Jump to content

Naqqara-zani (ritual)

Add links
Without priority, Quality: c
Without references
From wikishia
(Redirected from Naqqara-zani (Ritual))
Naqqara-zani
Naqqara-zani
Naqqara-zani ritual in the Shrine of Imam al-Rida (a)
Naqqara-zani ritual in the Shrine of Imam al-Rida (a)
TimeEvery day except during mourning days
Origin9th/15th century
Symbolic
Objects		Public Announcement at the Court of Monarchs


Naqqāra-zanī (Persian: نقّاره‌زنی), also known as Naqqāra-nawāzī or Nawbat-zanī, is a customary ritual observed at the Shrine of Imam al-Rida (a), with origins tracing back to the 9th/15th century. During this ceremony, ceremonial servants known as Naqqara-chi perform specific rhythms using instruments such as drums and the Karnay (a type of trumpet) twice daily, in the morning and evening. The ritual is performed every day at sunrise and sunset; it is also observed on specific religious holidays or to announce the miraculous healing of patients within the shrine.

While the practice of Naqqara-zani boasts a long history among sultans and rulers, this tradition is currently preserved exclusively within the Shrine of Imam al-Rida (a).

Method of Performing the Ceremony

At the Shrine of Imam al-Rida (a), the Naqqara ritual is performed twice daily, for a duration of twenty minutes each, except official mourning periods, the martyrdom anniversaries of the Imams (a), and the months of Muharram and Safar.[1] In addition to Naqqara-zani, the practice is variously referred to as Nawbat-zani and Naqqara-kubi.[2]

The ceremony is held shortly before sunrise and shortly after sunset. In this ritual, a group of servants, designated as Nawbat-chiyan, announce the break of dawn and the setting of the sun through the beating of drums and the playing of Naqqaras. Furthermore, festive Naqqara performances occur multiple times during religious holidays, on the birth anniversaries of the Imams (a), and at the precise moment of the beginning of the solar New Year. The ritual is also performed at Sahari during the month of Ramadan, approximately one hour before the morning Adhan, and whenever a patient is declared healed within the shrine.[3]

The ensemble and equipment of the Naqqara-khana comprise four drums and Karnays. The drums consist of large and small copper or cast-iron bowls covered with tanned skin, played using two simple wooden beaters approximately 20 cm in length. The Karnays are wind instruments, roughly 100 to 120 cm long, constructed from copper or brass and plated with chrome.[4]

The corps of Naqqara-chis consists of fourteen individuals; however, during each shift, ten performers (six drummers and four Karnay players) conduct the ritual.[5]

Poetry and Notes

The melody played by the Karnays remains unchanged from past centuries. The musical sequence, performed in three distinct parts, proceeds as follows:

First, the lead player directs the Karnay toward the Dome in a gesture of salutation and intones through the instrument: "Sultan of the world and the hereafter, Ali b. Musa al-Rida (a)." The accompanying players respond in harmony: "Imam Rida (a)."

The leader then calls out: "Imam Rida (a), Imam Rida (a), Imam Rida (a)!" to which the ensemble replies: "Gharib Rida (a), Gharib Rida (a)."

The leader continues: "O Stranger Imam, O Imam Rida (a)!" The followers respond: "O Beloved Rida, O Beloved Rida, O Beloved Rida."

The leader calls: "O Sovereign of the Age, Imam Rida (a)!" The followers respond: "O Helper of the helpless."

The leader concludes: "O Helper of the desperate," and the followers respond: "Succorer, Succorer."[6]

History

Before the advent of Islam, the playing of drums and dohol in the courts of sultans and rulers was a customary method for making public announcements.[7] Historical records indicate that the practice of Naqqara-zani became prevalent among Islamic rulers during the Buyid dynasty, with the earliest documentation of the Naqqara dating to the 9th/15th century.[8]

It is reported that Mirza Abu l-Qasim Babur, the grandson of Goharshad Khatun, instituted the custom of Naqqara-zani at the Shrine of Imam al-Rida (a) in 860/1456.[9] While the tradition persisted in royal courts until the Qajar dynasty, it fell into disuse during the Pahlavi dynasty; today, the practice is observed exclusively at the Shrine of Imam al-Rida (a).[10]

Currently, the ritual takes place within the Naqqara-khana building, situated on the eastern side of the Inqilab Courtyard. Historically a single-story structure, the building now comprises two levels. The ground floor serves as storage for the trumpets, drums, and other equipment, while the Naqqara players perform from the upper level.[11] The position of Naqqara-chi at the Shrine is hereditary, entailing specific privileges and stipends.[12]

Naqqara-khana Building

Naqqara-khana building in the Shrine of Imam al-Rida (a)

The primary location for Naqqara performances at the Shrine was historically atop the eastern gate of the Atiq Courtyard. This wooden structure, dating back to the Safavid dynasty and Qajar dynasty, was demolished in 1959, and the present Naqqara-khana was constructed on the same site.[13] The new edifice was designed with two floors and features decorative tile work.[14] During the Qajar era, the building was renamed the "Karna-khana", and the musicians were referred to as Amalajat-i Shukuh.[15]

Naqqara-zani in the Shrine of Lady Ma'suma (a)

