Hindus join 10th day of Muharram in Thanjai village

TIRUCHY: Setting an example of religious harmony, the Hindus in a village in Thanjavur joined Muslim brethern om 10th day of Muharram and performed a fire walk as a veneration to the ‘Allah Samy’ on Saturday.

The Hindu residents from Kasavalavanadu Puthur village near Thanjavur are in the practice of celebrating Muharram festival for the past 300 years. As a part of the celebration, these residents used to observe fasting for 10 days prior to Muharram festival and take the ‘Allah Samy’ image to the Chavadi at Sengarai by procession and perform special pooja by placing the samy at a pandal. They also recited Al-Fatiha in the holy Quran to commemorate the festival. On Friday night, Allah Samy was taken by procession as a form of ‘veedhi ula’ and each household welcomed the Samy and offered panagam, rice flakes, coconut, fruits and halwa and each family offered lemon garland and silk cloth to Allah Samy. On Saturday, the devotees who carried the Allah Samy by procession performed a fire walk to fulfil their vows. Many women too followed the men on the fire walk.

“We have been celebrating Muharram for over 300 years. According to our elders, the villagers got a metal hand while digging a tank at Puthur village and they considered it to be the ‘hand of Allah’ and then on they started celebrating the festival. The women from each household used to prepare panagam from their parental houses and offer it to the ‘ ‘Allah Samy’’, said the residents. Many Muslims from the village used to accompany the Hindu devotees during the celebration.