The Hussaini Dalan (, ) is a

Twelver Twelver Shi'ism (), also known as Imamism () or Ithna Ashari, is the Islamic schools and branches, largest branch of Shia Islam, Shi'a Islam, comprising about 90% of all Shi'a Muslims. The term ''Twelver'' refers to its adherents' belief in twel ...

Shi'ite Shia Islam is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib () as both his political successor (caliph) and as the spiritual leader of the Muslim community (imam). However, his right is understood to ...

Imambara A Husayniyya () is a building designed specifically for gatherings of Shia Muslim, Shia Muslims for spiritual practice, religious education and commemoration ceremonies, especially the Mourning of Muharram. The Husayniyya is a multipurpose hall ...

that was originally built during the later half of the

Mughal Mughal or Moghul may refer to: Related to the Mughal Empire * Mughal Empire of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries * Mughal dynasty * Mughal emperors * Mughal people, a social group of Central and South Asia * Mughal architecture * Mug ...

rule in the 17th century in

Dhaka Dhaka ( or ; , ), List of renamed places in Bangladesh, formerly known as Dacca, is the capital city, capital and list of cities and towns in Bangladesh, largest city of Bangladesh. It is one of the list of largest cities, largest and list o ...

. It was built as the Imambara of the Shia Muslim community. Hussaini Dalan serves as the main

Hussainiya A Husayniyya () is a building designed specifically for gatherings of Shia Muslims for spiritual practice, religious education and commemoration ceremonies, especially the Mourning of Muharram. The Husayniyya is a multipurpose hall for the comm ...

of Dhaka, or venue for

majlis (, pl. ') is an Arabic term meaning 'sitting room', used to describe various types of special gatherings among common interest groups of administrative, social or religious nature in countries with linguistic or cultural connections to the Mus ...

or gatherings held during the month of

Muharram Al-Muharram () is the first month of the Islamic calendar. It is one of the four sacred months of the year when warfare is banned. It precedes the month of Safar. The tenth of Muharram is known as Ashura, an important day of commemoration in ...

; the ten-day religious gathering commemorates the martyrdom of

Hussain Hussein, Hossein, Hussain, Hossain, Huseyn, Husayn, Husein, Hussin, Hoessein, Houcine, Hocine or Husain (; ), coming from the triconsonantal root Ḥ-S-N (), is an Arabic name which is the diminutive of Hassan, meaning "good", "handsome" or ...

, the grandson of the Islamic prophet

Muhammad Muhammad (8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious and political leader and the founder of Islam. Muhammad in Islam, According to Islam, he was a prophet who was divinely inspired to preach and confirm the tawhid, monotheistic teachings of A ...

History

According to Taylor (1839),

The principal Mahommedan places of worship are the Edgah and Hossainee Delaun, the latter is said to have been built by a person named Mir Murad, who held the Darogahship of the Nawarrah Mehals, and had charge of the public buildings in the time of Sultan Muhammad Azam.

It was built during the Subedari of Prince Shah Shuja (r. 1639–1647 and 1652–1660), son of Mughal emperor

Shah Jahan Shah Jahan I, (Shahab-ud-Din Muhammad Khurram; 5 January 1592 – 22 January 1666), also called Shah Jahan the Magnificent, was the Emperor of Hindustan from 1628 until his deposition in 1658. As the fifth Mughal emperor, his reign marked the ...

. Although Shuja was a

Sunni Muslim Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam and the largest religious denomination in the world. It holds that Muhammad did not appoint any successor and that his closest companion Abu Bakr () rightfully succeeded him as the caliph of the Musli ...

, he patronized Shia institutions too. According to tradition, “Mir Murad had a vision of Imam Hussain erecting a 'taziah khana' or house of

mourning Mourning is the emotional expression in response to a major life event causing grief, especially loss. It typically occurs as a result of someone's death, especially a loved one. The word is used to describe a complex of behaviors in which t ...

which led to the construction of Hussaini Dalan. Raised on the foundations of a former small taziakhana, the building has undergone alterations. During the rule of the

East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company that was founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to Indian Ocean trade, trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (South A ...

, it was repaired in 1807 and 1810. The original date of construction is still disputed, but Hussaini Dalan in its present form is attributed to Naib Nazim Nusrat Jung, who rebuilt the imambara in 1823. The present

flat roof A flat roof is a roof which is almost level in contrast to the many types of List of roof shapes, sloped roofs. The slope of a roof is properly known as its Roof pitch, pitch and flat roofs have up to approximately 10°. Flat roofs are an anci ...

was rebuilt by Nawab of Dhaka Sir Khwaja Ahsanuallah Bahadur after the earthquake of 1897, and another verandah was added to the southern side.

Architecture

The main building is situated in the middle of the complex, built on an area of about 0.65 Bighas (9,380 sq. ft/ 871 sq. meters). In the south touching the building there is a “

pond A pond is a small, still, land-based body of water formed by pooling inside a depression (geology), depression, either naturally or artificiality, artificially. A pond is smaller than a lake and there are no official criteria distinguishing ...

