Rawalpindi’s historic imambargahs preserve long-standing Muharram traditions

RAWALPINDI: Historic imambargahs in Rawalpindi’s old city continue to serve as central venues for Muharram observances, hosting majalis and sending out mourning processions as Shia Muslims commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (AS) and his companions in Karbala.

Among the most prominent sites in the downtown area are Qadeemi Imambargah, Colonel Maqbool Hussain Imambargah and Hifazat Ali Shah Imambargah. These places reflect the long history of Azadari in the region and draw worshippers from Rawalpindi, Islamabad and other areas as the ninth and tenth of Muharram approach. The observances also bring visible scenes of communal participation, with both Shias and Sunnis preparing Niaz and setting up stalls to distribute food including biryani, kheer and zarda.

During Muharram, alams, tazias, jhoolas and Zuljinnah are taken out from these imambargahs. Zuljinnah, symbolising the horse of Imam Hussain (AS), is looked after throughout the year by affluent Shia families. The religious sites, many of them more than a century old, remain closely tied to the city’s traditional routes and rituals of mourning.

Colonel Maqbool Hussain Imambargah

Located on Gordon College Road along the traditional Ashura procession route, the century-old Colonel Maqbool Hussain Imambargah is a three-storey structure known for its wooden balconies, coloured glass windows, old floor tiles and preserved woodwork. The building was originally a large haveli with a spacious hall on the ground floor, which Colonel Maqbool Hussain converted into an imambargah that later came to bear his name.

According to Syed Saqib Imam Zaidi, a member of the imambargah’s organising committee, the city’s central Muharram 10 procession has started from this imambargah since November 1947, after the route was finalised in coordination with the local administration of the time. He said it was the first imambargah in the city to organise majalis and introduce mourning processions.

“Since November 1947, the markazi jaloos of Muharram 10 has emerged from Imambargah Colonel Maqbool Hussain in the old city on Gordon College Road,” said Syed Saqib Imam Zaidi, a member of the organising committee of the imambargah.

From there, the procession moves along College Road and passes through Iqbal Road, Fawara Chowk, Raja Bazaar and Purana Qila Bazaar before ending at Qadeemi Imambargah in the Bani area.

Hifazat Ali Shah Imambargah

Imambargah Hifazat Ali Shah, situated in Sarafa Bazaar, was established in Rawalpindi before the partition of the Indian subcontinent and is regarded as one of the city’s oldest imambargahs. Its founders migrated from Gali Syedan in Delhi and brought with them a licence for a mourning procession that had been issued by the British Indian government in 1887.

Its custodian Iqrar Hussain said his family had arranged majalis in the garrison city before 1947 and that the imambargah was founded by his grandfather.

“Our family arrived from Delhi, where we held a licence for a mourning procession dating back to 1887. Our grandfather established this imambargah and arranged majalis in the garrison city before 1947,” said Iqrar Hussain, its custodian.

He said two major processions are taken out from the imambargah on Muharram 7 and Muharram 10. Alams, tazias and jhoolas also leave from there before joining the main procession at Iqbal Road in Trunk Bazaar, alongside processions from Colonel Maqbool Hussain Imambargah and Ashiq Hussain Imambargah in Teli Mohallah. He said the imambargah spans more than 18 marlas and can accommodate over 3,000 people at one time, and maintained that it is the oldest imambargah in the garrison city.

Qadeemi Imambargah

Qadeemi Imambargah, located on Jamia Masjid Road, is also more than 100 years old and serves as the final destination for all mourning processions, according to Allama Syed Qamar Haider Zaidi. Founded by Agha Mustafa Shah and Agha Fazal Ali Shah, it was originally built with Kashmiri-style wooden balconies but was damaged in a fire in 1966 and later rebuilt. It is now managed by Anjuman Imamia Asna Ashria.

Allama Zaidi said the main procession begins at Imambargah Ashiq Hussain in Teli Mohallah. Processions from Colonel Maqbool Hussain Imambargah and Hifazat Ali Shah Imambargah merge on Iqbal Road, while smaller processions from other localities join at Fawara Chowk. He added that when the main Ashura procession reaches Raja Bazaar and Purana Qila, Zuljinnah processions from Imambargah Kashmirian in Tyre Bazaar and Darbar Shah Chan Chiragh also become part of it before it culminates at Qadeemi Imambargah.

He further said that Hifazat Ali Shah Imambargah dates to before partition, while Colonel Maqbool Hussain Imambargah has been functioning since 1947.