Women and the “40 Pulpits”

The month of Muharram in Islam's lunar calendar is a sacred month for all Muslims, but Shia Muslims consider the ninth day (called Tasu'a) and the tenth day (called Ashura) especially holy. On these two days, in 680 AD, the Umayyad Caliph Yazid I sent his armies to destroy the third Shia imam Hossein, who was also the grandson of Islam’s prophet Mohammad, along with his followers. They were martyred under the scorching sun of Karbala in present-day Iraq after suffering days of thirst.

Commemoration of their martyrdom has spawned a multitude of rituals across the centuries, some shared throughout the Shia world and some colored by local customs and traditions.

One such ritual is called “40 Pulpits”, popular in various Iranian towns and provinces, including Lorestan, Gorgan, Lahijan. The ritual is distinctive enough that it appears on Iran's National Heritage list.

This ritual is exclusively for young women with a wish they want to be fulfilled. From the early dawn on Tasu'a, they come out from their homes, barefoot and with their faces completely covered. They must light 40 candles in 40 places, or “pulpits”, each with special significance for that day of mourning.

One such place is a Sagha Khaneh, literally “Waterhouse”. These are votive structures featuring a water tank and a bowl, adorned with an image of an Imam and a tray for lighting candles. Passersby drink a cup of water, after which they utter a prayer for the martyred Imam and his companions who died thirsty.

The other place of significance is Hussainiya, a congregation hall for Shia religious ceremonies and sermons, especially during Muharram, when the martyrdom of Imam Hossein is mourned.

In the city of Khorramabad in Lorestan, especially in its older neighborhoods, the participants also leave 40 sugar cubes or sugarplums, one in each Sagha Khaneh or Hussainiya that they visit. On their 40th stop they take away a sugar cube or a candle as a kind of insurance that their wishes would be granted by the next Tasu’a.

Photographs by Mehr News Agency