The city of Amroha has 52 Imambaras, excluding the one exclusive for the female folks. On commencement of Dhū al-Ḥijjah month, the preparations for Muharram start ―the painting of the Imambaras.
On the sight of the Muharram moon, whole city echoes with the sound of Naubat (triangular shaped drums), playing the tunes of the famous Marsiyas (lament), or Nauha (litany). By the evening of the Chand Raat (night when the new moon sighted) all the Imambaras are decorated with expensive chandlers, the Taboot (symbol of the Death body), Alams (flags), etc.
This all starts the series of Majaalis (religious congregation) which becomes the daily routine of the inhabitants and the visitors from outside for the next 12 days, but it is only the Imambara of Chand Suraj where the Majaalis are conducted for Two months and Eight day, daily.
1st and 2nd Muharram are the days when the people are busy in the Majaalis. It is the 3rd Muharram when the processions start and follow the route of 16.5 Km.
3rd Muharram: The procession starts from the Imambara of Walia. This procession is 155 years old. The procession consists of the Camels in the beginning, then the Araaish (tableau) after which is the Hussaini Band, the Alams, Taboot, Zuljina (Horse depicting the Horse of Imam Hussain) and following this are the people reciting the Duara (Hussain! Hussain!).
4th Muharram: Procession of the day commences from the Imambara Hurmat Shah. The system and the route of the procession are same. The age of this procession is around 148 years.
5th Muharram: This is the procession known as the Saqqo Ka Juloos. This procession is 159 years old.
6th Muharram: This procession started by Musammaat Nuran about 201 years ago.
7th Muharram: This procession starts from the Imambara Katra Ghulam Ali. The Araaish of this procession is different from the other processions.
8th Muharram: This is the last procession of Muharram covering the route of 16.5 Km, and starts from the Imambara Chand Suraj. This is the oldest procession of Amroha, aging about 478 years. This procession was started by Shah Miskeen, who came from Iran. The permission for the first procession was given to Shah Miskeen against decapitation. This procession also consists of Zanjeer Ka Matam (self-flagellation).
9th Muharram: From Mohalla of Darbar-E-Kalan a procession of Nishan similar to Alams (but colourful) is started in the second half of the day unlike the procession from 3 to 8 Muharram which starts in the morning at 9:00 am and ends in the evening covering the route of 16.5 Km. This procession of Nishan has a route of 2 Km, which ends in the Imambara Dost Ali Sahib in mohalla Katkoi. The people recite Munajaats (solemn supplication) and do Matam (lamentation with breast-beating). In the night of this day, the people visit every Imambara to pay homage to the Imam (Imam Hussain A.S.) as in the morning the Taboot and the Alams are to be removed as the 10 days of Muharram are over.
10th Muharram: The morning of this day is with the farewell Majaalis and then the Turbatay (depicting the death bodies of the worriers of Karbala) are taken to the Karbala and buried. After midday, the Tazia procession is started and the people from the mohallas, which do not have processions, carry Tazia. When the night falls, and it is dark the last farewell Majaalis–Sham-E-Ghariban–commenced, which is congregated in dark Imambara.
