An imambara from the second half of the Mughal rule: Hussaini Dalan.
An imambara is a religious building of the Shiites, especially for the celebration of the Muharram. This raises the first question for the non-Muslim: Sunnis, Shiites, difference? Since we are not a forum for questions of religion, the answer in short form: The drama began with the death of the Prophet Muhammad (June 8th 632) and the question of the successor or the new spiritual leader. On the one hand, there were those who believed that the religious leader could be chosen almost freely. On the other hand, it was believed that the new spiritual leader must be a descendant of the Prophet Mohammed. Two different camps formed: One appointed the father-in-law and also the fatherly friend of Muhammad as the new spiritual head (Abu Bakr). The others claimed that the Prophet had chosen his son-in-law (Ali) to succeed him. With that, the faiths began to drift apart. The followers of Ali became Shiites, which can be derived from the Arabic word sía (successor) and refers to the first successors of Ali. Those of Abu Bakr became Sunnis, which is derived from the Arabic sunna (custom, traditional norm). We want to leave it at that. Shiite Muslims pray three times a day, while Sunnis pray five times. In addition, each belief has a different view of Islam. Most of the Shiite communities are in Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Bahrain, and Azerbaijan. Shiite Muslims are a minority in Dhaka, as in the rest of the country.
Muharram is the first month of the Islamic calendar. The tenth day of Muharram is known as the Day of Ashura. Sunnis celebrate this day on the occasion of various events (including the stranding of the Prophet Noah after the flood) by fasting. Shiites begin with the mourning on the first night of Muharram, continue it for the next ten nights up to the climax, the Day of Ashura. They mourn the tragedy of Hussain ibn Ali (the Prophet’s grandson) and his family. Husain ibn Ali, his family and 72 of his followers were killed in 680 by the army of Yazid I in the battle of Karbala (present-day Iraq). The survivors were captured, had to march through the desert to Damascus and were imprisoned there. Back to the Imambara:
Hussaini Dalan, was built in the second half of the 17th century for the Shiite community and named after Husain ibn Ali. The building was built by Mir Murad under Prince Shah Shuja, the son of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. Although Shuja was a Sunni Muslim, he also supported Shiite institutions. According to tradition, Mir Murad had a vision of Hussain ibn Ali, which led to the construction of Hussaini Dalan. The construction date (second half of the 17th century) is controversial, but Hussaini Dalan in its current form is attributed to Naib Nazim Nusrat Jung, who rebuilt the Imambara in 1823. The complex was rebuilt and expanded after the earthquake of 1897 by the Nawab of Dhaka Sir Khwaja Ahsanuallah Bahadur, a veranda was added on the south side.
The main building is in the middle of the complex on an area of approx. 88 m². An attractively built arched gate to the north provides access to the building, while an artificial pond is located directly to the south of the building. The exterior incorporates both, Mughal and European architectural traditions. The south porch overlooking the pond best shows the European backdrop. The veranda is supported by columns of Doric order. Mughal features can be seen in the adjoining three-story pavilion in the form of arched windows and a series of decorative battlements on the roof. The ground floor with the large Shirni- and Khutba-Hall on a platform above grave rooms forms the core of the building complex, which is opulently decorated with calligraphy, oriental architectural elements and pictures of the battle of Karbala. For women, picturesque two-story adjoining rooms have been created on both sides of the halls and there are a number of rooms in the east and west as well as galleries on the second floor.