Hyderabad: A solemn atmosphere envelops Alaw e Bibi in Dabeerpura, with thousands of people, mostly clad in black, gathering to offer prayers at the Bibi Ka Alam (standard of Bibi Fatima) installed here.
The Bibi Ka Alam is placed every year on the first day of Muharram at the historic Ashoorkhana (mourning hall), a tradition that has been observed for nearly a century. The site draws numerous dignitaries, spanning religious and political affiliations, who visit to offer their respects to the alam.
The practice of installing the alam dates back to the Qutb Shahi period when Muhammad Qutb Shah’s wife first installed a standard in memory of Bibi Fatima at Golconda. Later, during the Asaf Jahi era, the alam was moved to Alaw e Bibi in Dabeerpura, a space specifically constructed for this purpose.
A plaque on the main door of the structure indicates that it was built in 1784. The room housing the alam is fortified, and the alam is stored in a secure vault designed in the shape of a sarcophagus.
Syed Hamed Hussain Jaffery of the Telangana Shia Youth Conference shares that the alam contains a piece of the wooden plank on which Bibi Fatima received her final ablution before burial. “The relic is believed to have journeyed from Karbala in Iraq to Golconda during the reign of Golconda king Abdullah Qutub Shah,” Jaffery explains.
The alam is adorned with six diamonds and other jewels donated by Mir Osman Ali Khan, the builder of Azakhana-e-Madar-e-Deccan. The jewels are kept in six black pouches and affixed to the standard. On the tenth day of Muharram, Yaum-e-Ashura, the alam is carried on a caparisoned elephant, marking a key moment in the observance.
