Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh): With only a few days to go for the August 5 ‘bhoomi pujan’ ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, the mosques adjacent to the Ram Janmabhoomi premises are spreading the message of communal harmony.
“It is the greatness of Ayodhya that the mosques surrounding the Ram temple are giving a strong message of communal harmony to the rest of the world,” Haji Asad Ahmad, the corporator of the Ram Kot ward, told this agency Monday. The Ram Janmabhoomi premises are situated in Ahmad’s ward.
“Muslims take out the ‘juloos’ of Barawafaat that goes through the periphery of Ram Janmabhoomi. All religious functions and rituals of Muslims are respected by their fellow citizens,” the corporator said.
There are eight mosques and two mausoleums located close to the 70-acre Ram Janmabhoomi premises mandated by the Supreme Court for a temple of Lord Ram.
Azaan and namaaz are offered in the mosques and the annual ‘Urs’ is held at the mausoleums without any objection from the local Hindus. The mosques located near the Ram Janmabhoomi premises are Masjid Dorahikuan, Masjid Mali Mandir ke Bagal, Masjid Kaziyana Achchan ke Bagal, Masjid Imambara, Masjid Riyaz ke Bagal, Masjid Badar Paanjitola, Masjid Madaar Shah and Masjid Tehribazar Jogiyon ki. The two mausoleums are Khanqaahe Muzaffariya and Imambara.
The priests of various temples here said that this is a town where Hindus and Muslims have always lived together peacefully.
On the presence of mosques near the Ram Janmabhoomi premises, the chief priest of the temple, Acharya Satyendra Das, said, “We had a dispute only with the structure that was connected to the name of (Mughal emperor) Babur. We have never had any issue with the other mosques and mausoleums in Ayodhya. This is a town where Hindus and Muslims live in peace.”