Like other parts of India, the Ram Navami is being celebrated at a grand scale but what is different in West Bengal is that city is setting an example of communal harmony because the procession carried out on raths are being made by Muslims.
In the Muslim majority area in Kolkata’s Rajabazar area, men can be seen busy with tending horses, cleaning the seats of ‘tangas’, decorating horses so that they are transformed into raths which will carry idols.
Niraj Agarwal who is a representative of an organistaion in Howrah named Anjaniputra Sena told Hindustan Times, “We have hired a horse-driven carriage from Rajabazar which is being converted to a rath. Ram Durbar, having Lord Ram, Sita, Lakshman and Hanuman, will be on the decked-up rath.”
As many as three dozen raths have been booked by the organisers for the procession and all of them belong to members of minority community.
On participation of members from Muslim community in the festival, Agarwal said, “We are happy if our celebrations provide an opportunity for people of all religion to earn. We don’t care whether we are getting the Tanga from a Muslim or Hindu.”
As Ram Navmi is falling on April 5, many committees in Kolkata and various parts of the state, organise the processions and compete with each other. However, Anjaniputra Sena will take out the procession on April 9.
Mohammed Sajig who rides tanga said “We have three tangas and six horses. They are booked for the upcoming days in different parts of Kolkata and outside.”
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