Hussainia Irshadia- Beautiful Imambara of Rudauli

Hussainia Irshadia- Beautiful Imambara of Rudauli

By Prof.Mazhar Naqvi

Hussainia Irshadia is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful and well- maintained Imambaras opf India. Located on Lucknow-Faizabad road in small but a most revered town Rudauli, the Imambara owes its existence to a prominent Taluq-E- Dar (Landlord) of Awadh Chaudhry Irshad Husain and his love for martyrs of Karbala. The floral embellishment and stucco work on the exterior of the impressive edifice of the structure surpasses in beauty and grandeur of even the prominent Imambaras of Lucknow.

Chaudhry Irshad Husain was born in 1886 and inherited Taluq-E-Dari at the age of two and half years. As he was a minor, he received his Riyasat (state) through the Court of Wards on March 7, 1907. He completed his education from the famous Colvin Taluq-E-Dar College and then embarked upon the task of fulfilling his passion for constructing elegant buildings. He built sprawl.ing Irshad Manzil complex that houses the Imambara and an equally fascinating mosque with heavy ornamentation. Locals describe the complex as Taj Mahal of Rudauli.

Chaudhry Irshad was a man of high thinking and simple living. Although he constructed very magnificent buildings and spent lavishly on their decoration, he used to live in a simple room containing his bed, a table and two chairs only. He devoted his maximum time to welfare activities and carried out educational reforms in Rudauli. After his marriage with Begum Anisunnisa, daughter of Hadi Hussain of Mautaqpur in 1905, Chaudhry Irshad was blessed with a daughter who however survived only for two years.

He tried to found solace from the grief that confronted him following the loss of his beloved daughter by dedicating his life to the memory of the sufferings and afflictions of Imam Husain and his small band of followers at Karbala. His tremendous attachment to Imam Husain is indicated by the every brick of Imambara and the meticulous decoration of its interiors with the help of grand chandeliers, glasses, screens and richly embroidered relicts installed during Muharram every year. He himself carefully selected each and every item for decorating the Imambara and undertook travels for the purpose. The most prominent masons were engaged for the ornamentation of exteriors.

As Marasim-e-Azadari were facing a tough time following the emergence of some anti- Ahle-bait elements and annexation of Awadh Kingdom in 1856, Chaudhry Irshad strived to fill the vacuum by developing Rudauli as a center of azadari. He ensured that prominent Zakirs address Majlises at the imambara not only during Muharram but also on other occasions as well. At his invitation, Maulana Syed Ibne Hasan Naunahrvi addressed Majlises at Hussainia Irshadia for 58 years consecutively.    

It is not known as to why Chaudhry Irshad preferred his Azakhana to be called as Hussainia Irshadia instead of Imambara the term normally used to signify any building dedicated to the memory of Karbala martyrs in North India. In Hyderabad Deccan the word Ashurkhana is commonly used for such holy structures. In Bahrain, the term matam is preferred. The only logic that might have come to the mind of Chaudhry Irshad to go for deviation from the popular use of term Imambara to Hussainia could be the existence of Hussainia Ershad in Tehran (Iran).              Hosseiniyeh Ershad is a non-traditionalist religious institute established by Nasser Minachi. It was closed for a time by the Raza Shah Pahlavi government in 1972. The institute is housed in a large, domed hall, and is used for lectures on history, culture, society, and religion. The facility also includes a large public library, where most of its users are college students. Since his own name was Irshad and he had built Imambara that was not only full of grandeur but also aimed at offering facilities at par with Hosseiniyeh Ershad, the builder and his descendants encouraged the term Hussainia to give it distinctiveness.

Unfortunately, Chaudhry Irshad died on October 23, 1954 with several other plans for the Imambara in his heart. His mortal remains were buried at Karbala near the tomb of Hazrat Abbas on 11 February 1956.His father Ahmad Husain also lies buried on the pious land of Karbala. Chaudhry Irshad’s son Ali Muhammad Zaidi carried on the legacy of his illustrious father very well. He was born on December 5, 1914 and a man of extra-ordinary literary caliber. He authored famous books like misbashul zaireen al aza, apni yaden, Rudauli ki Baten, Barabanki, Ibne Hasan aur Rudauli and Taqbi-E-Husn. He died on January 24, 2004 and his descendants live in Khyaliganj Based Nauroli House in Lucknow and give due attention to the maintenance of Imambara and observance of rituals like the days of Chaudhry Irshad. ( Reference available on Request)