Hussaini Dalan

The Hussaini Dalan was built in the Mughal period, traditionally dated to the 1640s, as an imambara, a hall for the Shia commemoration of the death of Husayn at Karbala, and it is the principal centre of that observance in Bangladesh. The building stands on a raised terrace beside a large tank, with a facade of arches and a scalloped parapet, rebuilt after earthquake damage in 1897 in a form that mixes Mughal and colonial detail. It comes into its own during Muharram, when the Tazia procession sets out from here through Old Dhaka with very large crowds, drums and mourning, an observance that has run for centuries. Outside that period it is a quiet building beside its water tank.

History

The imambara was built in the time of Prince Shah Shuja, Mughal governor of Bengal from 1639 to 1647 and 1652 to 1660, by Mir Murad, keeper of the public buildings, who by tradition had a vision of Imam Hussain raising a house of mourning, on the foundations of a smaller earlier one. It was repaired in 1807 and 1810, rebuilt in its present form by the Naib Nazim Nusrat Jung in 1823, and given a new flat roof and a southern veranda by Nawab Ahsanullah after the earthquake of 1897; the Dhaka Nawab family were its custodians from 1843 to 1975 (Wikipedia, Hussaini Dalan).

What's there

• The arched facade and terrace - the building above its tank.
• The Muharram Tazia procession - the observance that sets out from here.
• The large water tank - the pool in front of the imambara.
• Mughal and colonial detail combined - the 1897 rebuilding.

When to go

November to March for a quiet visit; Muharram, which moves through the Gregorian year, is when it matters and when the procession runs. One hour. Modest dress; ask before entering.

What to expect

Access to the interior is limited and depends on who is present, particularly for non-Muslims. The Muharram observance is mourning, not a spectacle, and photography needs care. The area is congested.

Nearby

Lalbagh Fort is south-west; Dhaka University and Curzon Hall lie east.

Key facts