Hassan Mohammadi, secretary of the Strategic Council of Iran’s Arbaeen Quranic Activities, said that the Iranian Quranic delegation, known as Noor (light) Convoy, comprised 70 Qaris and members of Tawasheeh (religious singing) groups this year.
Last year, the delegation had 40 members, that is, there was an 80-percent increase in the number of Qaris and Tawasheeh performers this year, he added.
Mohammadi noted that the convoy organized nearly 350 Quranic programs for the pilgrims in the cities of Najaf, Karbala, Samarra, and Kadhimain and in Moukebs on roads.
Moukebs are resting places with special facilities and services for pilgrims set up on roads leading to Karbala during Arbaeen pilgrimage.
Arbaeen comes 40 days after Ashura, the martyrdom anniversary of the third Shia Imam, Imam Hussein (AS).
Each year, a huge crowd of Shias flock to Karbala, where the holy shrine of Imam Hussein (AS) is located, to perform mourning rites.
In the past few years, around 20 million pilgrims from all over the world took part in the mourning ceremonies in the Iraqi holy cities marking Arbaeen.
Arbaeen fell on Thursday, November 9, this year.