N’aal is an Arabic word which means a metallic piece which covers the nose and forehead of a soldier.It is attached to Khud, the armour cap. Passing through several hands, it came to Bijapur during the reign of Yusuf Adil Shah, it was sent from Bijapur, to Golconda, along with the Asnads (Certificates) to Ibrahim Qutub Shah. Before the Hyderabad city came into existence the Naal was kept in the sh
ape of Arabic Allah as a part of an Alam and it used to be covered with sandal paste and installed in Golconda. As mentioned in the Gulzar-e-Asafia , after construction of the city of Hyderabad, the Naal Mubarak was shifted to a portion of the Royal Palace known as Ilahi Mahal near Char Kaman. This is the current location where the Alam is installed every year. The Naal Mubarak is a land-mark of the Moharrum observance in Hyderabad, It is installed on the first of Moharrum with great devotion and comes out in a procession after mid-night of 9-10 Moharrum. The hereditary carrier of the Alam wraps a white cotton sheet of about 6 to 8 metres around his waist. The Alambardars will be bearing the Alam with manifest dignity. The Doribardars carry the rope around the Alam as if they are the retainers of a king circumambulating around the monarch in his progress along the route of the procession. A little behind the Alam will be the Chatarbardars carrying the umbrella. No sooner the Alam emerges from the Alawa the musicians play their pipes and drums. The roads through which the Alam procession passes attract thousands of devotees who present Nazar irrespective of their religion, caste, or creed.
