Peerla Panduga

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Peerla Pandugu
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Alam or Peerlu
Observed by Hindus and Muslims across Telangana and Rayalseema

Peerla Panduga is a mourning festival celebrated by Muslims in the Telangana State to remember the battle of Karbala & in Rayala Seema region of Andhra Pradesh, India. [1] It is a mourned (remembrance) across the Sufi shrines called as Ashurkhana. A procession of the relic, called as Alam is taken out as a part of Muharram. [2] There may be multiple relics donated by various members of the procession. Some villages in Telangana have relics that have been donated through generation by the members of the same family (Nasarla Palle, Telangana).

Traditionally for many centuries, the Sunni Islamic scholars who are called as "Islamic peer" would encourage their followers to organise programmes in remembrance of the martyrdom of Imam Hussain and his family members and friends and offer Salah and recite Qur'an and Hadith of the prophet Muhammad ﷺ about the Ahl al-Bayt and mourn in silence shed tears by remembering them (without self-flagellation) the day in which yazeed ibn muawiya happened to kill Imam hussain (Grandson of Prophet ﷺ).

On this day the Shia (traitors of the Imam Hussain) mourn the martyrdom of him by self flagellation.

In Hyderabad and in Telangana over the past few decades is celebrated a festival called as "PEERLA PANDAGA" wherein the Sunni conducts programmes in remembrance of Imam hussain and the Shia self flagellates their body through out the month of muharram and exclusively to bleed on Ashura.

In certain parts, especially in Rayalaseema regions of Andhra Pradesh, a firepit known as Gunnam is dug, typically at the permanent spot in the middle of the village and fire is burnt using old treees around the village as a sacrifice to fire God and processions of the peerlu are taken over the village and then around the firepit in week long festivities. People will also walk on the burning coals in the firepit to fulfill their wishes (mokkubadi).

The Peerla Pandaga is seen as a festival of religious harmony since many Hindu majority villages celebrate the festival [3] [4] , without being bothered about the resons behind it. Many hindu temples like Gugudu Kullayaswami [5] temple in Anantapur district are famous for celebrating the festival grandly.

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References

  1. "'Peerla Panduga' procession taken out". 19 January 2010 via www.thehindu.com.
  2. "Hall of fame". The Hindu . 3 March 2004. Archived from the original on 1 May 2004.
  3. "Both Hindus and Muslims celebrate the festival in Telangana Village". www.msn.com. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
  4. "Muharram is hindu festival here". www.thehansindia.com. 21 September 2018. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
  5. "Gugudu Kullaya Swamy Temple gears up for last three days of Muharram". www.deccanchronicle.com. 8 August 2022. Retrieved 31 July 2024.