Amid scorching heat, sabeels quench thirst of mourners

Srinagar, July 15: As the 8th Muharram procession was held in the heart of city centre, roads and alleys were dotted with stalls to provide water and juice to mourners amid scorching heart.

Since the beginning of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar, Srinagar areas have been dotted with stalls, also called Sabeels, in which the local Shia community serves food items, particularly water and juices, to mourners and other passers-by.

“In addition to setting up Sabeels during the processions, we set up these stalls throughout the first 10 days of this month. The local Mohalla communities from the Shia community and volunteer youth groups, trade bodies organise these stalls and provide water to everyone,” said Syed Burhan Rizvi, a mourner from Hawal area.

On Monday, Shia mourners took part in a Muharram procession to mark the eighth day of mourning on the Guru Bazar-Dalgate route.

In addition to Shia mourners, local youth from other communities, trade bodies, and police participated in the procession and provided water and other eatables to the mourners amid scorching heat.

“We had also set up a stall in which many of our traders volunteered to provide water and other food items to the mourners. Traders are connected to everyone irrespective of the community they come from, and we tried to do our bit to facilitate as a responsible trade organisation,” said Zubair Ahmad, a functionary of the Traders Association Central Lal Chowk.

In addition to traders, many youth showed the spirit of communal harmony. A group of friends from both the Shia and Sunni communities volunteered to facilitate the mourners by setting up stalls to provide food and water.

Syed Uzair, one of the youths from the group, said that since the first day of Muharram, he and his friends from both Shia and Sunni communities had installed stalls offering food to mourners.

“We set up our stalls at Kashmir University, Jamia Masjid Nowhatta, and today at TRC Srinagar. I along with my friends, set up the stalls in areas that are predominately Sunni areas, and it was heartwarming to see how everyone came forward to help. As friends, we participate in every activity, and why not do something good jointly that will bring people together. I am happy with how people across Srinagar volunteered with us, irrespective of the community they belong to. Some of them are continuously in contact with us and participate to help us wherever we set up these stalls,” Uzair said.