Taft Nakhl Gardani Ceremony is one of the most exciting spiritual and ritual events in Yazd province. This ceremony is held every year in the month of Muharram, and the days of mourning for Imam Hussein. A large number of people are present in this sensational event. The ceremony is one of the registered spiritual heritage of the country, the world registration of which has also been on the agenda of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization of Yazd province for several years.
One of the ancient meanings of Nakhl (Palm) is coffin and the decoration of coffin. The meaning of Nakhl in the Ashura Nakhl Gardani Ceremony is the same. Nakhl Gardani is a symbolic ceremony that is held in many parts of Iran on the day of Ashura to mourn the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the third Imam of the Shiites of the world, and his companions in the Karbala incident in 61 AH. Nakhl is the Persian equivalent of Palm tree; There are various narrations to explain the reason for this naming, but the closest possibility is to use the palm tree branches in the Karbala incident to carry the body of Imam Hussein. In any case, some believe that this naming may be due to the construction of old Nakhls from palm leaves and trees, and also, it is possible that the sanctity of the palm tree among Iranians has led to this choice. The exact origins of this ritual are not known, but it is very likely that this method of mourning dates back to the Safavid era and the formalization of the Shiite religion in Iran.
In this ceremony, a large and heavy wooden structure, which is based on four wooden beams, both sides of which are made of lattice wood, are decorated with various items. The Nakhl frame is something like a chamber with a gabled roof. This structure is a symbol of the coffin of the martyrs. A few days before the Nakhl Gardani ceremony, on Ashura, the staff decorates the symbolic coffin with black and green cloth, myrtus leaves and other plants and flowers, photo frames of local martyrs, small and large mirrors, and colorful shawls. This is called Nakhl arranging, and every element and object used for decoration contains a symbolic meaning and reference to the people or events of the Karbala incident. For example, the palm tree symbolizes the body of Imam, the spear symbolizes the arrows inserted into his body, the bells symbolize the bell of Imam's caravan and the 'Alam symbolize Hazrat Abolfazl. The cypress symbolizes the height and stature of Imam Ali, the mirror symbolizes the light of Imam Hussein and colored shawls symbolize the bridal chamber of Qasim ibn Hassan and so on.
The ceremony of Ashura is not just a Nakhl Gardani ceremony, but this symbolic movement is in fact the end of the mourning story and a symbol of carrying the body of the Imam on the noon of Ashura, after his martyrdom. In this ceremony, which begins on the morning of the tenth day of Muharram, a large number of people gather in the Hosseinieh, and this great gathering is one of the beautiful socio-cultural and religious aspects of the ceremony, which gives it a special value and place. In the presence of this crowd, Noha and mourning are performed, syrups are distributed, Sepand (peganum) is smoked, sheep are sacrificed, and on this day all the locals are guests to the food prepared by charity, vows, and sacrifices.
What distinguishes Nakhl Gardani ceremony in Taft from other cities in Iran is its adherence to all the originalities of this religion, from the past to the present. In addition, the presence of a large number of indigenous and non-indigenous people, Iranians and foreigners, and the spontaneous presence of the Daste (mourning procession) make this event so special. The procession walks, mourning and lamenting, a few kilometers to the Hosseinieh. When they reach the Hosseinieh the ceremony reaches its peak of excitement. As they enter the heart of the large crowd, they suddenly accelerate while approaching the Nakhl. Then, they go under the Nakhl and lift it, along with those who had already settled there, all beating their heads and chests with great weeping and wailing. They then turn the Nakhl three or five times in the Husseinieh and finally put it back in its place.
The skeletons of Nakhls are kept in Hosseinieh and mosques for the rest of the year. Although Nakhl Gardani is common in most cities of South Khorasan, Semnan, Qom, cities of Isfahan province, and generally, in the desert areas of Iran, Taft holds the oldest and most original type of this ceremony. During recent years, some arrangements have been set up by various organizations for the presence of foreign tourists in this event.