Lucknow, Feb 29 : Shi'ites in Lucknow observed the Chehlum festival to mark the end of the mourning period for Imam Hussein and other martyrs of the Battle of Karbala.

Maulana Kalbe Jawad a Shi'ite leader said that even 1400 years after the tragedy, Shi'ites observe the Chehlum ceremony with solemnity.

Security was tight during the procession, which stopped at various places to allow the devout to observe it with traditional fervour.

During Chehlum, Shi'ites traditionally flail themselves with metal chains. Some cut their heads to reflect the suffering that Hussein went through at his death in 631 A. D.
(ANI)