The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Burhanuddin Saheb sermon today

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, May 07, 2007
ePaper

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Burhanuddin Saheb sermon today

Staff Reporter

The 96th birthday of the spiritual head of Bohras celebrated

WISHING WELL: The gathering at the 96th birthday celebrations of Sayedna Mohammed Burhanuddin Saheb at Gottigere in Bangalore on Sunday. — Photo: Sampath Kumar G.P.

BANGALORE: The 96th birthday of Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin Saheb, spiritual head of the Dawoodi Bohra community, was celebrated with pomp and gaiety here on Sunday.

Dressed in their traditional attire, more than 2,000 members of the Bohra community took out a grand procession from Nandi Apartments on Bannerghatta Road to the new Burhani Masjid at Gottigere off Bannerghatta Road.

The members offered namaaz and prayed for the good health and long life of their spiritual head. They later relished their traditional dinner of special non-vegetarian and sweet dishes in "thaals". Eight persons share "thaal". Display of fireworks and community prayers were part of the celebrations.

To mark the occasion, three special welfare schemes — education project for the community children, financial assistance to the needy and housing project with a subsidy of 50 per cent — were launched.

K.M. Mogul, spokesperson of the community, told presspersons here on Sunday that the education project was to ensure that children of the community studied regular subjects as well as religion. Interest free loans would be given to the needy members of the community to set up their own business, he said.

Festivities

The festivities actually began from March 29, the birthday of Prophet Mohammed. Members of the community, especially women, offered special prayers and recited verses from the Quran all through the 40 days. "We prayed for the long life of our Syedna. His birthday is a special occasion for us and we are celebrating it with all enthusiasm," Salma Zeeruwala said.

Apart from the men, more than 800 women wearing colourful "burqahs" will assemble on Monday at the Burhani Masjid to watch the live telecast of Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin's sermon from Yemen.

"We are happy today. All of us have applied mehndi (henna) on our hands and prepared special sweet dishes mixed with dry fruits, and non-vegetarian delicacies," Nafeesa Nooruddin Mujpurwala said.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka