Preparations Underway for Participation of Record Number of Iranians in Arbaeen Pilgrimage
Hassan Pelarak, head of Iran’s committee for coordination and development of Arbaeen facilities and services, said the infrastructures needed for the participation of the pilgrims in Arbaeen rituals are being prepared.
Given that the Arbaeen season falls in a period this year in which hot weather is expected to be dominating, special preparations are needed to be made, he noted.
He said in 2019, some 3.2 million Iranians took part in the Arbaeen march but this year the number is predicted to rise to an all-time high of over five million.
In 2020 and 2021, the Arbaeen march was held in Iraq with a limited number of foreign pilgrims in attendance due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Pelarak said that during these two years, Iran has been busy establishing and developing some infrastructures and facilities, including Moukebs (resting places) on the path of the pilgrims inside the country.
He noted that there are also Moukebs set up for foreign pilgrims traveling to Iraq via Iran, including those from Pakistan and Afghanistan as well as northern neighbors.
The Arbaeen mourning ceremony is one of the largest religious gatherings in the world.
It marks the 40th day after Ashura, the martyrdom anniversary of the grandson of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), Imam Hussein (AS). This year’s Arbaeen falls on September 17.
Each year, a huge crowd of Shias flock to Karbala, where the holy shrine of Imam Hussein (AS) is located, to perform mourning rites.
The pilgrims, mainly from Iraq and Iran, travel long routes on foot to the holy city.
