Muharram observed across country, 7 injured in UP clash

Muslims today observed Muharram by taking out taziya processions, flagellating themselves and offering special prayers but the day of mourning was marred by a clash in Uttar Pradesh resulting in injury to seven persons though it witnessed scenes of communal harmony at many places.
Slogans of "Ya Hussein" rend the air as Shias took part in the ceremonial mourning commemorating the martyrdom of Prophet Mohammed's grandson Imam Hussein with flags and replicas of Hussein's tomb in their hands. Sunnis offered prayers, observed fasts and distributed alms on the occasion.
On this day, Muslims remember Hussein who died fighting the forces of caliph Yazid around 1,400 years ago at Karbala in Iraq.

In the national capital, several taziya processions were taken out. Most of these processions culminated at Karbala in Jor Bagh in south Delhi.
In East Delhi's Trilokpuri area, which had seen clashes between two communities in the past fortnight, Hindu volunteers led Muharram processions and also provided refreshments to their Muslim brothers along the route.
Processions in Outer Delhi's Bawana area, which had been on the boil since Sunday, also passed off peacefully but remained confined to the boundaries of J J Colony, breaking a decades-old tradition when they used to start from the JJ cluster and circle the Bawana township before returning to the point from where it started.

In Vadodara, keeping on with an age-old tradition, a tazia procession from Nagearvada-Hakim area was welcomed by the priest of the Ambrish Kumar temple.

But the religious fervour was marred by a clash in Bareilly, where seven people were injured after members of two communities clashed and indulged in brick batting during a procession in Saidpur village here. The clash broke out over the route of the procession, police said.
In Uttar Pradesh's Gonda and Sitapur districts, as many as 38 people received burn injuries when tazias being taken for burial came in contact with overhead electric wires.
In Jammu and Kashmir, curfew-like restrictions were imposed in many parts of Srinagar as a preventive measure to maintain law and order.