Poetry of grief: Dongri's marsiya reciters prepare for Moharram

Time of India

4 days ago

As the Muslim month of Moharram begins this week (June 26 or 27, depending on the sighting of the new moon), the pulsating Pala Galli aka Hazrat Abbas Street in Dongri prepares to be draped in black.
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Rooftops, shopfronts, windowsills and sabeels (water fountains) will be adorned with black flags and banners, signalling the sacred time of mourning. Moharram marks the martyrdom of Prophet Muhammad's grandson Imam Hussain, his family members, and companions at the Battle of Karbala (618) in Iraq.
Besides the visual symbols of mourning, another deeply emotive tradition unfolds: marsiyakhwani—the act of eulogising the Karbala martyrs through poetry recitation.
Perhaps no marsiya reciter in Mumbai evokes the pain and lamentation for the departed souls on the plains of Karbala as powerfully as Haji Mohammed Reza Parekh, fondly known as Haji Bhai among his admirers.
At 60, Parekh is a revered presence at many Moharram majlis or congregation venues, including Khoja Shia Jama Masjid, Masjid-E-Iranian or Mughal Masjid, and Kesar Baug Hall in Dongri. In addition, he is often invited to recite at many private Shia homes in the city.
Notably, at Kesar Baug Hall, Parekh's family has upheld the humble yet vital tradition of safeguarding the shoes of the mourners during Moharram gatherings for generations.
"Nothing gives me more satisfaction than helping fellow mourners connect with the pain and sacrifice at Karbala," says Parekh, who began reciting marsiya when he was five, often carried on his father's shoulders to the Moharram majlis. "I pray to God that I should be doing it till I live on this earth."
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ourning for the martyrs of Karbala is central to religious expression in Shia faith, and marsiyas are among the most poignant ways that the grief is communicated. "What the zakirs or speakers do through Moharram sermons, marsiya reciters do through poetry. They evoke the feeling of loss and lamentation and Haji Bhai has perfected this art," explains Ali Shroff, president, Khoja Shia Isna Ashari Jamaat in Mumbai.
"His poignant recitations transport you to the tragic time when Imam Hussain and his companions were subjected to extreme adversity during the Karbala battle."
Haji Sajjad P Shroff, secretary of the century-old Jamaat, has observed and attended Parekh's recitation sessions for decades. "Once while visiting Imam Hussain's mausoleum in Karbala, I persuaded Haji Bhai to recite a marsiya at the holy precinct as part of our homage to the Imam," recalls Haji Sajjad.
Marsiya, derived from the Arabic 'marthiya'—meaning lamentation for the departed souls—is believed to have originated in the 16th century. It received a major push during the rule of Shia nawabs of Awadh, including Nawab Asaf-ud-Daulah, who patronised even Hindu poet and marsiya writer Munshi Channulal Dilgir (1780-1848). Many famous marsiyas of Dilgir, including 'Ghabrayegi Zainab'—depicting the trauma the Imam's family suffered—have received widespread popularity and continue to mesmerise mourners to this day.
The genre owes much of its literary elevation to two legendary poets: Mir Anis and Mirza Dabeer. They lifting marsiya from majlis to high art in Urdu poetry. "Commentators have long debated who between Anis and Dabeer was a better marsiya writer. They took this genre to dizzying heights and enriched Urdu poetry," says Mira Road-based marsiya reciter Syed Mohammed Akbar Rizvi.
Hailing Anis as a pioneer, the famous scholar-critic Shibli Nomani wrote: "The poetic qualities of Anis are not matched by any other poets."
Besides reciting at Mehfile Sakkae Sakina in Mira Road, Rizvi travels to Dongri to recite at Mughal Masjid.
Kausar Zaidi, who has anchored the Moharram sermons at Mughal Masjid for over three decades, also writes marsiyas. He once anchored the Moharram sermons of the late Maulana Mohammed Athar Mirza, who delivered sermons at Mughal Masjid for over five decades.
For the marsiya reciters, the days of mourning are not only sacred but also deeply personal. Each session is a calling—to evoke remembrance, tears and ultimately, reaffirmation of faith.