In show of communal amity, Christian, Hindu priests take 'seer' to a mosque in Pudukkottai
PUDUKKOTTAI: The 17th street of Kamarajapuram in Pudukkottai town on Friday was witness to an event emphasising communal harmony, when a Hindu priest and a Christian congregation came forward with a "seer" (gift) for the newly-renovated Jumma Mosque.
The event was witnessed by people from different religions, some of whom told TNIE that the spirit of communal harmony was ingrained in the locality. As they entered with the seer, the priests in the mosque greeted their Hindu and Christian counterparts with hugs and addressed each other as 'mama' and 'machan', said the mosque's committee members. Said M Farooq Ali, Mosque committee member, "Kamarajapuram has rarely seen a clash in the name of religion. We live together in communal amity.
Our mosque is located next to a temple, yet no issue has arisen. The moment we invited the Christian Sister and Hindu Priest, they happily accepted our invitation. Through this gesture we wanted to send a message that people are always together, and that only those with fractured understanding think otherwise." L Gunaseelan Bhattacharya, priest of Sri Prasanna Venkatachalapathy Temple said, "I was happy to carry the Seer because we have no fights between us.
I was invited by them and I immediately accepted it because Kamarajapuram is a place of religious harmony. I believe Tamil Nadu in the coming days will become a much better place where there are no birth-based differences within each other," He added.
Sister Savarinal from St Anne's Congregation, Tiruchy, also the principal of a local nursery school said, "It was a pleasant feeling to be part of the inauguration of the mosque. Despite being a woman, they welcomed me with respect and honoured me."