N’aal is an Arabic word which means
a metallic piece which covers the nose and forehead of a soldier.It is
attached to Khud, the armour cap.
The Naal of Hazrat Imam Hussain was broken during the battle of Karbala.
Passing through several hands, it came to Bijapur during the reign of
Yusuf Adil Shah, it was sent from Bijapur, to Golconda, along with the
Asnads (Certificates) to Ibrahim Qutub Shah. Before the Hyderabad city
came into existence the Naal was kept in the shape of Arabic Allah as
a part of an Alam and it used to be covered with sandal paste and installed
in Golconda. As mentioned in the Gulzar-e-Asafia , after construction
of the city of Hyderabad, the Naal Mubarak was shifted to a portion of
the Royal Palace known as Ilahi Mahal near Char Kaman. This is the current
location where the Alam is installed every year.
The Naal Mubarak is a land-mark of the Moharrum observance in Hyderabad,
It is installed on the first of Moharrum with great devotion and comes
out in a procession after mid-night of 9-10 Moharrum. The hereditary carrier
of the Alam wraps a white cotton sheet of about 6 to 8 metres around his
waist. The Alambardars will be bearing the Alam with manifest dignity.
The Doribardars carry the rope around the Alam as if they are the retainers
of a king circumambulating around the monarch in his progress along the
route of the procession. A little behind the Alam will be the Chatarbardars
carrying the umbrella. No sooner the Alam emerges from the Alawa the musicians
play their pipes and drums.
The roads through which the Alam procession passes attract thousands
of devotees who present Nazar irrespective of their religion, caste, or
creed.
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