Harmony marks festival, mourning in Muharram

  • | Friday | 21st September, 2018

Members of both the communities unanimoulsy decided to observe Muharram and celebrate Ganapati festival peacefully at Bhopla Chowk. Several others who are our members participate. Prominent personalities like Venkatesh Balaji alias Mandar performed the aarti at the mandal and offered flowers to the tazia. The concept of observing Muhurram and celebrating Ganapati festival was started by former PCB vice president Prakash Kedari around 20 years ago,” he said. Hindus observe Muharram and participate in Eid and other programmes including “Nagara” .

PUNE: This year, Ganeshotsav and Muharram have coincided with celebrations for one community and a period of mourning and austerity for another.The city, especially in some of the old areas and the Pune Cantonment, is dotted with pandals and tazias, a replica of the tomb of Imam Hussein. Members of both communities where both stand cheek-by-jowl have ensured that harmony prevails.At Bhopla Chowk in Pune Camp, the Ganesh mandals and the tazia organisers met about a month ago to ensure that events related to both pass off peacefully. Muharram and Ganeshotsav began on September 12 and 13, respectively.Malang Tazia committee secretary Amir Shaikh said, “The mandal next to our tazia switches off its music when it is time for us to pray. Members of both the communities unanimoulsy decided to observe Muharram and celebrate Ganapati festival peacefully at Bhopla Chowk. Prominent personalities like Venkatesh Balaji alias Mandar performed the aarti at the mandal and offered flowers to the tazia. We have felicitated him.”Committee representative Yunus alias Munna Kazi said senior police officers offered chaddar and flowers to the tazia. “They appreciated our efforts like the langar and distribution of nankatai and sharbat. It sends a message about harmony to all communities. Our committee is secular with Kevin Pillay, a Christian, as our vice president and Faiz Shaikh as the president.”Prasad Kedari, president of Sainath Tarun Mandal, said, “ Both communities in the Pune cantonment have come together to observe Muharram and celebrate Ganeshotsav together. Muslims have taken a call to cook vegetarian food. We have requested the police to monitor the activities of people visiting the temples and masjids to avoid any untoward incident. We want other communities to follow suit.”A Muharram pandal caretaker Sameer Shaikh at R S Kedari Road said, “ The Ganesh mandal members are our brothers and we have a good understanding with them. They switch off the music at 10pm for enabling us to start our programmes. We have installed seven panjas of which two belong to our Hindu brother Nitin Manjrekar and five belong to Ahmed Shaikh Jaffar. People in large numbers visit the mandal next to our 63-year-old pandal to see the Ganapati tableau and the panjas.”Rajesh Khurade, a representative of the 69-year-old Hind Tarun Mandal, said, “We have good relations with our Muslim brothers since childhood. We offer rice and methi to the pandal for prayers. We also make it a point to remain present on Qatal-Ki-Raat.”Mandal member Atish Khurade said, “The president of our mandal is Akram Shaikh. Several others who are our members participate. Mansur Shaikh is the first person to give the Ganapati vargani every year. Muslims call us for having “khichda” and they participate in the aarti.”Amol Sonawane, president of Lokmanya Mitra Mandal at Shukruwar Peth, said,“Muslims participate at Mhsaoba Urs and perform aarti of Ganapati Bappa and participate in Shiv Jayanti. Hindus observe Muharram and participate in Eid and other programmes including “Nagara” . We donate for their sign boards and flexes. They help us to keep the calm during the immersion procession. Both communities have an emotional bonding.”Farook Siddique, a representative of Bara Imam Dargah and Masjid in Shukruwar Peth, said,“ Muharram and Ganapati have come together after 32 years. The “sawari” on Tuesday had 50% participation from Hindus. Such brotherhood conveys a message of secularism.”Camp resident Rupesh Dake said youths from both communities are educated and want progress, development and peace. “They take initiatives to help the public at large. The concept of observing Muhurram and celebrating Ganapati festival was started by former PCB vice president Prakash Kedari around 20 years ago,” he said.

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