Another Example Of Communal Harmony, Ayodhya Temple Hosts Iftar For City Muslims
The temple - Saryu Kunj - is approximately 500 years old and is situated next to the Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid site.
Strengthening the age-old tradition of communal harmony in Ayodhya, a temple hosted a roza iftar for the members of Muslim community on Monday evening. The temple - Saryu Kunj - is approximately 500 years old and is situated next to the Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid site.
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The invitees consisted only common people and there was no political figure or VIPs on the guest list. "We want to give a message that there is no political motive behind the move; we just want to spread a message of peace from Ayodhya to the world," said Saryu Kunj mahant, Jugal Kishore Sharan Shastry.
¡®Efforts must be made to bridge gaps¡¯
The temple has idols of Ram, Sita and also Lord Brahma. During the iftar, Sadhus of different temples of Ayodhya were seen distributing dates laddoos from Ayodhya¡¯s famous Hanumangarhi temple to the guests. After iftar, ¡®Maghrib namaz¡¯ (evening prayer) was offered in the premises of the temple.
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Just before it, a seminar against communalism was organised in the temple. It was attended by students and teachers of local colleges. On this occasion, a pledge was taken to counter any possibility of communal tension.
This was for the first time an iftar was held this temple. Mahant Gyan Das, a priest at famous temple Hanuman Garhi, hosted them on a couple of occasions in the past, but discontinued after internal resistance.
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Reacting to the move of Saryu Kunj mahant¡¯s move, Mahant Raghusharan Das, a priest, said, ¡°We are of the opinion that efforts must be made to bridge the gaps between the two communities. Hosting iftar for Muslim brothers is a good opportunity to bring both the communities closer, so we decided to give a message of peace through this roza iftar.¡±
¡°Being a minority in Ayodhya, we have never felt unsafe, thanks to our Hindu brothers who never made us feel that have to worry about any danger here,¡± said Muzammil, a Urdu poet and a resident of Ayodhya who took part in the Saryu Junj iftar.
