Devotion in a Dish

Under the silent skies of Chennai city, last week, a rhythm was noticed.

- SONU M KOTHARI

A pattern of hands holding long wooden sticks, clicking against steel pots, stirring continuously with devotion, grief, and memory, keeping alive a tradition rooted in centuries-old sorrow.

As they churned, the air in makeshift kitchens across the city was thick with the aroma of grains, spices, and meat. The dish in preparation is Khichda, an emotionally-rooted meal in remembrance and reverence for Imam Hussain, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad, and his martyrdom in the Battle of Karbala, a conflict between Imam Hussain and Yazid I, the Umayyad Caliph.

The echo of Karbala

In the course of the battle, Imam Hussain's family members were held captive and faced hardships, such as inaccessibility to food and water. In remembrance, the Dawoodi Bohras break their fast on Ashura, the tenth day of Muharram, by consuming this dish, which is known today as khichda.

Rashida Mustansir Wankanerwala of city-based Hatimy Caterers narrates that the origin of this dish lies in the aftermath of the Battle of Karbala. "When Imam Hussain was martyred, his family members were denied food and water for three days by the enemies. They were given a porridge-like dish made from a mix of pulses and meat," she says. The ritualistic preparation of the dish is an expression of grief, solidarity, and historical continuity.

The method and meaning