Mini Iraq in Lucknow and marks of Lucknow in Iraq

Time of India

06-07-2025

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Naresh Dayal, district magistrate of Lucknow (1986-88), had the occasion to visit Iraq as secretary in petroleum ministry of govt of India. While in Baghdad, he expressed the desire to visit Kazman near Baghdad (shrine of 7th Shia Imam Musa Kazim).
The request intrigued his hosts about the purpose of his visit to the shrine. Dayal told them that he is coming from a city which has a kazman too.
Kazman in old Lucknow is quite like the original kazman in Iraq. The Lucknow kazman was built by a Hindu minister of King Amjad Ali Shah (1842-47) of Awadh named Jagan Nath titled Sharaf-ud-daula, is different from the original shrine in Iraq only by poor upkeep. Whereas, in look, form and measurements both are alike.
The original domes of the shrine in Iraq are made of pure gold and the domes of its replica in Lucknow are made of gold plated thick silver pattar (sheet).
Kazman is not alone. There are many religious monuments in Lucknow which are exact replicas of Shia shrines in Iraq.
In vicinity of kazman there is a mosque known as shabih e masjid e kufa (replica of kufa mosque). Again in design, structure and in paimaish (measurements) this mosque is the exact replica of then kufa mosque where Hazrat Ali was martyred.
Like the then kufa mosque this structure is still painted in reddish brown. Over the period of time the mosque in kufa has undergone changes.
Karbala of Awadh noble Dayanat-ud-daula in old Lucknow is also the exact replica of Imam Hussain shrine in Karbala. There are couple of wooden pillars having intricate carvings in this Karbala like of which are placed at outer gate of Imam Hussain shrine in Iraq where they are displayed as pieces of antiquity.
May be those pillars were placed over there as offering to the shrine by Awadh rulers as the pillars are said to be made of some wood from Ceylon (Sri Lanka).
Being devout Shias, Awadh rulers contributed generously to the enlargement, upkeep and facilities for pilgrims in Karbala and Najaf (shrine of Hazrat Ali). Awadh begums made offerings of precious jewelleries to the shrine which are displayed on makhsusi (specific significant days)
In the midst of Arabic display boards one finds "imambara of Taj Bahu saheba" in Karbala where majlis is still conducted in Urdu.
Taj Bahu saheba was the wife of Prince Jawad Ali, younger brother of King Wajid Ali Shah.
In the post second Gulf War uprising, Iraq ruler Saddam Hussain got many buildings flattened and this imambara was also enormously damaged. However, the Lucknow style alams and zardozi embroidery patkas survived the onslaught. In its original form, this imambara was typical Awadh style building.
The road between Najaf and Karbala is dotted with Hussainas, buildings which are actually sarais (enroute resting places) for the pilgrims.
Many of these Hussainas were constructed by devout Lucknowites. I remember Syed Rasul, an Iraqi gentleman who was the caretaker of the Sarai of Meer Sadiq in Karbala. For settling the books of the charitable properties, Syed Rasul and many Arab caretakers like him used to visit Lucknow.
They were conversant in Urdu.
For the benefit of Karbala pilgrims there is Asifi Nahar,a canal which was constructed by Nawab Asifudaula Bahadur of Awadh.
King Nasiruddin Haider had commissioned architects, designers and civil engineers to grasp the design of Karbala and recreate it in Lucknow. Unfortunately, the project could not be completed as the king passed away and he was buried in this karbala in Daliganj.
All Shia burial places are called karbala where during muharram Tazias, paper replica of imam Hussain shrine, are also buried.
Wish for burial in Karbala in Iraq is a Shia custom among the rich and the resourceful.
As shifting of body from India to Iraq was time taking it was a kind of twice burial.
Before final journey to Iraq the bathed embalmed body was stored in Indian graveyard.
To my memory, Sakina Begum, wife of Nawab Murtuza Ali Khan of Rampur, was the last person to be taken to Karbala for final burial (2012). That too after years of waiting as the way to Iraq was not open.
The sea voyage to Karbala also added an expression to popular food vocabulary.
Jahazi roti has rooting in the extra large khameeri roti served on ships.
Among the faithful several pilgrimages to Karbala is honourably flaunted. Grave stone of Chacha Bahadur of Kashmiri Moholla in Karbala Talkatora of Lucknow proudly reads :
"Dasta-e-Anjuman ke rohey Rawan
Wo bahadur wo shai ke matamdaar
They jo attharah baar ke zair
Shai ke qadmon mein hai ye unka mazaar"
(Soul of matami sangat
That Bahadur, that mourner of Hussain
He who travelled to karbala for eighteen timeUnder the feet of his master, it is his grave)
(The writer is an oral history and culture exponent)