MANGALORE: It was an evening of harmony and peace at Sri Gokarnatheshwara Temple, Kudroli, here, where Hindus and Muslims got together for ‘Eid Souharda Koota’ on Friday. It was a rare sight indeed to see burqa-clad Muslim women attending the programme held at the Glass House inside the temple premises. the Kudroli unit of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) organised this special programme to honour and promote the unity shared among the two communities.

The Commissioner of Mangalore Urban Development Authority quoted the Prophet Muhammed as saying that a believer is not the one who eats his fill when his neighbor is hungry. Jayaram Bhat Chinchalkar, seer of Venkatramana Temple at Dongerekeri, said peace of mind is essential to a man’s well-being, and it is necessary that it should be maintained. “While we should bring purity in our thoughts, in reality we do not try to do so. Fasting is a method where lot of impurities is removed from our minds. It does good not just to our health, but also will bring upon good to ourselves,” he said.

In his presidential address, Mohammed Kunhi, Joint Secretary of JIH, said that all problems arose due to political and money-related issues, never due to religion. It is a misconception that religion was the cause of several problems, he said. Delivering the Eid message, he said that one ought to be “open” in matters of the religion he/she followed. “What you believe should be seen in your actions, and your actions should follow your thoughts. Only then is it possible for him to attain purity. Being a believer of God doesn’t mean he’s good; one should also have discipline. One should love his wife and teach his children to honour others. If you do not honour a person, it is a crime in the court of the lord; this should be the main realisation,” he said.

Read more: Communal Harmony