Early Entrepreneur.

Quoting Merriam Webster dictionary: Tazia is a replica of the tomb of Husain, the martyred grandson of Muhammad, that is carried in processions during the Shi'ite festival of Muharram. 

Muharram used to be a big festival for me as well. Being a born non-sectarian, that I continue to be, I have been celebrating all the festivals of any religion, as they come. As under 10 year old child, I knew the celebration part but not the history of it. I also used to wonder about the rigour with which those ahead of the procession would dance and inflict wounds upon themselves as part of the three day long festival (later learnt, it was mourning). The Mehdi ki Raat, the Katl ki Raat and the final day of Tazia processions. The first two I looked at carefully and understood much later during my final years of school. But at the onset of this story I used to be excited with the final day procession that would pass through Betma and finally all the fancy, well decorated tableau some having larger than life white horses would rest at Karbala and huge crowd would gather around to have a thorough look at them and also discuss amongst themselves and rank them, not sure if anyone would ask them to vote to decide which tableau was the best. The place will be filled with people of all religion not just Shi'a Muslims who would come from nearby villages on bullock carts, bicycles and also on foot ..men, women and children. Some in their burqas too. Although this was a festival of mourning it was this also a Mela and people would come to enjoy the day in the best of their clothes for the occasion. As a token, at the end of the day a small replica of Tazia would get immersed in the river flowing nearby (the same river that would have Damu's panwari a little further near it's banks). In a way there were similarity in excitement and celebrations to the Anant Chaudas for us kids.. in tableau, in vendors selling goodies in the noise around etc. etc. Children don't care why it is observed/celebrated they just need reason to feel happy.

Much later, even today I don't understand as to why some people want to disturb this happiness of children and some others. I now learnt that Muharram is a Shi'a festival who are different from Sunnis in their belief about who is/was true follower of Prophet Hazrat Mohammad. But back then they I hardly cared the reason for celebrations/ festivities.

I must have been 8 or 9 when I first noticed this festival and went out on my own to have fun in the Mela. Over there I saw that some people would buy a small packet that would fit into your palm, wrapped in some paper and put out all its content in front of a Tazia into a small pot with fire burning in it and there would be sudden change in aroma of the air, it would be full of lovely almost intoxicating fragrance. Through an enquiry I learnt that the stuff packed in those packet was called LOBAN ( a resin also called gum Benzoin) and it's a kind of material similar to guggal dhoop that enhances the fragrance once put to the holy fire that burns before the Tazia. Then I recollected that this is the same fragrance that you smell when some nomadic wandering fakirs with something in their hand, when they ask for alms they would put loban into the small fire they carry to fumigate surroundings with aroma. Loban is also used in incense sticks for wonderful fragrance and also has its use in aromatherapy. Further enquiries revealed that with  one kg of Loban resin you could make 200 packets and each packet gets sold for 5 paisa. Meaning you could collect Rs 10 if you sold 1Kg that otherwise would cost you Rs 5.00. The idea of making some profits for engrained into me and a few weeks before the next Muharram I bought 1kg of Loban and made 200 small packets wrapped in papers. Luckily no one at home noticed or objected since I used my "own" money and didn't ask for any help. 

Come the day and my excitement was at its peak, much more than precious years. I took a small home-stitched cotton shoulder bag and put all 200 packets carefully in it and started my entrepreneurial journey wearing a deep pocket knicker to keep the change and ensured it is not torn. At the Karbala ground the crowd had started gathering and people were offering loban to the small fire put in front of those tableaus. I began by shouting " Loban le lo, Loban le lo", 5 Paise ki pudia.. 5 Paise ki. " When people saw a young boy selling more quantity of Loban than other vendors they crowded around and within an hour or so, my stock vanished after shifting my place from one Tazia to another when I saw the crowd thinning around.

I was very happy with my venture and was on the top of the world having collected Rs 10.00 of which I made a profit of Rs 5.00.