Haji Karbalai Imambargah (Kolkata)

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In terms of sheer size, Haji Karbalai dwarfs all other Imambaras in Kolkata. Located in a narrow lane to the east of the Portuguese Church, early information about the imambara is somewhat sketchy. The imambara was established by a rich Iranian merchant named Aga Kerbalai Mohammed sometime around 1856. Aga Kerbalai Mohammed was obviously a prosperous man, because he decorated his imambara with stunning Belgian glass chandeliers and mirrors much of which is still there. However, over the years it seems the men appointed Mutawalli did not do their job, the vast properties attached to the imambara as waqf estate came to be occupied by squatters and the building deteriorated to the point where portions of it actually collapsed. Legal action was taken against the Mutawalli in 1967. According to information on the website of the Shia Aoukaf Bachao Committee, when new administrators finally took possession of the Imambara in 2011 they found it near collapse. Some 15 lakhs was spent on repairing and strengthening the building. The ceiling beams were changed and the Zarikhana itself was renovated at the cost of another 2 lakhs. When the website was last updated, the total estimated expense of the repairs was 60 lakhs. The building itself has offices and storerooms (on the ground floor) which generate rent which supports the imambara which itself is on the first floor. Also part of the Waqf estate is the adjacent building, 5, Portuguese Church Street, another building on 1 Ismail Madan Lane and a burial ground.

Unless you go out looking for it, you are unlikely to run into the Haji Karbalai Imambara by accident. The road in front of it is extremely narrow and congested, filled with the kind of things and people one only sees in the mad commercial hug of Burrabazar. I spotted it from a distance thanks to the black flags above the entrance. A huge wooden staircase, typical of buildings in the area, leads up to the imambara which is on the northern side of the building. The building still isn’t in what I would call good shape, but it isn’t looking like it is going to collapse at any moment, which is a relief. The northern balcony contains several doors leading into the imambara. Above them hangs several stunning chandeliers and between them enormous mirrors. Above the mirrors are a strange twin fish motif, which looks rather like the Oudh coat of arms. Inside the space is almost cavernous and cool, thanks to the foot-thick walls. On either side of the colonnaded hall, are spaces which are used for storage and the zarikhana is to the left of the entrance.

One unique thing that I found at the Haji Kerbalai Imambara was a replica of Jannat-ul-Baqi. The Jannat-ul-Baqi or simply Al-Baqi is a cemetery in Medina which contains tombs of some of most important people in the history of Islam, including family members of the Prophet Mohammed. Unfortunately the structures of the cemetery were demolished by Saudi forces around 1926 and in spite of calls from Shias and Sunnis, no restoration has as yet been carried out. The replica is located in another smaller hall, on the ground floor to the north of the central courtyard. Around the replica are various other memorials to the martyrs of Karbala, including a shrine to the young Ali Asghar, recognizable from the bloody three-headed arrow placed above it. Above the entrance is a board with pictures of the Jannat-ul-Baqi before and after the demolition with the slogan, “May Allah curse Ibne Saud, the Devil and his followers”. While this may seem like strong language to an outsider, we must remember that this persecution symbolism is key to the Shia sense of identity. Muharram itself raises some very strong emotions.