According to residents of Kasavalanadu Puthur village in Thanjavur district, the Muharram festival has been celebrated by the Hindu community for the past 300 years during which they observe fast for 10 days and undergo strict penance prior to the festival. Prior to the start of the festival, the residents erect an ‘Allah Samy’ a replica of a hand and place in a common place called as Chavadi near Sengarai area in the village. They erect pandhal and perform rituals to the ‘Allah Samy’ and take the ‘deity’ all along the streets by procession.

On the Muharram day, the devotees of ‘Allah Samy’ perform a fire walk to fulfil their vows. In view of the festival, the residents took the ‘Allah Samy’ along the streets by procession and each household welcomed the deity with offerings and the procession lasted till Friday early hours. The festival organisers had ensured that the ‘Allah Samy’ visited each house in the village.

On Friday morning, the devotees carried the ‘Allah Samy’ and commenced the fire walking event and the other devotees followed them.

“According to our elders, our village has been celebrating Muslim festival of Muharram in the Hindu dominated village for over 300 years and the tradition continues still now,” said R Ravichandran, a resident from the village.

He said that all the Muslims join the festival organised by the Hindus in the village. “We decorate the ‘Allah Samy’ with silk cloth, flowers and fragrances and ensure visiting each household in the village and we have witnessed several miracles by worshipping the ‘Allah Samy’ and those who received the blessing make the fire walk as a mark of thanksgiving,” Ravichandaran added.