In echo of azaan & aarti, a dargah organises janmashtami fair
Jaipur, Sep 3 : A dargah at a village in Rajasthan's Jhujhunu district hosts a unique cultural fair each year on janmashtami, the birthday of Lord Krishna, where sounds of 'aarti' and 'azaan' reverberate from the same place.
The abode of Sharif Hazrat Hajib Shakarbarat at Narhat village is known for a grand janmashtami fair where musical dramas, 'qawalis' and short plays mark the occasion. People from Delhi, Haryana and Punjab visit the dargah to become a part of the rare celebration.
Cementing the bond of communal harmony, the dargah accommodates thousands of people each day during the fair.
Younus Pathan, a khadim of the dargah, says the trend of organising the fair on janmashtami goes back to hundreds of years. "Our seven generations have handed us down a common story: people irrespective of their caste and religion, congregate here to celebrate 'Krishna janmotsav' with great zeal and fanfare," says Pathan.
"People keep awake the whole night, dancing and singing. Many cultural programmes are also organized to mark the event," says Pathan.
Sathik Tirgi, former dargah committee president, told IANS that the fair that began on Sunday would continue till Tuesday.
"Qawali singers have also been invited from Mumbai. Their songs will lend a mesmerising touch to the whole event," Tirgi said.
Meanwhile, at 6.45 p.m. it will be time for 'azaan' from the mosque adjoining the dargah. The resonance of the prayer will be enriched by the sound of bells coming from a nearby temple for which it will be time for 'aarti,' Tiragi said.
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HN Valley Project water purification: Chikkaballapur bandh receives moderate response
Chikkaballapur: The bandh called for Sunday by organizations demanding the authorities to undertake third round of purification of water under the HN Valley Project received moderate response from the locals.
Members of the Permanent Irrigation Struggle Committee, pro-Kannada organizations and various farmers’ organizations complained that the state government has taken no decision on the issue related to the project related to the supply of water from the Hebbal-Nagawara lakes of Bengaluru to the lakes in Chikkaballapur.
Shop owners stayed their business keeping their stores closed for the day in support of the bandh. Traffic movement went on as normal. Police security was beefed up for the day to prevent any untoward incident amid the protest.
The members of Jeevajala Jagruti Vedike led a procession in town and shouted slogans demanding purification of water under the project.
BJP leader Sandeep Reddy, who spoke on the occasion, criticized the state government for taking no initiative to provide pure water and demanded the start of purification of water immediately.