” having an area of 1.01 Bighas (14,544 sq. ft/ 1377 sq meters). This pond is the main attraction of this building which touches the walls of the building.Shiraji, M. M. (2006). ''Hussaini Dalan 2006''. (n.d) retrieved from: www.hussainidalan.com. Built on a raised platform, it is a long rectangular building with four simple yet elegant cabins at the corners. An attractively built arched gateway to the north gives right of entry to the building, while a stonework

water tank A water tank is a container for Water storage, storing water, for many applications, drinking water, irrigation, fire suppression, farming, both for plants and livestock, chemical manufacturing, food preparation as well as many other uses. Water ...

is located directly to the south of the building. The exterior incorporates both

and

British Colonial The British Overseas Territories (BOTs) or alternatively referred to as the United Kingdom Overseas Territories (UKOTs) are the fourteen territories with a constitutional and historical link with the United Kingdom that, while not forming p ...

architectural traditions. The south

verandah A veranda (also spelled verandah in Australian and New Zealand English) is a roofed, open-air hallway or porch, attached to the outside of a building. A veranda is often partly enclosed by a railing and frequently extends across the front an ...

, overlooking the deep-water tank, best illustrates a western background, with four columns of

Doric order The Doric order is one of the three orders of ancient Greek and later Roman architecture; the other two canonical orders were the Ionic and the Corinthian. The Doric is most easily recognized by the simple circular capitals at the top of t ...

supporting the verandah. Mughal characteristics are seen in the attached three-storeyed

pavilion In architecture, ''pavilion'' has several meanings; * It may be a subsidiary building that is either positioned separately or as an attachment to a main building. Often it is associated with pleasure. In palaces and traditional mansions of Asia ...

with arched windows and a row of kanjuras (decorative

merlon A merlon is the solid, upright section of a battlement (a crenellated parapet) in medieval architecture or fortifications. Merlons are sometimes pierced by narrow, vertical embrasures, or tooth-like slits designed for observation and fire. The sp ...

s) on the roof. The main floor of the building is raised on a platform that has rooms containing

grave A grave is a location where a cadaver, dead body (typically that of a human, although sometimes that of an animal) is burial, buried or interred after a funeral. Graves are usually located in special areas set aside for the purpose of buria ...

s. On the main floor, two large halls known as Shirni hall and Khutba hall are placed back to back to form the nucleus of the building complex. Subsidiary two-storied rooms are on either side of the halls, probably to accommodate a congregation of ladies. Also, there is a series of three rooms on the east and the west. The side rooms, with the exception of those in the northernmost side room, have galleries on the second storey.

Celebrations

Shia Muslims are a minority in Dhaka. During the first 10 days of

, Hussaini Dalan becomes a centre of mourning and religious gathering in old Dhaka. Both Sunni and the Shia followers join the mourning, usually ending in

Ashura Ashura (, , ) is a day of commemoration in Islam. It occurs annually on the tenth of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar. For Sunni Muslims, Ashura marks the parting of the Red Sea by Moses and the salvation of the Israelites ...

when a large procession parades through the streets, though mourning continues from the 1st day of muharram to 10th of the Islamic month Safar.

Gallery

Hussaini dalan Entrance 1.jpg, Entrance to Hussaini Dalan Left side view of Hoseni Dalan.jpeg, Side view Islamic Calligraphy-2.jpeg, Calligraphy on the walls Hoseni Dalan North Face Calligraphy by Ragib Hasan.jpg, Islamic Calligraphy on the north face Hoseni Dalan Front face by Ragib Hasan.jpg, Front (north) face Hussaini Dalan at Night.jpg, At Muharram Night

References

Bibliography

* Ahmed, N. (1984). ''Discover the monuments of Bangladesh''. Dhaka: University Press Limited. (pp. 180–181). * Sayed, H. M. (1980). ''Muslim Monuments of Bangladesh''. Dhaka: Islamic Foundation,(p. 58). * Asher, Catherine, B. (1984). ''Inventory of Key Monuments''. Art and Archaeology Research Papers: The Islamic Heritage of Bengal. Paris: UNESCO.(p. 56). * Shiraji, M. M. (2006). ''Hussaini Dalan 2006''. (n.d) Retrieve from: www.hussainidalan.com.

External links

* http://www.Hussainidalan.com/ * https://web.archive.org/web/20140617100240/http://www.hussainidalan.com/en/index.php/about-dalan * https://web.archive.org/web/20140616015611/http://hussainidalan.com/bn/index.php/2013-09-02-17-51-12/%E0%A6%B9%E0%A7%8B%E0%A6%B8%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%87%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%80_%E0%A6%A6%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B2%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A8 (In Bangla) {{Dhakaplaces Old Dhaka Mosques in Dhaka Buildings and structures in Dhaka Islamic architecture in Asia Husayniyyas Tourist attractions in Dhaka Shia Islam in Bangladesh Twelver Shia mosques Twelver Shia shrines