Love & Brotherhood: 1000-Yr-Old Temple Organises Iftar; Devotees Offer Namaz At 'Aarti Sthal'

On Sunday evening, an ‘iftar’ feast was organized by a temple in Lucknow. More than 500 people participated in the feast. Later on, devotees also offered namaz at the ‘aarti sthal’ of the temple.

At least 1000-year-old Mankameshwar temple became the first temple ever in Lucknow to have hosted an iftar, reports News18.

“All religions promote love and brotherhood. Sometimes, Muslims also host ‘Kanya Pujan’ and put up ‘Bada Mangal’ stalls here,” said the chief priest of the temple, Mahanta Devyagiri, to News18. Incidentally, Mahanta Devyagiri is the first ever woman chief priest of Mankameshwar temple.

“Religious heads like priests, mahants and imams should do their job and spread brotherhood and harmony. Serving people who fast from morning to evening is the noblest job to do,” added Mahanta Devyagiri.

Clerics from both Shia and Sunni and chief priest of Shri Mankameshwar Mandir were also present there. Imam of the Teeley Wali Masjid Maulana Fazlul Manna Rahmani, Maulana Sufiyan Nizami, spokesperson of Darul Uloom Farangi Mahali and Nawab Masood Abdullah, also attended the Iftar party.

Three cooks with their helpers prepared the meal, consisting of coffee, bread cutlets, banana, onion and potato cutlets, sweets, spicy and sour rice dish, fruits and other such items.

Soon after the lunch, the devotees offered evening namaz (prayers) at the ‘aarti sthal’. “It has been the Indian tradition for centuries that Hindus celebrate Muslim festivals and Muslims celebrate Hindu festivals. These months for Hindus too are auspicious when we are observing nine bada mangals. This is the time that a good deed is rewarded 70 times more than its reward. And what better way to earn reward than serve those who have fasted from dawn to dusk as obedience to God,” the Mahant told Times of India.

The Logical Indian Take

We appreciate the temple’s effort to spread love and harmony. Recently, another unique Iftar party was organized by a Hindu family in Gurugram; the feast was hosted by Yashpal Saxena, whose son Ankit was killed by the family of his Muslim girlfriend. Speaking of harmony between Hindus and Muslims, Saxena said that the two communities need to end the vicious cycle of communalism and casteism by asking themselves why they hate each other so much.