A great symbol of communal harmony By Justice Katju

Every year during Lalbaghcha Raja’s visarjan ( Immersion of Lord Ganesha’s statue ) in Mumbai, the procession makes a special stop at a mosque called Hindustani Masjid, a tradition that began in the 1960s when local Muslim leaders extended their support to the Ganesh mandal procession to ensure a smooth journey.

What started as an act of help has today become a beautiful symbol of unity and brotherhood. At the masjid, the Muslim community welcomes Bappa ( Lord Ganesha ) with flowers, and in return, sweets are shared between Hindus and Muslims.

This heartfelt exchange is more than a ritual, it is a celebration of Mumbai’s ( and India’s ) true spirit, of our composite culture, where faiths come together in harmony, love, and respect.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUO_Q9ulS3o…

This is our true India, an India of love and harmony, not the India of hatred and polarization sought to be created by some bigots.

This is the India our organization Ibaadatkhana ( of which I am the patron ) promotes, advocating inter-faith harmony.

https://indicanews.com/the-historical-importance-of-the-ibaadatkhana-movement

https://justicekatju.com/celebrating-four-religions-5423dd46d260

https://countercurrents.org/2019/12/justice-markandey-katju-launches-ibaadatkhana-movement-to-promote-peace-in-south-asia

We in Ibaadatkhana follow the principle of suleh-e-kul, or giving equal respect to all religions and communities, proclaimed by the great Mughal Emperor Akbar

https://indicanews.com/justice-markandey-katju-emperor-akbar-is-the-father-of-the-indian-nation

Here are videos of my speech, and speeches of others, in the inaugural function of Ibaadatkhana held in Fremont, California, USA in 2019

And here are videos of some global webinars organised by Ibaadatkhana

Those interested in joining Ibaadatkhana may contact me ( justicekatju@gmail.com ), the Chairman Tasawar Jalali ( tasawarjalali@hotmail.com ), who lives in San Jose, California, USA, the Vice Chairman Irfan Ali ( irfan79@gmail.com ), who lives in Princeton, New Jersey, USA, the Gen Secy Narendra Singh ( narensingh@yahoo.com ), who lives in California, USA, the Media in Charge, Ritu Jha ( rituj@undicanews.com ), who lives in California, USA, or the Vice Chairperson, South East Asia Chapter, Neelu Vyas ( neeluvyasthomas@gmail.com ), who lives in Delhi.