Tumkur: In a bid to express empathy with Muslim brothers, a Hindu family of Tumkur has been holding Iftar parties for the last 19 years in Tumkur.

The families of Akshay Motors Agency owners BV Venkatesh Lad and BV Ranganath Lad of Mandipet in the City organise the Iftar Party at their agency every year, where Muslims participate, offer prayers, have dinner as well.

"Our family is organising this Iftar party to express empathy. We want to protect the country through prayers, and strengthen fraternity of the nation. This is a great opportunity for us to grow and we have also instructed our children to continue this tradition, "says Venkatesh Lad, owner of Akshaya Motors Agency.

Ashfak Ahmed, Dastagir Sab, Nayaz Ahmed, Hemant Kumar Lad, Vinay Lad, Munna and many others attended the Iftar party.

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Rajouri/Jammu (PTI): Traffic on the Mughal and Sinthan Top roads, which provide alternate connectivity to Kashmir, was temporarily suspended on Sunday due to light to moderate snowfall in the high-altitude areas of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.

However, traffic on the 270-kilometre Jammu-Srinagar national highway -- the only all weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country -- was plying as usual despite intermittent rains that ended the over one-and-a-half months long dry spell, they said.

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The Mughal road, which connects the twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri with south Kashmir's Shopian, was closed for traffic as a precautionary measure after more than three inches of snow was recorded at Peer Ki Gali on Sunday afternoon.

A group of three tea vendors are left stranded on the road and efforts are on to evacuate them to safety, officials said.

After they were trapped in the snow, the vendors made passionate appeals through video messages urging the authorities to rescue them. The Border Roads Organisation has taken up snow clearance work and is trying to reach the stranded persons, officials said.

The Sinthan Top road, which connects Kishtwar and Doda districts in Jammu with south Kashmir's Anantnag, was also closed after moderate snowfall in the higher reaches.

Both the mountainous roads usually remain closed for several months due to heavy snowfall during winter.