By Mir Ehsan - The Indian Express - New Delhi, IndiaSaturday, October 13, 2007
For thousands of residents of Chrar-e-Sharief and lakhs of devotees of Sheikh-ul-Alam Sheikh Noor-ud-din Noorani, this will be an Id with a difference.
The people here will get an opportunity to offer Id prayers at the grand mosque adjacent to the 600-year-old shrine after a gap of 12 long years, when the Sufi shrine and its adjacent old Khanqah-i-Faiz was razed in a long gunbattle between the militants and the Army.
The damage to the shrine left thousands of devotees heartbroken.
“For us it will be a real Id. After 12 years thousands of people will again get together to offer Id prayer in the grand mosque — Khanqah-i-Faiz,” said Mirwaiz Molvi Amir-uddin who will lead the prayers either on Saturday or Sunday.
The mosque is not completely ready, “But keeping in mind the sentiment of the people, the local Auqaf has decided to open the Khanqah on the Id day,” the Mirwaiz said.
The Auqaf Committee had already finalised the arrangement and created sufficient space to accommodate thousands of devotees.
“The first floor of the Khanqah and the adjacent garden had already been spruced. We expect some 50,000 people to come and offer Id prayers here,” he added.
The locals are eagerly waiting for the moment. “This Id, the people will also celebrate the opening of the shrine,” said Mohammad Naseem, a government employee, who lives close to the shrine.
“This is the Khanqah, where our Sufi saint prayed for years,” Naseem said.
[Picture from http://www.flickr.com/photos/gps1/1524766987/].
“For us it will be a real Id. After 12 years thousands of people will again get together to offer Id prayer in the grand mosque — Khanqah-i-Faiz,” said Mirwaiz Molvi Amir-uddin who will lead the prayers either on Saturday or Sunday.
The mosque is not completely ready, “But keeping in mind the sentiment of the people, the local Auqaf has decided to open the Khanqah on the Id day,” the Mirwaiz said.
The Auqaf Committee had already finalised the arrangement and created sufficient space to accommodate thousands of devotees.
“The first floor of the Khanqah and the adjacent garden had already been spruced. We expect some 50,000 people to come and offer Id prayers here,” he added.
The locals are eagerly waiting for the moment. “This Id, the people will also celebrate the opening of the shrine,” said Mohammad Naseem, a government employee, who lives close to the shrine.
“This is the Khanqah, where our Sufi saint prayed for years,” Naseem said.
[Picture from http://www.flickr.com/photos/gps1/1524766987/].
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