Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend Ashura Mubaraka, the commemoration of the death anniversary of Imam Husain, on September 14 in Indore.
This is one of the most important occasions for the community. Dawoodi Bohra Muslims have huge presence in Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat and have been supporters of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The Prime Minister will address a gathering. The event will include speeches by Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin - spiritual head of the Dawoodi Bohra community, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, Madhya Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel and Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Ashura Mubaraka refers to a period of 10 days at the beginning of the Islamic year. It is dedicated to the remembrance of the Prophet Mohammed and his Ahle Bayt (family and kin), specifically his grandson Imam Husain. The tenth day of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar, is known as Ashura and marks the day on which Imam Husain was killed along with his family members and companions.
The prime minister's visit here also assumes significance as Assembly polls are due in the BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh by year-end.
Around 2.5 lakh Dawoodi Bohras are estimated to live in the state, mainly in Indore, Ujjain and Burhanpur districts. In view of the prime minister's visit, security has been beefed up. Police would employ drone cameras to keep an eye over the city along with 150 CCTV cameras, he said. About 3,500 policemen have been deployed in the city.