Community leaders hope that diplomatic engagement between India and Iran will yield a practical solution soon
LUCKNOW — The recent announcement by Iran to terminate the visa-free entry privilege for Indian passport holders has sent shockwaves through the Shia community, particularly in Lucknow and Hyderabad. Thousands of devotees who previously relied on the facility to undertake annual pilgrimages to Iran and Iraq now face mounting difficulties in fulfilling their spiritual obligations.
Lucknow’s religious landscape, renowned for its replica mausolea and imambaras has long served as a hub for Shia devotion. Despite the sanctity of these sites, the yearning to visit the authentic shrines, such as the Rawda of Imam Reza in Mashhad, Iran, remains profound and inescapable for devotees.
Sajid Husain, a community leader from Lucknow, described the decision as “a direct attack on the spiritual rights of the Shia populace. The overwhelming majority of pilgrims departing Indian soil are Shia. With the gratuity of visa-free entry rescinded, the indigent will be entirely barred from undertaking this sacred journey. We demand the immediate restoration of the withdrawn facility.”
He further emphasised, “While Lucknow’s imambaras replicate the sanctity of Iranian and Iraqi shrines, the spiritual experience of standing at the authentic threshold of the Imam cannot be replaced.”
Saba Asghar, a resident near Dargah Hazrat Abbas, shared her distress: “Visiting the mausoleum of our Eighth Imam in Iran is the heartfelt aspiration of every Shia. The termination of visa-free access will render the journey impossible for thousands in Lucknow. We condemn this measure in the strongest terms and urge its immediate revocation.”
Maulana Mohammad Miyan Abadi, a senior Shia cleric, noted that the visa-on-arrival facility, in effect for barely a year, had greatly eased the pilgrimage process. “It eliminated the cumbersome formalities and long delays that previously deterred many. Devotees could take just a day or two off work and travel unimpeded. Challenges will undoubtedly increase now, yet we trust the governments of India and Iran will jointly find an equitable solution.”
Maulana Kalbe Jawad, another eminent Shia leader, highlighted the disproportionate impact on less affluent pilgrims. “Approximately ninety percent of the pilgrims are Shia, and this decision disrupts their spiritual and personal lives. In the past, high air fares alone prevented the poor from undertaking the journey. Should maritime travel be reinstated, even the indigent could once again fulfil their religious duty. We earnestly call on Iran to reconsider the visa-free restriction.”
While the Chhota Imambara and other local imambaras continue to host lakhs of devotees annually, the emotional and spiritual pull of the original shrines in Najaf, Karbala, Mashhad, and Kazmain remains unparalleled. For Shias in Lucknow, visiting these sacred sites is more than a ritual—it is the fulfilment of a lifelong aspiration.
As the community grapples with the new visa restrictions, the hope persists that diplomatic engagement between India and Iran will yield a practical solution, allowing the faithful once again to undertake their revered pilgrimages without undue financial or logistical hardship.