On December 17, 1992, by order of Ali Akbar Mas'udi Khumeini, the custodian of the Shrine of Lady Ma'suma (a) at the time, the Naqqara ritual was instituted in the Imam Rida Courtyard of that shrine. There, the Naqqara is played to mark the anniversary of the arrival of Fatima al-Ma'suma (a) in Qom, the birth anniversaries of the Imams (a), the visits of prominent dignitaries, the Ten Days of Karama, and the anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution of Iran.[16]

Notes

  1. ↑ Idāra-yi Tawlīdāt-i Farhangī-yi Āstān-i Quds-i Raḍawī, Dar īni qiṭʿa az bihisht: Rāhnamā-yi zāʾirān-i Imām Riḍā (a), p. 129.
  2. ↑ Musharraf, "Āyīn-i naqqāra-kūbī yā nawbat-navāzī dar ḥaram-i muṭahhar-i Raḍawī", p. 63.
  3. ↑ Idāra-yi Tawlīdāt-i Farhangī-yi Āstān-i Quds-i Raḍawī, Dar īni qiṭʿa az bihisht: Rāhnamā-yi zāʾirān-i Imām Riḍā (a), p. 129.
  4. ↑ Idāra-yi Tawlīdāt-i Farhangī-yi Āstān-i Quds-i Raḍawī, Dar īni qiṭʿa az bihisht: Rāhnamā-yi zāʾirān-i Imām Riḍā (a), pp. 129-130.
  5. ↑ Qaṣṣābiyān, "Tārīkh wa farhang-i Islāmī: Naqqāra-navāzī wa naqqāra-khāna dar Īrān wa jahān", p. 98.
  6. ↑ Idāra-yi Tawlīdāt-i Farhangī-yi Āstān-i Quds-i Raḍawī, Dar īni qiṭʿa az bihisht: Rāhnamā-yi zāʾirān-i Imām Riḍā (a), p. 130.
  7. ↑ Idāra-yi Tawlīdāt-i Farhangī-yi Āstān-i Quds-i Raḍawī, Dar īni qiṭʿa az bihisht: Rāhnamā-yi zāʾirān-i Imām Riḍā (a), pp. 129-130.
  8. ↑ Qaṣṣābiyān, "Tārīkh wa farhang-i Islāmī: Naqqāra-navāzī wa naqqāra-khāna dar Īrān wa jahān", 1382 Sh, pp. 87-88.
  9. ↑ Idāra-yi Tawlīdāt-i Farhangī-yi Āstān-i Quds-i Raḍawī, Dar īni qiṭʿa az bihisht: Rāhnamā-yi zāʾirān-i Imām Riḍā (a), pp. 129-130.
  10. ↑ Qaṣṣābiyān, "Tārīkh wa farhang-i Islāmī: Naqqāra-navāzī wa naqqāra-khāna dar Īrān wa jahān", p. 91.
  11. ↑ Idāra-yi Tawlīdāt-i Farhangī-yi Āstān-i Quds-i Raḍawī, Dar īni qiṭʿa az bihisht: Rāhnamā-yi zāʾirān-i Imām Riḍā (a), pp. 129-130.
  12. ↑ Qaṣṣābiyān, "Tārīkh wa farhang-i Islāmī: Naqqāra-navāzī wa naqqāra-khāna dar Īrān wa jahān", p. 99.
  13. ↑ Qaṣṣābiyān, "Tārīkh wa farhang-i Islāmī: Naqqāra-navāzī wa naqqāra-khāna dar Īrān wa jahān", p. 103.
  14. ↑ Riḍwān, "Abniya-yi Āstān-i Quds: Naqqāra-khāna-yi jadīd", pp. 63-64.
  15. ↑ Qaṣṣābiyān, "Tārīkh wa farhang-i Islāmī: Naqqāra-navāzī wa naqqāra-khāna dar Īrān wa jahān", p. 95.
  16. ↑ "Naqqārah-hā-yi Ḥaram-i Ḥaḍrat-i Maʿṣūma (s) chi chīzī rā ṣidā mīzanand?".

References

  • Idāra-yi Tawlīdāt-i Farhangī-yi Āstān-i Quds-i Raḍawī, Dar īni qiṭʿa az bihisht: Rāhnamā-yi zāʾirān-i Imām Riḍā (a), Mashhad: Intishārāt-i Quds-i Raḍawī, 1394 Sh.
  • Riḍwān, Muḥammad Ḥasan, "Abniya-yi Āstān-i Quds: Naqqāra-khāna-yi jadīd", in Majalla-yi Nāma-yi Āstān-i Quds, no. 15, Shahrivar 1342 Sh.
  • Qaṣṣābiyān, Muḥammad Riḍā, "Tārīkh wa farhang-i Islāmī: Naqqāra-navāzī wa naqqāra-khāna dar Īrān wa jahān", in Majalla-yi Mashkāt, no. 80, Autumn 1382 Sh.
  • Musharraf, Sayyid Riḍā, "Āyīn-i naqqāra-kūbī yā nawbat-navāzī dar ḥaram-i muṭahhar-i Raḍawī", in Majalla-yi Farhang wa Mardum-i Īrān, no. 62, Autumn 1399 Sh.
  • "Naqqārah-hā-yi Ḥaram-i Ḥaḍrat-i Maʿṣūma (s) chi chīzī rā ṣidā mīzanand?", Shafaqna, Date of insertion: June 20, 2021, Date of access: July 9, 2024.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikishia.net/w/index.php?title=Naqqara-zani_(ritual)&oldid=204870"