Rauza Kazmain built by Sharf Ud Daula Jagannath Agarwal

Rauza Kazmain built by Sharf Ud Daula Jagannath Agarwal

By Prof.Mazhar Naqvi

The shrine of Imam Musa Kazim, popularly known as rauza Kazmain, in Lucknow proves the popular saying ‘Masoomeen allow the chosen ones to carry out any work in their memory”. It is a well-known fact that Awadh Nawabs were from Neshapur and traced their lineage to Seventh Imam Musa Kazim. It was therefore expected of them to build a shrine for Imam Musa Kazim. But it was not in their destiny as the honor for erecting an exclusive shrine for Imam Musa Kazim was reserved for Jagannath Agarwal who belonged to a Hindu grocer Urai Lal Baqqal’s family.

Completed in 1852 during the regime of last Awadh King Wajid Ali Shah, the shrine  has two adjacent cylindrical domes are in fact a replica of the original  Kazmain in Baghdad( Iraq) where Imam Musa Kazim and his grandson and 9^th Imam Mohammed Taqi) lie buried. The entry to Rauza at Lucknow is through a large double-storied gateway. The main hall of the Rauza has galleries on all four sides. It also contains the grave of Jagannath Agarwal and his wife .Both the graves are not raised and in the level of floor.

It is believed that Jagannath enjoyed confidence of Nawab Amjad Ali Shah who was a devout Muslim. During his regime, he happened to visit Iraq and Iran. During his visit he also went to prominent shrines, including Kazmain at Baghdad.

He also came to know about the personality of Imam Musa Kazim. He learnt from knowledgeable persons that his Imamate lasted for thirty five years and he possessed divine powers. Jagannath came to know about the famous miracle of Imam in which he had offered a two Rakat Namaz to pray to Allah to make a dead woman alive as she had left behind her two little children with no ne to take care of them.    

Jagannath found Imam Musa Kazim’s personality so captivating that he not only expressed his desire to erect a shrine in his memory before King Amjad Ali Shah after his return to Lucknow. He also wished to be known as a follower of Imams and willed to be buried at the shrine which he proposed to build. Accordingly, he was buried in Kazmain’s main hall after his death in 1861.   

His death is also attributed to the ransacking of Kazmain by the British soldiers in 1858.The raiders were of the view that Wajid Ali Shah had buried his treasure at Kazmain before proceeding to Matia Burj. Jagannath who was bestowed with the title of ‘Sharf-Ud-Daula’ by King Amjad Ali Shah took the desecration of the shrine with a sense of deep shock that ultimately resulted in his deasth after a prolonged illness that confronted him after the looting of Kazmain. His wife Sharfun nisa also lies buried close to her husband. She too had become an ardent follower of Imam Musa Kazim.

His attachment to the shrine could be gauged from the fact that he summoned artists from Persia to produce an exact replica of the original shrine. He also earmarked about 20 Bighas of land for Kazmain so as to accommodate the maximum number of devotees during Muharram. The masons also did full justice to his desire. Although Lucknow Kazmain does not have domes covered with gold but a sincere effort has been made to cover the shortcoming with gold plated brass. Yet another feature that differentiates Kazmain at Lucknow and the one in Baghdad is the existence of brick wall pattern in Lucknow but the domes' surface are plain and their capping is larger in the original shrine. Even the four minarets at Lucknow Kazmain are smaller and less ornamented as compared to Baghdad Kazmain. Like the original shrine, Kazmain Lucknow is dedicated to Imam Muhammad Taqi also. A large courtyard to the east of Kazmain is known as the ‘Qatlgah’ where tazias are buried every year.

Immediately after Baqrid, the area surrounding Kazmain in old Lucknow becomes one of the largest markets for Tazias of varying sizes, colors, designs and shapes. People from the neighboring districts usually purchase tazias for installing them in their household Imambaras, Imam Chowks and Imambaras open for all devotees and erected on wakf and individual properties. Much before the sighting of Muharram moon, the artisans start making tazias made of paper and bamboo sticks to meet the demand of devotees and the whole locality looks different due to visibility of tazias everywhere.

Kazmain also remains hub of Muharram rituals throughout the mourning period of two months and eight days. The famous procession of 8^th Rabi Ul Awwal also culminate at Kazmain and witness a very aggressive Seenazani and Zanjeer ka Matam by the devotees.