Bijar is a small town in Kurdestan, Iran. Every year, on Aashura (tenth of Moharram), people in Bijar, through rubbing mud on their heads and bodies, mourn for Imam Hossein. The so-called Gelgiran (gel /gel/= mud, giran / gi:ra:n/= taking) is a religious and traditional ritual which has been performed for years in Bijar. Gelgiran is a symbol of people’s sorrow and grief at Imam Hossein’s martyrdom.