Maintaining their rich practice of communal harmony, the state has been witness to numerous stories of religious coexistence. This time, it was the Vishnu temple in Malappuram that hosted a mass Iftar dinner to local Muslims in the holy month of Ramzan.
On May 24th, 2018, as a tradition of the Prathishta Dinam (Consecration Day) festival of the Lakshmi Narasimha Moorthy Vishnu temple at Punnathala, during the mass Iftar, apart from fruits, juices, and special Ramzan drinks; vegetable biryani and snacks were also served to 700 people, mentioned TOI report.
The management committee of the temple has also set up an organizing committee for the preparations.
Every year, a major event that is held on the second day of temple festival is the Iftar dinner, as it spreads the message of peace and harmony, said the secretary of the temple management committee, Mohanan Nair.
According to the TOI report, Mohanan said,”The event is being organized with the support of all the local residents in the Muslim-majority village, irrespective of their caste, religion or politics. The committee has invited everyone to the event and we expect over 700 people to attend it.”
Renowned personalities in the panchayat were present in the party along with the villagers. As the event was a part of the temple festival so, non-vegetarian food was not served in the event. Mohanan said the main purpose of the festival is to spread the message of brotherhood and peaceful coexistence amid the new generation.
“At a time when communal forces have been misusing even temple premises to implement their agenda, it is our duty to organize such events,” he said.