones. Khichda is the characteristic Muharram dish.
Processions in the old city around Jama Masjid, Matia Mahal and Karbala, with a long-established zuljanah and alam tradition.
The Murshidabad and Hooghly districts have a distinctive Muharram tradition that predates and is largely independent of the Awadh tradition, with its own taziya forms and local participation.
Large Ashura processions through the old city, with sabeel stalls and taziya processions organised by mohalla committees.
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Paying for water and milk distribution on Ashura is the festival's central public practice and the most appropriate form of giving.
Suits: community, neighbours, family
Cooking and distributing food in Husain's name is a long-standing Muharram practice across both communities.
Suits: community, charity, family
Marsiya and noha collections, or histories of Karbala, are the on-theme gift for a household that holds majlis.
Suits: parents, grandparents, self
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With honest budget ranges and a difficulty rating for each.
A clean white-cloth-covered platform with an alam, a small taziya, candles and ashurkhana decoration in black and green. Black is the mourning colour for the period and the palette should not be festive.
Budget: ₹500–₹3,000
A stall at the house or on the street offering free water, sherbet and milk throughout Ashura. This is the festival's most important public practice and the decoration is secondary to the service.
Budget: ₹500–₹3,000
Rows of candles and oil lamps at the ashurkhana or home platform, lit in the evening of Ashura. Use a metal tray base and keep away from the cloth.
Budget: ₹200–₹800
Including a note on why each dish belongs to this festival.
The Hyderabadi Muharram dish — a slow-cooked wheat, lentil and meat porridge, made in large quantities and distributed as part of the mourning period's community food.
About 150 minutes
Ingredients
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Muharram 2026 is expected to begin around 26 June, with Ashura on the tenth day, around 5 July. Islamic dates depend on the moon sighting and may shift by a day.
Shia Muslims mourn Imam Husain, the grandson of the Prophet, who was killed with his family and companions at Karbala on Ashura. The first ten days are spent in gatherings narrating and mourning the event.
Yes, though differently. Sunni Muslims commonly keep a voluntary fast on the ninth and tenth of Muharram, following the tradition that the Prophet fasted on Ashura. Many also give charity and distribute food.
A taziya is a replica of Imam Husain's tomb, made from paper, wood and metal, sometimes elaborately decorated, which is carried in the Ashura procession and then buried or immersed at the end of the period.
Matam is practised at some locations, and heavy self-flagellation with blades is regulated or banned in several Indian jurisdictions. Practices differ substantially by city and by community. TyoharHub does not provide guidance on the ritual forms of mourning.
Last reviewed 6 October 2026. This page covers a regionally specific festival — where practices differ, they are described separately rather than averaged. If you spot an error, tell us and we will correct it.