Imam Hussein Holy Shrine Preparing for Ashura Rituals

As the Day of Ashura approaches, Imam Hussein Holy Shrine in Karbala is preparing for the annual rituals of Blood-Letting (Tatbir) and Rakdha Tuwairaj, Iqna News Agency reported yesterday.

According to Ali Fuad, an official with the Holy Shrine, the courtyards of the holy mausoleum are being covered with sand to facilitate the movement of pilgrims during these rituals and avoid stampede.

He further added that Imam Hussein Holy Shrine has mobilized all its staff and equipment to serve pilgrims during mourning ceremonies of Muharram.

It should be mentioned that Rakdha Tuwairaj is a ritual on Ashura in which mourners walk barefoot from the town of Hindya (formerly known as Tuwairaj) near Karbala to the holy shrines of Imam Hussein and the Honorable Abalfazl al-Abbas, peace be upon them both, while beating their head and chest.

The ritual has been held every year for some 140 years, with the exception of the time the Ba’athist regime of former dictator Saddam Hussein ruled Iraq.

The Blood-Letting Ritual (Tatbir) has also been upheld by an increasing number of Shiites in holy Karbala in recent years with tens of thousands of devotees observing the ritual in processions after the Fajr Prayer on the Day of Ashura.