Imameyeh Mosque, Dongri, Mumbai, India, December 2010

I was surprised when I saw people are doing a ritual on the roof of mosque on Ashura day. Later I’ve been told that they believe manasek-e Ashura (ritual of Ashura day) must been done under sky; as the mosque does not have a courtyard they use the roof.

For Shia-Muslims, the month of Muharram is about commemoration of the tragic martyrdom of the grandson of Prophet Mohammad on Ashura day (10th of Muharrram) in the 7th century. Muharram is the first month of Islamic-lunar calendar.