The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-11-24
g~aaalIiaaMeG
oMoe1 Nos. 70 ana ~ loarsoata otrsst.
''MOHARRU8I.''
Al Entertaining Description of n Celebrate
ed AIohammsdRn Festival.

ed A0hAmmedRn FESTIVAL
Following Rrs extracts from a letter
from Mrs, Kate Elsop Stone, Bombay,
India;
Bombay has just been the scsne Of the
Mohammedan festival called the "Mohar.
rum.H II is the Mussulmsn's New Year,
Their year is q strictly lunar one and
eleven days shorter than the calendar
year-thus they gain one in thirty-three
years, and MohaIrum Ia ga apt to be in
July as in January. have now twice
witnessed the celebration IN my Oriental
home, and will try TO give you . descrip-
ton Of 1t, Its observance assumed q po'
litiCsl siguihcanCs in 81 A, H., Bixty-one
years alter the Hegirs or in A. D.. $50,
when Hoseim was slain by his rival aspir-
ants 10 the CallphAte, after the murder
Of Gilman Hoseim, with his brother
HaBsan, was the son vi Ali, the sou,iI.lAW
Of the Prophet and the representative Of
hereditary succession, Upon HIS death
hereditary nomination became q pre-
Cedent which precedent prevailed more or
lies until thu fall Of the Caliphate, and
auCGession wa based principally upon the
choice OF the reigniHg Usliph. Aoseim
was killed on the tenth day Of the lrst
month, MOhSrrum, and ever einCs have
the Shiyitea, or artisans OF the houss OF
ali, bewailed his death, Tor IN him they
recognized the. lmanate, or headship Of all
ls!atn, and in whum Ihey believed Wus
vested the Divine Right Of sovereignty,
"The LoOnles are lAose who admit the
validity Of the CsliPhAtes Of Abu
dekr, Onar aud Ottoman, which the
Shlyitea drug and are stsunCh sup.
portsrs OF the principle OF nom
nation. "Th6ss, Of course, Cels-
brate the death Of Hoseim with every
manifestation ofjoy, Twill tell you what
celebration they make: On tho first Gay,
new moon Of MOhaEIum, they begin 10
prepare what is called u 'taUut." 1t Is
Mcfqug-ahaped representation OF the
comb OF HoBeim, Ia often most elabOTately
aud expeusively decorated, From this time
until tie tenth Of the full moon, various
ceramoLi,s and sports are observed, and a
rlotous "telnsChe" Is kept up and the
inhabitants almost msddened by the
uOise and tom.tomlps. Men and boys
with skins chalkei and painted In stripes,
calling themselves tigers, run at large and
make themselves q general nuisance. It
is unsafe for our Jenana ladies' to 20 their
rounds during the latter days Of thu festi.
sal while the police are kept going night
and day. On the night Of the ninth the
tSbuts are elevated, carried about to the
mosques Il think), while tho devout Mus.
sulman reiterAtes his orthodoxy. On the
tsnlh all private Ce%lebratIona ara united in
one grand Mardi.Rrss procession 10 the
sea, where, after stripping Of their yslu.
ables, the tabuts are thrown into the sea,
and the festival is at an end. Last year |
witnessed the sOrnieB' celebration and
this year could not be tempted into such
a bedlRm again, seeing enough OF It's cele-
bration during nine days while the boys
In the Sassorn Rsiormatory compound
(yard), Just under my window, played
Lneir festival gameE-lGntastiC games, halt
dance, halt lump = continually calling |
"Hasaan, Hoseim! Hassau, Hoseim
Tnis year through the kindness OF an
influential friend, we received invitations
10 witness the shiyiteB celebration. Tnis
Is never allowed upon the streetE, as most
certainly in their frantic and unresLrained
grief and fury hood would be shed. IL
several places in the city these cslebrR-
tons were carried on, In some places an
admission fec being charged.
Thin celebration We vitAesseg was the
largest and gEandpst in the city, taking
place in the compound Of Abu Khan, the
Young son OF the deposed king OF Persia,
who died 40 exile 10 this city.
Tho young Abu Khan Is in tho guardi-
Snship Of his uncle, who, With him and
his brothers was among The spectators,
Canvas was stratCbed over tho GnClO-
sure, while tho upper vGrand&s OF the
palace were screened for the aOCommoda.
ton OF the ladies' OF the harun, whose
meanings during the celebration were
mort distressing,
Moot pIIpcely accommodation was pro-
vided for invited gHeetg, while sherbotts
aud iGe.wAter and perfumes were nonLin.
ually handed about by white.bearded,
patrArchaElooking followers OF the Faith.
iul.
The Shiyites' celebration Is q SORT oil q
Miracle Play, or 10 them 10 like the Pas
sion Play. HosiOm setting out upon his
last journey, tho GntEeatie1 Of his sister
not to Co-and Of one Of hisNlVes who
brinRs for yard her infant child who for
three days hag been without food because
OF the mothers frantic ghel; tho sister
iainting, relatives bsseeching, messengers
warning, all arc represenled-until the
climax 10 reached as Hoseim, with blood.
stained garmente, ruShea into the arena,
and with his %ten-year.old nephew, his
volunteer IN the afray, Ia butChered by
his murdererg.
It Ia q scene OF thrilling interest 10
those passionate 0rientRls; any one in
Yankee land would consider II q very
crude representation and would manage
Eonehow TO got up q bettOr swOrd'Jparrlog
and indicate wounds be!tor than an ink
stained cloth over the shoulder, which
Hoseim had to run out 10 get for himself.
But the interest displayed by the spects.
tors was marvellous; strong men expressed
their grief by distorted faces, streaming
eyes aud loud sobs. Ths women Of the
hsrCm were frantic in their Manifestations
Of grief, and | can easily believe that many
Of them were made Ill by the violence Of
their emOtions. They believe that a cafe
e%ntranCeto Paradige Ia afforded who
dies becauEe Of his gtisi on this day.
The most horrible part Of the CelebrN.
ton IL yet 10 DO told. The body Of Hogeim
-surmountsd by two blood.bespilnklrd
doves Is carried about In funeral proUes.
sion, while / multitude OF bare'breastod
men follow-jnmping, yelling, crying and
beating their breSsts until oten the blood
Gtreama and often they dleCf exhaustion
and violence.
never want TO sec another such Celc'
brRtion, I came home with my heart so
full OF pity for these poor creatures who
would thus earn q place In Paradise, and
. more earnest desire to teach thsn a bst'
ter faith end 10 lead them 10 q tsltor lilo.
Can't Mako Anything Like It.
have been practiOipg medicine for
twenty years, and have never been able to
put up q vegetable compound that would,
LA 49,. - aGl