All-religion group to set up Bada Mangal bhandara

LUCKNOW: After organising joint Shia-Sunni namaz in the city on the occasion of Eid ul Azha, with the aim of dispelling communal tension between the two communities, Lucknow will take the cause of harmony further on Tuesday with an all-religion Bada Mangal Bhandara from 10am outside Oudh Gymkhana Club in Qaiserbagh.
In step with the city's tradition of placing humanity above religious affiliations, Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs and Christians will all take part in the bhandara serving puri sabzi and laddoo and reaching out to people of all faiths.To be organised by Shoulder to Shoulder (S2S), a citizen driven initiative that works for communal harmony, the effort has earlier seen Muslims serving langar at Gurudwara and a roza iftar organised by Sikhs.
“Volunteers of all religions will come together to serve the devotees. Contribution has come in from people of all faiths and this is what tehzeeb in Lucknow stands for,” said Asif Khan, member of S2S. “The idea is to bring people closer without prejudice, so the bhandara is open to all even as volunteers,” he added.