About 80,000 Muslim brethren to offer prayers on holy day

Mysore:  Nearly 80,000 Muslim brethren will assemble at the sprawling Eidgah Maidan in Tilaknagar to offer prayers Ramzan which will be celebrated on June 5 (depending on the sighting of the moon) and the Eidgah Maidan is being spruced up for the occasion.

Disclosing this to SOM, former Corporator, member of the State Haj Committee and member of Eidgah Committee, Suhail Baig, who has taken the initiative of sprucing up the Eidgah Maidan since 2013 said that there are four Eidgah Maidans in city and added that the Eidgah Maidan at Tilaknagar is the biggest in the city and is over 150 years old.

Stating that this land was gifted by the then Maharaja of Mysuru, Suhail Baig said that a scene from the 1972 Raaj Kumar and Meena Kumari starrer Hindi movie Pakeezah was shot in the Eidgah Maidan here.

He said that Mayor Pushpalatha Jagganath and other MCC officials inspected the Eidgah Maidan yesterday and supervised the cleaning works which was taken up a few days ago.

Suhail Baig said that the Wakf Board has formed the Eidgah Committee and has appointed retired KAS Officer Mujeebulla Zaffari as its Administrator, Suhail Baig said that a total of Rs. 70 lakh (Rs. 50 lakh MLA grant and Rs. 20 MUDA grant) was spent last year to develop the Eidgah Maidan.

He further said that Sir Khazi of Mysuru Hazarath Moulana Mohammed Usman Shariff will address the huge gathering and will lead the Ramzan prayer.

Due to intense heat and scorching sun, Suhail Baig has requested the Muslim brethren to carry an umbrella with them while coming to Eidgah Maidan to offer Eid prayers.