Daijiworld Media Network – Shivamogga

Shivamogga, Jul 7: Muharram, one of the major festivals of the Muslim community, is being celebrated in a unique manner in a village where not a single Muslim family resides. This remarkable celebration takes place in Shirihalli Tanda of Shikaripur taluk in Shivamogga district.

In Shirihalli Tanda, predominantly inhabited by the Banjara community, there are no Muslim residents. Yet, the Hindu Banjara community has been celebrating Muharram with great devotion and grandeur for years, reflecting the spirit of communal harmony.

The Banjara community observes the festival with traditional rituals over three days. They install the Alaidevaru (symbolic deity) and perform special pujas. On the third day, a grand procession is held, accompanied by devotional singing and bhajans in the traditional Banjara style. The celebration is deeply rooted in their culture and is carried out with utmost faith and enthusiasm.

While Muharram is widely known as a period of mourning in the Muslim world — commemorating the martyrdom of Hasan and Husayn in Karbala — in Shirihalli Tanda, it is a time of reverent celebration marked by rituals and collective devotion, showcasing a rare and heartening example of interfaith respect and cultural integration.