Tazia

The first tazia arrived in India with Timur, but the art of tazia-making actually flourished during the Mughal rule when replicas of the shrines were developed for members of the Mughal family, who were unable to visit holy sites.

Tazias, however, took their present form when Akhtar’s great grandfather Ilahi Bux Pirjah created the replicas that are now seen during the month of Muharram. Being a complex artefact, the tazia is carried out in parts on different dates in the first ten days of Muharram. The takht (base of tazia) is the first piece to be carried out on day one, followed by the palanquin and finally, the jhoola. The tazia is then reconstructed on the tenth day.