Abstract:
Collective rituals, especially with a religious approach, play a significant role in shaping the social and cultural life of believers and possess many functions. Muharram mourning rituals are considered one of the most important and central collective rituals in Shia culture, which is intertwined with Iranian culture and has many functions. The Hosseini mourning ritual has gradually taken on various patterns, among the most important of which is 'Nakhl-gardani,' which is mostly held in the desert regions of Iran. The present writing attempts, with an anthropological approach and by utilizing observation, interview, and participation techniques, to examine the different dimensions of the most famous Nakhl-bardari ritual, in the Nakhl of Heyat Hosseini in Kashan, in the locations of Sarfarreh and Gozar-e Sadreh, to understand the socio-cultural life of the people of this region regarding this subject. The research results indicate the infiltration of Nakhl-gardani rituals into the deep cultural layers of the people, such that various aspects including 'identity formation,' 'sacralization,' 'mythologization,' 'supplication,' and 'life-perception' can be observed around these rituals.
Machine summary:
The present writing attempts, through an anthropological approach and by utilizing observation, interview, and participation techniques, to examine the different dimensions of the most famous Nakhl-bardari ritual in the Nakhl of the Hosseini Heyat of Kashan, located in Sarfarre and Gozar-e Sadreh, to understand the socio-cultural life of the people of this region regarding this subject.
Nakhl-gardani, religious rituals, Muharram mourning, Nakhl of the Hosseini Heyat of Kashan Introduction The vast expanse of Iran in the Middle East region, as one of the most important communication hubs in the world, has caused this country to encompass a spectrum of ancient Iranian culture consisting of ethnicities, nationalities, and religions with their specific customs.
The only written document that can be an indication of the devotion of children and adolescents to participating in this ceremony, is a board prepared by the cultural section of the Heyat, which had written above it: "When you hear the name of Muharram, what is the first word that comes to your mind?" Out of 110 written responses, seventy entries were regarding mourning rituals in Muharram such as chest-beating (sineh-zani), Nakhl-gardani, Saqqai, and Narmah, and forty entries were recorded about the personalities of the Karbala plain, such as Hazrat Ali Akbar7, Ali Asghar7, Hazrat Abul Fazl7, and so on.
Mourning Procession: A number of Heyat youths and some people seeking their needs, dressed in black, move in front of the Nakhl and with a special passion and fervor, beat their chests and, saying "Hussain, oh Hussain," warn the ceremony participants in the path about the Nakhl approaching them.
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