Ganderbal: In yet another example of centuries-old tradition and communal harmony, Kashmiri Muslims participated in marriage ceremony of a Kashmiri Pandit woman in Lar village of central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district.
Locals, while talking to reporters here said that the Muslim neighbours participated in the marriage ceremony of Meenu Kumari daughter of Late Pandit Mohan Lal in Lar village.
They said that they participated in every ritual of the marriage ceremony of pandit woman and also eat together, while being with their Pandit brethren for the last four days.
“This is an example of age old tradition and communal harmony under which both Muslim and Pandit families have been living together, even as there have been unfavourable conditions many times,” the locals said.
Meanwhile, talking to reporters, district president Ganderbal Sanatham Dharam Sabha, Badrinath Bhat said that the function was going on for the last four days here and in these four days, Muslim neighbours including men and women participated in every ritual.
He said that Muslim men and women participated in mehandiraat, other rituals including singing and dancing, which gives a clear message that how Muslims and Hindus have been living in their neighbourhood in the Kashmir Valley.
“We have been living together for years now and we have participating in each other’s functions, be it marriage, someone’s death or any other function, we have been together. Recently some of our Muslim brothers went for Haj pilgrimage, we also went to see them off like their Muslim relatives did,” he said.
Meanwhile, another local Altaf Ahmad said that they have been living and brought up together in the neighbourhood and it was their duty to participate in Hindu woman’ marriage ceremony.
He said that this is a centuries old bond between Hindus and Muslims here and it will not be broken by any mischievous element. “We have been living together and we will continue to do so and will support and love each other in every thick and thin,” he said.
Muslim women were seeing welcoming the groom and also participated in singing and dancing including “Kashmiri Wanwun” along with Pandit woman during the marriage ceremony. (KNO)
