logo
Faith beyond labels: Muslims join Guru Purnima rituals in Kashi

Faith beyond labels: Muslims join Guru Purnima rituals in Kashi

Time of India4 days ago
Varanasi: A remarkable display of India's cultural harmony unfolded at Kashi's Patalpuri Math of the Ramanandi sect during Guru Purnima, which witnessed Muslim women conducting aarti of Jagadguru Balak Devacharya Ji Maharaj, the head of Patalpuri Math, while Muslim men paid their respects by presenting him with a Ramnami angavastram.
On the occasion, devotees transcended religious and caste barriers to honour their spiritual mentors. The sacred relationship between teachers and students was celebrated with great reverence. At Patalpuri Math, a significant event unfolded as it showcased India's rich guru heritage. The ceremony witnessed hundreds of Muslim followers accepting spiritual initiation and making solemn commitments to serve the nation.
Following their initiation, Shahabuddin, Muzammil, Firoz, Afroz, Sultan, Nagina, and Shamsunisha experienced immense joy. Shahabuddin expressed, "Our ancestors were followers of Rampanth and adherents of this Math. Even though our mode of worship has changed, our ancestors, tradition, blood and culture cannot change." One of the followers Naushad Ahmed emphasised that showing respect towards the guru seat represents an integral aspect of Indian culture.
He further explained that true knowledge is attainable only through a guru, and where knowledge prevails, discrimination ceases to exist.
Nazneen Ansari, who leads the Muslim Mahila Foundation, expressed that global peace is achievable solely through following Ram's principles. She emphasised that reaching Ram requires guidance from a guru, as only a spiritual mentor can guide one from ignorance to enlightenment.
She highlighted that contemporary society requires a guru who possesses the capability to eliminate hatred, violence, hostility, discrimination and pride.
She concluded that such a spiritual guide is essential for the nation's preservation.
The spiritual leader also initiated tribal children and assigned them the duty of cultural propagation. Additionally, he encouraged the Muslim community to disseminate India's rich heritage worldwide whilst maintaining their ancestral connections.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Etihad asks pilots to exercise caution with fuel control switches on Boeing 787s, orders their inspection
Etihad asks pilots to exercise caution with fuel control switches on Boeing 787s, orders their inspection

The Hindu

time3 hours ago

  • The Hindu

Etihad asks pilots to exercise caution with fuel control switches on Boeing 787s, orders their inspection

Abu Dhabi based Etihad has issued a directive to its pilots to 'exercise caution' while operating the fuel control switches on Boeing 787 aircraft while also ordering an inspection of their locking mechanism. The instructions follow a communication from the U.S. aviation safety regulator Federal Aviation Administration to its counterparts around the world reminding them about its 2018 advisory on the disengagement of the lock on the fuel control switches after the Indian investigating agencies released their preliminary findings into the Air India Boeing 787-8 crash of June 12. The Etihad bulletin dated July 12 instructs pilots to 'exercise caution when operating the fuel control switches or any other switches/control in their vicinity'. A copy of this directive has been viewed by The Hindu. It adds that they should also avoid the presence of any objects on the pedestal that could result in their inadvertent movement. It requires flight crew to immediately report any observed anomalies. It explains why this directive is necessitated and states in its bulletin that this measure is 'out of an abundance of caution' ''as the official safety investigation affecting another Boeing 787 operator continues its course without positive conclusions at this stage'. In a separate bulletin it has ordered inspection of the fuel control locking mechanism across its Boeing 787 fleet. It gives a step by step guide to its engineering team on how to inspect the fuel control switch locking feature for proper engagement, and where required replace the thrust control module where it is located.

Why must India recognise its open ecosystems?
Why must India recognise its open ecosystems?

The Hindu

time5 hours ago

  • The Hindu

Why must India recognise its open ecosystems?

The story so far: Deserts are often imagined as failures of nature, and barren wastelands in need of redemption. This worldview fuels grand ambitions to 'green' the desert, through afforestation, irrigation schemes, or even climate engineering. This gives way to the idea that deserts are broken ecosystems. So pervasive is this vilification, that land degradation is also known as 'desertification', and June 17 every year is celebrated as World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought. Are deserts important? In truth, deserts are ancient, diverse, and resilient biomes, finely tuned to extremes. They occupy nearly one-third of the Earth's terrestrial surface, and are home to uniquely adapted plants, animals, and human cultures. It is ironic that humans disregard deserts, when several early civilisations were set in desert climates, whether in early Mesopotamia, Egypt, or the Indus valley. Indeed, some historians argue that it is these very harsh desert conditions that prompted humans to develop complex societies and technologies that could invent ingenious ways of irrigation to survive in otherwise inhospitable conditions. What about other open spaces? India's relationship with open spaces is full of contradictions. On the one hand, we fetishise them. Real estate ads routinely promise sweeping lawns with names like Savana or Utopia. But when it comes to the country's own vast open natural ecosystems such as grasslands, savannas, scrublands and open woodlands, we have done the opposite. These landscapes have been systematically ignored in policy or worse, actively erased. On official maps, millions of hectares of these ecosystems are classified as wastelands, a term inherited from colonial land-use categories. In policy terms, a wasteland is land waiting to be fixed, often by planting trees, converting it for agriculture or paving it over for industry. What should be protected and stewarded has instead become a target for transformation. India's deserts, grasslands and savannas are home to species found nowhere else: the Great Indian Bustard, the caracal, the Indian wolf etc. These ecosystems also store carbon, not in big trees above ground but rather, deep in the soil. Equally important are the communities dependent on them. Millions of pastoral groups such as the Dhangar, Rabari, Kuruba etc. depend on these ecosystems for grazing. When we fence off grasslands or plant 'forests' on them, it's not just ecology we damage but also livelihoods, mobility, and local knowledge systems. In many cases, pastoralist groups are also stewards of biodiversity and ecosystem health. However, Indian grasslands and pastoralist systems have not received the desired protection and management. What should be the road ahead? Rather than trying to turn deserts into forests, we should study how life thrives without abundance. This is not to say that land degradation should not be addressed. Reversing degradation in drylands requires careful restoration that respects native vegetation, focuses on soil and moisture conservation, and draws from indigenous knowledge of land management. Low-tech solutions like water harvesting, rotational grazing, and protecting natural regrowth often outperform greenwashing projects that aim to plant millions of trees to 'green' the desert. We need policies that recognise ecosystem diversity, reward soil carbon storage, and support pastoralist land use. A functioning desert or savanna, with its intricate food webs, seasonal rhythms, and cultural continuities, is far more alive than a failed monoculture plantation. Perhaps it is time to rename World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought to World Day to Combat Land Degradation, and give deserts their respectable name back. The authors are with the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store