Thousands of Indian Shia Muslims travelled to Iraq to mark the  40th day of mourning for the martyrdom of Imam Hussain.

Hussain is the grandson of Prophet Mohammed and a founding figure in Shia Islam.

The event ended on Sunday.

As part of Arbaeen pilgrimage, thousands of Shia Muslim community members walked from Najaf to Karbala to pay homage to the shrine of Imam Hussain.

Syed Afzal, General Secretary of the Hazrat Abbas Holy Shrine, stated that over 21,000 volunteers were mobilised to ensure the smooth conduct of the pilgrimage.   

"Our aim is to make sure that no devotee faces any difficulty during the Arbaeen pilgrimage," he told NDTV.