On March 1, as the news of the assassination of Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei spread in the Darulshifa area of Hyderabad, an impromptu gathering of people assembled within hours, wailing and expressing grief for the departed leader. “He was our rahbar, our spiritual leader, and that’s why so many people are sad,” said one of the mourners.

Beyond the individual grief, the location of the protest meeting, beginning at the dargah of Ibne Khatoon to its final convergence point near Darulshifa harked back to the time when Iran and India had cultural and social ties that appeared inseparable.