Devotees violate COVID rules to participate in \'Bibi Ka Alam\' procession in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: A large number of Muslim devotees gathered to participate in the 'Bibi Ka Alam' procession carried out on Sunday at the Old City area in Hyderabad amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The procession took place despite the Telangana High court order rejecting permission for carrying out the traditional Muharram procession in Hyderabad.

This is the first time in history that the historic 'Bibi Ka Alam' was taken out on a Van instead of an elephant. Visuals from the site showed participants flouting social distancing norms.

The procession started from the Dabeerpura and passed via Charminar-Gulzar Houz-Purani Havel-Darulshifa before finally ending at Chaderghat.

The procession takes place every year in the first month of the Islamic calendar on the tenth day of Muharram, known as Ashura. Like many other religious occasions this year, this also took place amid the COVID-19 pandemic.