The Deccan Archives walk was called the Muharram walk during which many Ashoorkhanas - where Shia Muslims come for mourning - are opened for public. For the first walk we assembled at Dar-Ul Shifa, a place I wanted to see for a while.
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| Dar-Ul Shifa - Hospital built in 1591 |
To the left of Salar Jung Museum is the Dar-Ul Shifa, a 16th century hospital built in 1591 during the reign of Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah at the time Hyderabad (and Charminar) was being built. Dar-Ul Shifa means House of Health. The Jama Masjid near Charminar also was built at the same period.
And to the the left of Dar-Ul Shifa is a gate that led to another grand Ashoorkhana, Alawa-e Sartouq (I think) smaller in scale than the Azakhana-e Zehra, but this is where a lot of people were coming to mourn and do some prayers. We walked in past the gate which was once a hospital but now is a school and such other activities.
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| Main Gate |
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| The Ashoorkhana - the school is behind it |
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| The Alams |
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| Floral designs on the ceiling |
Inside the same premises was another Ashoorkhana which was smaller but no less grander.
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| Entrance |
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| Cradle |
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| Alam |
In this Ashoorkhana there was a cradle which Sibghat explained was for the 7 month old baby who was martyred at the battle of Karbala. The Ashoorkhana was ornate with intricate mirror work.
We came out of this low ceilinged space, back into the quadrangular ground surrounded by four wings,, in which a school was being run.
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| The back entrance to the Ashoorkhana |
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| The school on the first floor |
We walked to the back entrance and stepped out on to the road behind the institution. I could hear the students reciting something loudly. There were some shops, made of those arched entrances, in the old style. Centuries old stuff.
Onward to the next Ashurkhana.
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