Amid tensions in a few parts of the country over Hijab and loudspeaker row, temples across India have opened their premises to hold iftar for people from the Muslim community.
Iftar, also known as futoor, is the evening meal with which Muslims end their daily Ramadan fast at sunset. They break their fast at the time of the call to prayer (adhan) for the evening prayer. This is their second meal of the day; the daily fast during Ramadan begins immediately after the pre-dawn meal of suhur and continues during the daylight hours, ending with sunset with the evening meal of iftar.
Ramadan (also spelled Ramazan, Ramzan, Ramadhan, or Ramathan) is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting (sawm), prayer, reflection, and community. A commemoration of Muhammad’s first revelation, the annual observance of Ramadan is regarded as one of the Five Pillars of Islam and lasts twenty-nine to thirty days, from one sighting of the crescent moon to the next.
Here are the temples that have welded the severed bond amongst the religious communities through their acts of communal harmony.
Hindu bodies host roza Iftar at Ram Mandir
Office-bearers of Hindu organizations hosted a ‘roza iftar’ at Shri Ram Mandir Temple on Thana Road at Ahmedgarh.
Moreover, organizers of the temple rescheduled evening ‘Aarti’ so as to enable Muslims of the local town and surrounding village to offer ‘Namaz’ at their scheduled time at the temple. Unlike other days the ‘Aarti’ time witnessed the harmonious presence of Muslims at the prominent temple of the town especially illuminated for hosting ‘roza iftar’.
Temple in Gujarat’s Banaskantha invites Muslims to break Ramzan fast
The temple in Dalvana village of Banaskantha district opened its door for Muslims to break their fast during the ongoing holy month of Ramzan.
Varanda Vir Maharaj Mandir organized iftar (fast-breaking) and invited at least 100 Muslim village residents to break their Ramzan fast and then offer Maghrib namaz at the temple premises.
Kerala temple hosts Iftar feast for Muslims
On the evening of April 7, around 300 Muslims congregated on the premises of Vishnu Mahadeva temple at Thirur in Kerala’s Malappuram district to attend the mass Iftar.
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Each year, the temple celebrates the annual day of the consecration of its deity and wraps it up with a community feast, one which is open to everyone irrespective of caste, religion, and gender. This year the festival day (April 6) coincided with the Ramadan fasting, hence the Muslims in the locality could not participate in the lunch. After holding discussions, the temple committee decided to host an Iftar for the Muslim members.
Malappuram temple hosts Iftar
A temple at Vaniyannur near Tirur in Malappuram district organized a mass Iftar.
More than 200 people from the Muslim community attended the Iftar conducted as part of the Chathangadu Sree Maha Vishnu Temple’s annual installation day festival.
Ram Navami during the day, Iftar at night, this is how Andhra Temple marked Lord Ram’s birthday
A temple in Andhra Pradesh opened its doors for both Ram Navami and iftar celebrations. The temple committee in Peddapalli village of Kadiri mandal hosted Ram Navami during the day and an Iftaar feast during the night on a grand scale.
Besides this, there was another offbeat gesture of communal harmony by a temple.
Karnataka temple celebrations begin with Quran
Chennakeshava temple at Belur in Hassan district kick-started the annual rathotsava (chariot festival) celebrations, after verses of the Quran were recited in keeping with the syncretic tradition followed there for years.
Following the traditions, which according to locals have been practiced for centuries, Syed Sajjad Basha, Khaji of Dodda Meduru, chanted verses from the Quran on the first day of the two-day rathotsava festival on April 13, following which the chariot was pulled.
It is claimed that the tradition of reciting Quranic verses began at the fair in the temple, which was built by Hoysala rulers.