The ten-day Muharram mourning ceremony reaches its climax on the last day which is called Ashura. Ashura marks the Remembrance of Muharram when Shia Muslims commemorate the slaying of the Prophet Mohammad's grandson Imam Hussein ibn Ali in 680 AD in the Battle of Karbala. For the Shias, Hussein's death symbolizes confronting tyranny in the face of overwhelming odds. It is also a reminder of the rift with Sunnis (who do not revere Hussein as Shias do) over the Prophet Mohammad's succession. During the ceremony, the Shias beat their heads and chests and make gashes across bodies with swords to show their grief and echo the suffering of Imam Hussein. \ Due to clashes between Sunnis and Shias over the ritual most of the big citites have banned the large procession. This year, I went to Amroha, a small, sleepy town in Western Uttar Pradesh to shoot the real zeal of Ashura as Amroha has a large Shia population and there is no ban on the procession here.
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