# In a Gaya village, four generations have kept the craft of the tazia alive

> In Baida village of Gaya district in Bihar, Mohammad Moinuddin Ansari and his family have been making tazias for four generations. A tazia that once cost just 40 rupees now sells for thousands.

**Type:** article · **Category:** Culture · **Published:** 2026-06-25 · **Source:** TrendKia
**Canonical:** https://trendkia.com/en/culture/gaya-ke-baida-ganva-men-tajiya-ki-chamaka-mohammad-moinuddin-ka-parivara-chara-pirhiyon-se-snbhala-raha-yaha-hunara-3031 · **Language:** English
**Tags:** Tazia, Muharram, Gaya, Mohammad Moinuddin, Sherghati, Tazia artisan, Bihar

Every time the month of Muharram arrives, one house in Baida village of the Aamas block in Bihar's Gaya district comes alive. Mohammad Moinuddin Ansari and his family build tazias here using bamboo, an iron frame, colourful cloth and lights, and demand for their work comes in from several surrounding villages. What makes this household stand out is that the craft has not stopped at one generation. It has now passed down to the fourth.

## What a tazia is and why it is made
Muharram is the first month of the Islamic calendar and is considered one of the holiest months in Islam. It marks not only the start of a new year but also patience, sacrifice, justice and reflection, mourning and prayer in memory of the martyrdom of Imam Hussain. On the tenth day of Muharram, a tazia procession is taken out in memory of the martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hussain and his companions on the battlefield of Karbala. The tazia itself is a symbolic model of Imam Hussain's tomb, made from bamboo, wood, coloured paper and cloth.

## A legacy four generations deep
Gaya district has many skilled tazia makers, but the family of Mohammad Moinuddin Ansari of Baida village holds a special place among them. The work began with Moinuddin's grandfather, Sukhadi Miyan, after which his father Rasool Ansari carried the craft forward, and now Moinuddin's children have mastered it too. Every year during Muharram, orders arrive from around half a dozen nearby villages.

## From 40 rupees to thousands
About 40 years ago, Moinuddin used to make a tazia for just 40 rupees, but today he earns around 5,000 to 7,000 rupees for making one. Preparing a complete tazia, meanwhile, costs close to 20,000 rupees. The work involves an iron frame, bamboo, coloured cloth and lights. For the past 40 years, Moinuddin has been making tazias for the villages around him without a break.

## Where the orders came from this year
This year too, Moinuddin received orders from four or five places, including Hamzapur, Sherghati Miyan Bada, Waris Nagar, Lagan Takiya and Nai Bazaar Sherghati. He says it takes six to seven days to build a single tazia. By profession he is in fact a tailor and stitches clothes. He learnt the craft of tazia making from his grandfather and father, and today he is a well-known artisan across the area, the man people approach to have their tazias built.

## Beautiful finishing and colourful lights
Moinuddin Ansari is famous for his tazias across the entire Sherghati subdivision and throughout the district. The craftsmanship and finishing of his hands are considered very fine, which is why all the big akharas in Sherghati from where tazias are taken out get theirs made by Moinuddin. To bring out the shine and glow of the tazia, he also fits it with an electric connection so that it lights up with colourful bulbs.

## Cutting back on the numbers
Moinuddin says that earlier the family would together make more than 50 tazias, big and small, in 15 to 20 days. But his health is no longer good, so he has reduced the number he makes. Now he builds tazias only for the big akharas of the Sherghati area, whereas earlier he would travel even outside the district for this work.

## What this means for you
- **Across India:** For anyone ordering a tazia during Muharram, the story gives a clear sense of cost, a full tazia with bamboo, an iron frame and lighting runs to nearly 20,000 rupees to build.
- **In Gaya (Sherghati):** Since Moinuddin now makes tazias only for the big akharas of the Sherghati area due to his health, people in outlying areas may need to look for other artisans.

## Questions & Answers

### 1. Who is Mohammad Moinuddin Ansari?
He is a resident of Baida village in the Aamas block of Bihar's Gaya district and belongs to a family that has been making tazias for four generations. By profession he is also a tailor.

### 2. Who started the tazia-making work in his family?
It was started by Moinuddin's grandfather, Sukhadi Miyan, after which his father Rasool Ansari carried it forward, and now his children do the work too.

### 3. How much does it cost to make a tazia and how much does he earn?
He earns around 5,000 to 7,000 rupees for making one tazia, while preparing a complete tazia costs close to 20,000 rupees.

### 4. What did a tazia cost 40 years ago?
About 40 years ago, Moinuddin used to make a tazia for just 40 rupees.

### 5. How long does it take to make one tazia?
It takes about six to seven days to build a single tazia.

### 6. Which places sent him orders this year?
This year he received orders from Hamzapur, Sherghati Miyan Bada, Waris Nagar, Lagan Takiya and Nai Bazaar Sherghati.

### 7. Why has he now reduced the number of tazias he makes?
His health is no longer good, so he now makes tazias only for the big akharas of the Sherghati area, whereas earlier he would travel outside the district as well.

## Inspiration & Lessons
- **Passing a craft down the generations:** Beginning with grandfather Sukhadi Miyan and reaching father Rasool Ansari and then Moinuddin's children, the story shows how a family tradition of teaching and learning keeps a skill alive.
- **Quality builds reputation:** It is Moinuddin's fine finishing and craftsmanship that lead all the big akharas of Sherghati to come to him, proof that good work earns its own name.
- **Don't depend on a single trade:** Moinuddin is a tailor by profession and also stitches clothes, showing how having more than one skill strengthens income.
- **Adapt to circumstances:** When his health declined he did not stop working but reduced the number of tazias and kept going within his capacity.

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