Bada Mangal a quiet affair
Breaking the 250-year-old tradition of organising ‘bhandara’ (community feast) and fair on the occasion of Bada Mangal across all temples of Lord Hanuman, all religious rituals this time are being performed in the absence of devotees inside the temple compound on all Tuesdays since May 12. Usually, lakhs throng to pay obeisance to the deity on all Tuesdays in May which are observed as Bada Mangal in Lucknow.
Shia, Sunni Waqf Boards headless in lockdown
Five days after the lockdown was enforced and for over 50 days now, UP Sunni Waqf Central Waqf Board has been headless with the tenure of board chairperson Zufar Farooqui and other members ending on March 31. The Shia Central Waqf Board’s five-year term too ended on May 18 and the twin boards are awaiting intimation from the state government on fresh elections. In Uttar Pradesh, there are around 3 lakh Sunni waqf properties and 7,225 Shia waqf properties, which are controlled by the boards.Former chairperson of the Uttar Pradesh Shia Central Waqf Board,Waseem Rizvi, has shot off a letter to the state government, seeking extension of its five-year tenure.
Online spiritual class
With pandemic hitting normal life, online classes by the schools are now making students to have a brush with spirituality. The move has been finalised to give students a break from the monotony of online classes. At one such session, talking about science and spirituality, Shiva Kumar of Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry spilled the pearls of wisdom for students of Jaipuria School enlightening them over spirituality blended with science and psychology. Lessons on physical, emotional, mental and spiritual capacity helped to bring about positive change in the personality were also imparted.
200-volume encyclopaedia on Ramayana
Yogi Adityanath government has decided to bring a first ever ‘Global encyclopaedia on Ramayana.’ Setting the rolling, the culture department has sought the external affairs ministry’s cooperation in compiling material on Ramayana from across the world. Over 200 countries on the globe would be approached for collection of relevant material for the project. The ‘Global encyclopaedia on Ramayana’ would have architecture of Ram era, folklores, ‘Ram leelas’, sculptures, lectures and other research works on the life and times of Ram.
namita bajpai
Our correspondent in Uttar Pradesh
namita.bajpai@newindianexpress