Imam Moinuddin Khan has headed a Ganapati mandal for 38 years
Imam Moinuddin Khan has headed a Ganapati mandal for 38 years
This year September meant double celebrations for Budhwar Peth resident Imam Moinuddin Khan. The 68-year-old tailor and devout Muslim celebrated Eid with his family and organised a Ganapati puja at Jagdoba Dada Talim Mandal, where he has served as president for the past 38 years.
|
| No Religion, only faith: Imam Moinuddin Khan has been the chairman of Jagdoba Dada Talim Mandal for the last 38 years. Pic/Nikhil Ghorpade ) |
Khan, who has done a couple of Haj pilgrimages and offers namaz five times a day, has no qualms about holding a prayer thali and performing a puja at a Ganapati pandal in his skull cap, while hundreds of people look on.
"I have great faith in Ganapati and have no hang-ups about religion. I think the biggest religion is humanity and I don't think I have committed any offence if I have faith in a God who is revered by people of another faith," said Khan.
So well versed is he with all things Ganapati that he has been entrusted with the job of selecting idols, the decorations and even performing pujas for all the days leading up to visarjan.Members of the pandal say that given his dedication, they would rather have Khan perform the rituals than a Hindu priest.
"He is so particular about every detail and performs all the rituals to perfection. Even a Hindu priest might not take so much interest," said Rajesh Mhengre, a member of the mandal. "He is old now and wants us to take over things from him but we don't want to let him go. He is a great strength to us and we don't care if he is a Muslim. We respect that."
Another mandal member, Baba Kurle, echoed Mhengre's sentiments, stating that having Khan as chairman meant that the true spirit of Ganeshotsav was intact.
"This festival was started in Maharashtra as a mass movement to promote Hindu-Muslim unity, and what better example of this can there be than our mandal?" he said.
