Bihar alone accounted for four incidents in which 48 people were injured.
Muslims on Tuesday observed Muharram by taking out taziya processions, flagellating themselves and offering special prayers but the day of mourning was marked by clashes in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh that left over 50 people injured.
Slogans of "Ya Hussein" rend the air as Shias took part in the ceremonial mourning commemorating the martyrdom of Prophet Mohammed's grandson Imam Hussein with flags and replicas of Hussein's tomb in their hands. Sunnis offered prayers, observed fasts and distributed alms on the occasion.
But the religious fervour was marred by five clashes in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
Bihar alone accounted for four incidents in which 48 people were injured. Police fired in the air in Ganga Vihar village in Gaya district when two groups clashed with sharp weapons leaving 21 people, including six policemen, injured.
Gaya SP Satyaveer Singh said police fired 10 rounds in the air. The two groups had attacked each other with swords, spears and other sharp weapons and threw stones injuring 15 people from both sides, he said, adding when policemen rushed to control the situation they were also attacked and six of them were hurt.
In Darbhanga district, 23 people were injured when two groups pelted stones in Loam village and other parts, SDO Pradeep Kumar Gupta said. In another incident, four policemen were injured in heavy brickbatting by rival groups during a taziya procession at Hiramma village in Sheohar district.
In Chandauli district of Uttar Pradesh, as many as six policemen and journalists were injured and around a dozen houses set ablaze following a clash during a procession in Malokhar village, police said.
In Agra, mourners protested after Tazia got stuck under steal girders near a railway bridge in Freeganj-Biraganj area. The girders were temporarily removed after the protest.
Several taziya processions were taken out in the national capital and in its satellite towns. Most of the processions culminated at Karbala in Jor Bagh in south Delhi.
On this day, Muslims remember Hussein who died fighting the forces of caliph Yazid around 1,400 years ago at Karbala in Iraq.
In Jammu and Kashmir, restrictions were imposed in parts of Srinagar to prevent mourners from taking out a procession in and around the city's commercial centre Lal Chowk.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}