Hundreds of Pilgrims Marching to Mashhad Ahead of Imam Reza Birth Anniversary

TEHRAN (IQNA) – As Iran starts marking the ten-day Karamat celebrations, pilgrims from different parts of the country and other countries are traveling to the holy city of Mashhad, many of them on foot.

The Karamat celebrations mark the ten days between the birth anniversaries of Hazrat Masoumeh (SA) and Imam Reza (AS), the daughter and son of the 7th Shia Imam.

Sunday, May 21, is the first day of the lunar Hijri month of Dhul Qaada, which marks the birthday anniversary of Hazrat Masoumeh (SA).

Imam Reza (AS) birthday anniversary will be celebrated on the 11th day of Dhul Qaada, which falls on Wednesday, May 31, this year.

During this auspicious period a large number of pilgrims visit the holy cities of Qom and Mashhad.

As the birth anniversary of Imam Reza (AS) approaches, more and more pilgrims arrive in Mashhad on foot.

According to Hossein Rezaei, the spokesman for the Society Serving Imam Reza Pilgrims Traveling on Foot, some 10,000 pilgrims are expected to march to Mashhad during the ten-day period.

He said stands have been set up in five places in the entrances of the city to welcome the pilgrims.

So far 100 foreign pilgrims from the Iraqi cities of Karbala, Najaf and Kadhimiya have arrived in Mashhad, he said, noting that they have traveled part of the path from Iraq to Mashhad on foot.

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