Hyderabad mosque welcomes non-Muslims to witness 'namaz'
Hyderabad, June 18: Standing on a balcony, a group of non-Muslims including women watched Muslims offer prayers at a mosque here which formally opened its doors for people of all faiths.
It was an opportunity for followers of different religions to know how a mosque looks from the inside and how Muslims offer 'namaz'.
Visitors including heritage activist P. Anuradha Reddy went around Masjid-e-Quba to see the charts displayed by the organisers explaining basic tenets of Islam. She said such programmes promote better understanding between communities.
The organising committee of the mosque located in Mehdipatnam area, organised the first-ever "open mosque" programme inviting people of other faiths to visit the place of worship in an effort to elucidate the teachings of Islam.
The programme was organised a day after Eid-ul-Fitr.
A large number of Hindus, Christians and Sikhs visited the mosque and were explained about 'namaz', 'aazaan' (call for prayers) and 'wazu' (ablution). They were also explained as to why the architectures of most of the mosques include minarets and domes.
The visitors were treated with dates and Sheer Khurma, a sweet made with vermicelli, milk and dry fruits.
The idea of the "open mosque" was proposed by Mohammed Mustafa, who recently embraced Islam.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Karnataka cabinet approves formation of separate Dharwad Municipal Corporation
Bengaluru: The Karnataka Cabinet has approved a formation of separate Dharwad city corporation. Alongside, a 15% hike in fares across the four state transport corporations was also approved. The revised fares will come into effect on January 5.
Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H.K. Patil, addressing the media at the Committee Hall of Vidhana Soudha, provided details about the decision. He explained that the last fare revision for BMTC was a decade ago when diesel cost Rs 60.98 per litre. Since then, operational costs have risen significantly.
Diesel expenditure for the four corporations has increased from Rs 9.16 crore to Rs 13.21 crore, and personnel costs have grown from Rs 12.85 crore to Rs 18.36 crore. The daily operational burden now stands at Rs 9.56 crore. The fare hike is expected to generate an additional Rs 74.85 crore in monthly revenue without burdening the state exchequer, as Rs 5,015 crore has already been allocated for the Shakti Yojana this fiscal year.
Minister Patil announced that the Cabinet has decided to bifurcate the Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation into two independent municipal bodies.
The Cabinet approved the construction of a fishing port in Hejamady village, Udupi, with a revised estimate of Rs 209.13 crore. Additionally, Rs 84.57 crore has been sanctioned for the modernization and dredging of fishing ports.
In a move to strengthen cow shelters, Rs 10.50 crore has been allocated for projects in 14 districts. The Cabinet also approved constructing a building for Visvesvaraya Technical University in Chikkaballapur district at Rs 149.75 crore.
The Cabinet sanctioned a state-of-the-art bus stand in Bannimantap, Mysuru, at a cost of Rs 120 crore. Spread over 14 acres, the facility will include a divisional office, bus units, and commercial shops.
Approval was also granted to utilize Rs 137.85 crore, provided by the Union Finance Ministry under the Special Capital Assistance Scheme, for capital expenditure.
The Kalyana Karnataka Regional Development Board will use Rs 56.92 crore from its SCP/TSP scheme to supply bed sheets, mosquito nets, and clothing to government residential schools and hostels.
The Cabinet approved Rs 100 crore to construct new buildings for 200 veterinary institutions currently housed in rented or dilapidated structures, using NABARD assistance.
In Davangere, a site was allotted to the Karnataka Working Journalists' Association for constructing a civic facility. A plot in Avaragere village was also leased for 30 years at a concessional rate to Nayaka Vidyarthi Nilaya.
