Saturday 25 September 2010

Garlands of harmony from Ayodhya's Muslim flower artisans

Ayodhya: Muslim artisans here continue to make floral decorations for Hindu devotees, weaving bonds of communal harmony at a time when all eyes are on this ancient town ahead of a much-awaited court verdict on Friday on the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit contested by Hindu and Muslim groups.



Around 15 Muslim families in the Asharfi Bhawan area of Ayodhya, some 150 km from Lucknow, have been involved in making floral garlands and decorative offerings for Hindu devotees for the last several decades.

"We have been doing this for several generations. Muslims making garlands for Hindu gods and goddesses may be a strange thing for an outsider but not for residents of Ayodhya," Arshad, a Muslim artisan, said.

4 comments: