Himalayan News Service

Nepalgunj, February 14:

Muslims here will be observing Muharram, with the beginning of the New Year from tomorrow. With the beginning of the Islamic New Year 1426, Nepali Muslims will observe Muharram. Like the Bikram Sambat of Nepal and AD, Muslims also observe Hijri Sambat. Muslims observe the festival for almost ten days in memory of martyrs Imam Hasan and Hussein.

“We are planning to observe Muharram by organising a special programme here tomorrow,” said Rais Ahmad Siddiqui, general secretary of the Nepal Muharram and Karbala Preservation Committee, Nepalgunj. A five-day programme has already been drawn up, he added. According to the schedule, tomorrow evening all local Muslims will gather at a pre-decided place to will launch the ‘taziya’ with music bands. The procession will be taken out throughout the town and it will terminate at the karbala, where the taziya will be buried with all proper ceremony and pomp, Siddiqui said.