Chup Tazia ( ur, ) or silent ''

tazia Ta'zieh ( ar, تعزية; fa, تعزیه; ur, ) means comfort, condolence, or expression of grief. It comes from roots ''aza'' (عزو and عزى) which means mourning. Depending on the region, time, occasion, religion, etc. the word can sig ...

'' is the name given to religious processions held mostly on 8th of Rabi' al-awwal by

Twelver Twelver Shīʿīsm ( ar, ٱثْنَا عَشَرِيَّة; '), also known as Imāmīyyah ( ar, إِمَامِيَّة), is the largest branch of Shīʿa Islam, comprising about 85 percent of all Shīʿa Muslims. The term ''Twelver'' refers t ...

Shia Muslims Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his successor (''khalīfa'') and the Imam (spiritual and political leader) after him, most n ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

and

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

to commemorate the death of

Imam Imam (; ar, إمام '; plural: ') is an Islamic leadership position. For Sunni Muslims, Imam is most commonly used as the title of a worship leader of a mosque. In this context, imams may lead Islamic worship services, lead prayers, ser ...

Hasan al-Askari Hasan ibn Ali ibn Muhammad ( ar, الحَسَن بْن عَلِيّ بْن مُحَمَّدُ, translit=al-Ḥasan ibn ʿAlī ibn Muḥammad; ), better known as Hasan al-Askari ( ar, الحَسَن ٱلْعَسْكَرِيّ , translit=al-Ḥa ...

, the eleventh of the Twelver Shi'a Imams.Census of India, 1961, Volume 1, Issue 3
Manager of Publications, Office of the Registrar General of India The procession is usually regarded as the last procession of the mourning period that begins in the Islamic month of

Muharram Muḥarram ( ar, ٱلْمُحَرَّم) (fully known as Muharram ul Haram) is the first month of the Islamic calendar. It is one of the four sacred months of the year when warfare is forbidden. It is held to be the second holiest month after R ...

.Palace culture of Lucknow
Amir Hasan, B.R. Pub. Corp., 1983

Origin in Lucknow

The procession under the name of ''Chup Tazia'' have originated in the Indian city of

Lucknow Lucknow (, ) is the capital and the largest city of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and it is also the second largest urban agglomeration in Uttar Pradesh. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous district and division ...

before spreading to other parts of

South Asia South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The region consists of the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.;;;;;;;; ...

. The procession dates back to nawabi era and was started by Nawab Ahmed Ali Khan Shaukat Yar Jung a descendant of Bahu Begum. It is one of the most important processions of

azadari in Lucknow Azadari in Lucknow or ''Mourning in Lucknow'', is name of the practices related to mourning and commemoration of the anniversary of the death of Imam Husayn ibn Ali at the Battle of Karbala in 680, particularly in ''period of Muharram'' (in t ...

and is currently one of the nine allowed processions.twocircles.net, ''Before Muharram begins, gloom descends on Old Lucknow'', 7 December 2010
/ref> During nineteenth century this procession of Nawab Aggan Mian's family which earlier was raised on the day of ''Chehlum'' (20th

Safar Ṣafar ( ar, صَفَر) also spelt as Safer in Turkish, is the second month of the lunar Islamic calendar. The Arabic word ''ṣafar'' means "travel, migration", corresponding to the pre-Islamic Arabian time period when muslims flee the oppr ...

) was shifted to eighteenth day of ''Chehlum'' i.e. 8th of Rabi' al-awwal. This last mourning procession taken out on the morning of 8th of Rabi' al-awwal, includes ''alam'', ''zari'' and ''tazia'', originates from Imambara Nazim Saheb in Victoria street and moves in complete silence while passes through Patanala until it terminates at Karbala Kazmain, where the colossal black ''

'' is buried. On 26 May 1969, after a series of fairly serious clashes and murders, another riot broke out when a Shia ''Alam'' and ''Chup Tazia'' procession which had passed through the predominantly Sunni mohallas of Pul Ghulam and Mahmoodnagar almost peacefully was suddenly brick-batted from a Sunni mosque as the procession reached Mahmoodnagar.

Allahabad

There are two ''Chup Tazia'' processions in

Allahabad Allahabad (), officially known as Prayagraj, also known as Ilahabad, is a metropolis in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.The other five cities were: Agra, Kanpur (Cawnpore), Lucknow, Meerut, and Varanasi (Benares). It is the administrat ...

, # The first procession of ''Anjuman-e-Haideriya'' starts from Imambara Mirza Naqi Beg in Rani Mandi and passes through Bachchaji Ki Kothi, Kotwali, Khuldabad and terminates at Karbala. # The second procession of ''Dasta-e-Abbasia'' starts from Imam Raza Masjid or Imambara Laddan Khan in Daryabad and culminates at Pathanwali Imambara Arab Ali Khan.

Hyderabad, India

In Hyderabad (India) the procession starts from Dabeerpura Flyover and reaches Alawa-e-Sartouq Mubarak at Darushafa which is a Shia Majority area in Hyderabad just before evening prayers (maghrib prayers). At this place a short majlis is arranged and after this majlis the black flags which symbolise sorrow are removed and red flags are hoisted which symbolise the joy. This changing of flags takes place as the next day, the ninth of Rabi al awwal, is festival day (Eid e Zehra s.w.a).

Karachi

Chup Tazia began in Pakistan after the

independence Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the statu ...

in 1947. Mr. Nawab Hassan Lucknowi is founder Chup Tazia in Karachi, Pakistan. After his death, his son continues his mission. Now Mr. Imtiaz Hussain has led the Chup Tazia procession in Nishtar Park, Karachi. There are two Chup Tazia processions in Karachi: #First procession starts after the Fajr prayer from Nishtar Park in Soldier Bazar and culminates at Imambargah Hussainia Irania in Kharadar after the Zohrain prayers. #Second procession starts from Qasr-e-Musayyab in Rizvia Society and culminates at Masjid-o-Imambargah Shah-e-Najaf on Martin Road.

Kamoke-Gujranwala

Chup Tazia began in Pakistan after the

in 1947. In 1998, Syed Ali Abbas Naqvi started Chup Tazia ''juloos'' in Kamoke-Gujranwala, Pakistan. In Kamoke, on 8 Rabi-al-Awal Chup Tazia jaloos/majlis is held at Nagri Abbas Shah and after majlis jaloos starts and via G.T.Road ends at Azakhana Talib Hussain Farooqi/Dr. Shahid Farooqi at 6:00 pm. Alipur Chatha (Akalghar) Chup Tazia jaloos started in Alipur Chatha (Akalghar) District Gujranwala by Dr. Syed Ali Akthar in 1948 when he migrated from Sadhaura District Ambala (now District Yumnanagar) India in continuity of historical Chup Tazia from Sadhura. Chup Tazia majalish starts on 6th of Rabi ul Awal, Ghawara of Hazrat Ali Asghar AS is taken out after majlish on 7th Rabi ul Awal. On 8th of Rabi ul Awal Chup Tazia procession starts in the morning from Imam Bargah Darbar e Hussain and makes its way to Imam Bargah Sadat through city. Renowned speakers make speeches throughout the day. Azadaran e Imam Hussain AS perform matam from Haideri chowk to Imam Bargah Sadat.

References

{{Mourning of Muharram Shia days of remembrance Shia Islam in India Islamic terminology