The heart of Hyderabad’s Old City is preparing for one of its most solemn and deeply rooted traditions. Keeping a decades-old Muharram custom alive, an elephant named Sreedevi has arrived from Kerala to lead this year’s historic Bibi Ka Alam procession on Youm-e-Ashura, the 10th day of Muharram.
The magnificent tusker arrived in the city on Wednesday, June 17, marking the beginning of meticulous preparations for an event that draws massive crowds of devotees and mourners from all walks of life.
A Collaborative Cultural Effort
Bringing Sreedevi to Hyderabad is no small feat. It represents a seamless collaboration between heritage custodians and the state. The logistics and arrangements were jointly managed by the HEH Nizam Trust and the HEH Awqaf Committee, with active support from the AIMIM and the Telangana government. To ensure the tradition continues smoothly, the Telangana government, via the Waqf Board, allocated ₹14 lakh for the elephant’s journey and care.
Currently, Sreedevi is being housed at the Quli Qutb Shah Urban Development Authority (QQSUDA) office in Noorkhan Bazaar, where she will stay for the next ten days under close supervision.
Learning from the Past: Rehearsals & Routes
Organizers are leaving no stone unturned to ensure this year’s procession is a seamless affair. Reflecting on last year’s logistical hurdles, Advocate Syed Ali Jaffry, a representative of the Awqaf Committee, noted:
“Last year, we could not carry out the procession through certain lanes because the elephant was not prepared for it. This year, we will undertake a rehearsal on the 4th of Muharram to carry out the procession on a wider scale.”
With around 80,000 people expected to converge upon the Old City lanes, these trial runs are crucial for crowd management and navigating the narrow, historic paths of Hyderabad.
Tradition Triumphs Over Technology
The event also sparked a modern debate on animal welfare. The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) reached out to organizers, offering a realistic mechanical elephant as an alternative for the procession. However, organizers ultimately decided to stick with history. The traditional practice of carrying the revered Bibi Ka Alam—a sacred relic believed to contain a piece of the wooden plank on which Bibi Fatima, the daughter of Prophet Muhammad, was washed after her passing—on a live elephant remains irreplaceable for the community.
The Soul of Hyderabad’s Muharram
The Bibi Ka Alam procession is the emotional and cultural centerpiece of Muharram observances in Hyderabad. It commemorates the ultimate sacrifice and martyrdom of Imam Hussain (the grandson of Prophet Muhammad) and his companions at the Battle of Karbala.
As Sreedevi steps out onto the streets of Hyderabad this month, she won’t just be leading a crowd—she will be carrying the weight of centuries of shared history, faith, and the enduring cultural tapestry of Hyderabad.
