Plans Drawn to Facilitate Pilgrimage to Karbala on Arbaeen: Iranian Official
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Governor of Iran’s western province of Ilam said measures have been taken in preparation for a mass exodus of Iranians from the country’s western border crossings for pilgrimage to the Iraqi city of Karbala to participate Arbaeen religious ceremony, which falls in early December.
In an interview with the Tasnim News Agency, Mohammad Reza Morvarid said the number of gates at the border crossings of the province has been increased to let more pilgrims cross the border easily during Arbaeen.
Arbaeen comes 40 days after Ashura, the martyrdom anniversary of the third Shiite Imam, Imam Hussein (AS). Each year, a huge crowd of Shiites flock to the Iraqi city of Karbala, where the holy shrine of Imam Hussein (AS) is located, to perform mourning rites.
Elsewhere in his comments, Morvarid said Iranian helicopters will be allowed to fly 40 kilometers deep into Iraq during this year’s Arbaeen ceremony, following consultations with the Iraqi officials.
The bottlenecks in the roads have been removed to prevent traffic jams, the governor noted, adding that the IRGC is also going to offer transportation, accommodation and food services to the pilgrims.
Furthermore, he added, the Interior Ministry will dispatch 700 buses to the Mehran border crossing in Ilam to take the pilgrims from border to an area near al-Kut city inside Iraq, he added.
According to Morvarid, a large parking lot with an area of 50 hectares has been also prepared for the Arbaeen.