Holy harmony: 'Namaz' offered at temple

The Taj city of Agra was witness to a unique sight that set an example in communal harmony on Friday as two Muslim women from Iran offered “namaz” (prayers) at a Hanuman temple.

According to reports, the two women were in town to see the Taj Mahal, the monument of love. As the duo turned toward the market after seeing the Taj, they realised that it was time for “namaz”.

The duo started frantically looking for a place to offer prayers, but did not find one. Their inquiries about any mosque where they could offer prayers also failed to yield any results. The locals did not understand their language.

Flower-sellers near a Hanuman Temple close to the Taj Mahal, however, realised their problem when the women approached them, reports said.

Flower-seller Shravan Kumar managed to convey to them that they could, if they wanted, offer “namaz” in the corridors of the temple, which was closed at that time.

Kumar arranged pages of newspapers and also cleaned the floor for the women to offer prayers. The women then left after thanking the flower seller and others.

Muslim clerics also found nothing wrong in offering “namaz” in such a way and said that prayers could be offered at any place provided it was neat and clean and there were no pictures in front.

The priest of the Hanuman Temple also expressed similar sentiment and said there should not be any restrictions on offering prayers.