CHIKKAMAGALURU: Promoting communal harmony during Ganesha Chaturthi, a Muslim woman in NR Pura town of Chikkamagaluru district has been taking the lead for years to install the idol in town, involving people from all religions.
Jubedha, a former president and present member of the NR Pura Pattan Panchayat, has been the president of Vinayaka Seva Samiti for the last 15 years.
Hindus, Muslims and Christians are part of the Samiti, and Jubedha’s leadership, they install the Ganesha idol -- which has come to be known as Sarva Dharmagala Souharda Ganapati (all-religion Ganesha) for three days.”
The Samiti members perform puja together as per Hindu traditions and organise cultural programmes on all three days.
Jubedha told TNIE that she is displeased with politicians stoking communal disturbance in the name of religion for their selfish ends. She stressed on the need to spread the message of communal harmony among young, impressionable minds.
The idol is installed at Rajivnagara locality of the town and the event has only grown in popularity over the years. “My main objective is to assemble children of Hindus, Muslims and Christians in one place during the idol installation ceremony and inculcate in them the feelings of oneness and to send out a message that they should rise above caste, religion, creed and cult. God is one to all... I have been trying to pass on this message to the youth, who are the hope of tomorrow,” she said.