7Berkeh: The 11th Razavi Celebration, called “The Eighth Sun,” was held for three nights, from May 7th to 9th, 2025, at the grand mosque of Hazrat Abolfazl (PBUH) in Gerash.
This celebration is held annually during “the Decade of Mercy” in Islamic Republic calendar, which begins with the birth of Hazrat Masoumeh on the 1st of Dhi al-Qi’dah and ends with the birth of her brother Imam Reza (PBUH), the eighth Shia Imam, on the 11th of Dhi al-Qi’dah. Both are sacred characters in the Shia religion. During this festival, the grand mosque of Hazrat Abolfazl is artistically reconstructed to resemble the shrine of the eighth Imam of the Shiites. Various programs are held, including speeches, choir performances, and the raising of Imam Reza flags.
This conference began in 2015 and is one of the cultural-religious programs organized by the Revayat-e-Aftab Religious Association. Mohammad Ali Shamohammadi, the manager of the association and the CEO of Haft-Berkeh Art and Culture Institute of Gerash, is the organizer, and Mohammad Rostampour is the executive manager of the event. This event is held to commemorate the eighth Shia Imam, Imam Reza (PBUH), and its purpose is to honor and promote the culture of Imam Reza among the people and his devotees. Every year, it is held in the city of Gerash with great enthusiasm and participation of people.
First Night of the Conference
On the first night, on May 7th, 2025, this grand mosque welcomed people that could not travel to Mashhad. On this night, alongside offering tea to guests at the newly established Razavi Tea House, the health booth from the Health Department of the Gerash Medical Sciences Faculty was also open to check people’s blood pressure and blood sugar for free and provide awareness on these matters.
Second and Third Nights of the Conference
The conference was held in several sections, both inside and outside the grand mosque of Hazrat Abolfazl (PBUH). The internal section included invited speakers, melody singers, and other planned programs, while the external section featured the mobile Razavi Tea House, which marked its second year of establishment.
Additionally, the Secretariat of the “Eighth Sun” festival organized other events as well. Two couples from Gerash and one couple from Arad, who decided to get married on the occasion of the birth of Imam Reza, were married during the event. Moreover, two programs were also held in the cities of Evaz and Arad.
Read the news story in Persian and see more pictures here.
