Muharram celebrated in Gangtok

GANGTOK, 06 Dec: The Muslim community of the capital observed Muharram today with a procession which started from the Anjuman Islamiya [Jama Masjid] mosque passing through Deorali going on to the Indira Bye-Pass and then returning to the mosque. This was also the reason behind the heavy traffic jam on this route in the evening.

Muharram is the first month of the Islamic calendar. It is one of the four sacred months of the year in which violence is prohibited. Since the Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar, Muharram moves from year to year when compared with the Gregorian calendar.
Muharram is so called because it is unlawful to fight during this month, the word is derived from the word haraam, meaning ‘forbidden’. It is held to be the most sacred of all the months after Ramadan. Some Muslims fast during these days.