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Tazias to celebrate the Muslim month of Muharram and the ancient Battle of Karbala range from 5 rupees (11 cents) to more than 2,000 rupees ($4,297), depending on the handiwork involved. (Furquan A. Siddiqui)

Lucknow, India, has always been a special place for Muslims to celebrate Muharram, especially its “tazia” market in the Sultanul Madaris neighborhood.

Muharram is the sacred month that marks the beginning of the year, according to the Islamic calendar. The colorful, artistic tazias are created to remember Hazrat Imam Hussein and his 72 followers killed in the Battle of Karbala in ancient times in Karbala, Iraq.

Although the brightly colored tazias may seem at odds with the grief of the holiday, the tazia tradition for Muharram has survived for centuries. With about 450,000 Shiite Muslims as residents, Lucknow comes alive during the traditional celebration.

“Every year we come to Lucknow from Sitapur with handmade tazias to sell in this market. It is the only time in the year when we get to make some extra money,” says Khaliq Ali, a tazia seller.

Just like Ali, many craftsmen throng to Lucknow from nearby areas to make some quick cash.

It can take 10 to 15 days to complete a tazia in Riyasat Hussein’s family, he says. The zardozi, or embroidery work, is a specialty of the Hussein family, making the craftsmanship a time-consuming process, he says. The family has been in the tazia business for 70 to 75 years, Hussein estimates.

“We make them on order, and prices depend on the handiwork involved," Hussein says. “We have made tazias worth ($2,149 to $3,223) on special orders from the customers.”

The tall bamboo structures decorated with silver and gold danglers create a colorful scene in the market. They are meant to represent the mausoleum of Hazrat Hussein erected in the plains of Karbala after the historic battle.

Sultanul Madaris near Chowk is the largest and oldest “tazia” market in the city. Simple, handmade tazias at lower prices compete with more ornate ones for the buyer’s eye. Some have minarets covered with gold dust or the entire structure is built with silver.

The market is famous regionally as well, with aficionados coming from the Uttar Pradesh and Bihar regions in India as well as from Iran and Iraq.

“It is not inflation or the economic downturn that matters but how strong the faith is," says Nur-ul Hasan, a customer from Gorakhpur, India. "[But] ultimately, it depends on how much one can afford.”