The Hazrat Abbas Street in Dongri gets India's first gate dedicated to the martyrs of Karbala, which was inaugurated on Monday, October 18, was inaugurated on Monday, October 18. For those unversed, in 680 CE at the battle of Karbala (Iraq), Imam Hussain, his 72 companions, including a few of his family members, were massacred by the Ummayad king Yazid's army. Imam Hussain is the grandson of Prophet Mohammad.
The Dongri street turns into a 'mourning zone' by the Shias during Muharram. Amin Patel, a local MLA, while addressing the same, stated that for a long time, locals were demanding a gate on this street. The gate does not only pay a tribute to the martyrs of Karbala but also beautifies the lane, he added. He further said that this structure would last for centuries. It will also prove to be a vital landmark on the city's pilgrimage tourism map. Patel has funded the construction of this gate, which is 28-ft high and 31.5 ft wide.
The gate's inauguration ceremony was attended by MLA Amin Patel, corporator Javed Juneja, and Safdar Karmali President of Jammat India. President Shaikh Safdar Jaffar of the World Federation of Khoja Shia Isnashari Muslim Community, UK, was also present. The plan was executed by two architects - Aadil Shakir Lokhandwala and Haque Mohd Musaib Abdul Mohammed.
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