Commemoration of Karbala
Nawab of Arcot, (a princely state now part of Tamilnadu) a Shia Ruler, had lent to the government of Travancore services of cavalry men and provided veterinary support with horse doctors and stable attenders. These men were either Shias or Sunnis heavily influenced by Shiite traditions. The Maharaja provided them land and built residences and Madrasas for them. They were also provided with facilities for holding Mehfils during Muharram. These places were known as Panjapura, the hall where a Panja is housed. There were three sites in Thiruvananthapuram - Palayam, Nanthancod and Attakulangara, near about their residences and the cantonment and stables where they worked. Cutchi Memons concentrated in the vicinity of Attakulangara, around the Royal Stables (Layam), opposite which the Thiruvananthapuram Cutchi Memon Jamath continues to have its office.
​
A Panja was a palm or hand, made of silver, wrapped below the wrist with an embroidered cloth that,in a way, resembled an idol. The Punja was brought out on the first eve of Muharram, and decorated with a new wrap and stringed flowers and installed near a wall or screen perpendicular to Karbala, in the present Iraq, followed by a Fatiha. Male members of the Dakhni community, as the expatriates were known, used to sit around and recite Qur’an and offer prayers in favour of Imams Hassan and Hussain, after Magrib. People living around, including Cutchi Memons, used to bring mud-potsful of what was known as Panak, a drink made of grated cane jaggerry dissolved in water and flavoured with crushed Elachi (cardamom), in commemoration of the suffering of Imam Hussain and his family and companions for want of water. Flakes of oil-fried batter of any flour, without salt or sugar was offered at the Fatiha as a reminder of the kind of food the victims of Karbala suffered with. The flakes and the panak were offered to all the visitors to the place and also the passersby.
This continued until the seventh day of the month when the first leg of the celebrations was held. The royal stable lent a white horse. After the Asr prayers the Punjah was lifted from its stand and entrusted to a boy of seven to ten years of age, decorated as a bride-groom, with a salwar-qameez, waist coat and flower garlands. The boy was lifted on to the horse which was also tastefully decorated. The Punjah was then taken, in procession, around the main streets of the city, taking care to halt for a while, before the palace for the Maharaja to view the same. The Maharaja used to gift some hundred Fanams to the boy. The gift was actually meant for the expenses related to the festivities. The Punjah returned to the stall by Magrib and was reinstalled on its pedestal.
Right from the first day of Muharram work on the construction of a Tazia (also known as Tabuz), an assmued model of the Mausoleum of Imam Hussain, was going on. The daily tilawat-e-Qur’an and duas continued till the tenth day. The devout among them, women in particular, would have been fasting for the nine days. On the tenth day they would not fast but would eat or drink only after Duhr. After Asr the Panja would be laid inside the Tazia ceremoniously with cries of ‘Ya Ali, Ya Hasan, Ya Hussain’ and then carried on the shoulders of four men, a multitude of devotees following in procession. The Tazia would be paraded through the main streets before moving towards the Arabian sea, in the west, once again passing and halting for a while before the palace in the East Fort. On both the days, 7th and 10th, the processions were accompanied by dancing men, in mini under wears, their head and body painted as tigers. On arrival at the seashore at Shanghumugham the Tazia was lowered and the Punjah retrieved. The artifact would then be hand carried a few steps into the sea and let flow off with the waves. When the immersion was complete, the processionists would disperse and the custodians of the Panja return to the Panjapura to put the Panja back into the container. The ceremony would come to a close with a fatiha.
It was interesting to find that, despite Cutchi Memons being Sunnis and staunch followers of Sunnah, were whirl-pooled into this Shia rite of mourning. They fasted for two days 7th and 9th and half day on 10th. Made vows to feed the poor with Roti (Mani) and Gud, made Malido, batter fry, and Panak; distributed the fry and Panak through the Panjapura and offered flower strings for decorating. Of course no shirk was meant or any prayer was addressed to the Panja, though it was viewed with reverence and a tinge of piety.