LUCKNOW: With a colour theme of the national flag, volunteers wearing skull caps, turbans and some with chandan tilak stood in unison to serve a pleasant surprise at the all-community Bada Mangal bhandara on Tuesday. Putting religious affiliations at bay to the bhandara upheld the Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb of the city.
“It is symbolic of our city and the initiative reminds of our joint heritage,” said retired officer
Prem Shukla, who stopped his vehicle midway when the words ‘
all community’ caught his attention.
Attending the bhandara organised by
Shoulder to Shoulder (
S2S) as a volunteer was Maulana Kalbe Sadiq, senior vice president of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB). Bonding over traditional puri-sabzi, laddoos and boondi,
Nashit Mukhtar said, “I came specially to the bhandara with my office group during lunch hours as there is no feeling of religious difference among us.”
Student Swapnil Gupta said, “There is nothing strange in accepting food from a Muslim or person of any religion and these notions need to be reviewed time and again.”
Organised outside Maqbara Sadat Ali Khan in the vicinity of Parivartan Chowk, volunteers of all religions and faiths came together to serve as well as to partake the offerings of the bhandara.