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 Gulf-based Hindu builds mosque in Kerala
A Qatar-based Hindu businessman is
constructing a mosque in Kerala with the aim of promoting communal
harmony. He claims it will be the first mosque
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Bhopal:
Close on the heels of the news coming that a Gulf-based NRI is
building a Masjid in Kerala, here comes the news of a Mumbai-based
Muslim who has constructed a Mandir in Rajasthan.
The Ganeshdham Mandir, near fortress of Ranthambore, a Project
tiger reserve, which in turn is near Sawai Madhopur has come up.
The Mandir has been constructed by an industrialist Ashiqali
Nathani. The Mandir is scheduled to be inaugurated on January 27
and thrown open to the public the next day.
According to Ashiqali, once
travelling from Jaipur to Mumbai, one of the directors of his
company suggested him to visit the Ganeshdham Mandir in Sawai
Madhopur. When he visited the temple, it was in utter ruins and in
a very bad shape. Then and there he decided to get the Ganeshdham
Mandir reconstructed all over again and the ashram for Maharaj
Prabhudasji of the temple and other devotees of Sawai Madhopur.
Today by the initiative of Ashiqali Nathani the Mandir and
the Ashram is complete and is ready to be dedicated to the people. Ashiqali told this Correspondent that the Mandir
shall be inaugurated by Bhopal-based and one of the senior most
distinguished Congress leader Aziz Qureshi, who is an
ex-Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) & former Minister of Madhya
Pradesh, on January 27 at 11.30 a.m. The inaugural function would
be presided over by MLA of Sawai Madhopur Allauddin Azad.
Meanwhile, a word about Prabhudasji Maharaj. He was born in Bonli
near Sawai Madhopur. When young he went to Bikaner and studied
Ayurveda and other Ayurvedic medicines. He then decided to take
“Sanyas” and left his home and went to the jungles of Ranthambore
near Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan. There he did "Tapasya" (penance)
for 30 long years amidst tigers and other wild animals. The place
where he did his "Tapasya" for 30 years is known as “Tapobhoomi”.
On the persuasion and the help of Rajiv Gandhi, who was a
regular visitor to the Ranthambore jungle, Prabhudasji Maharaj,
fondly called as "Babaji" by the local devotees, came out of the
jungle and a plot near Ranthambore tiger reserve was allotted to
him. There he sat under a tree and started doing "Tapasya" at the
same place where Ganeshdham Mandir is located today. Prabhudasji
Maharaj has been conferred the crown of Sri Mahant by the
Shankarachrya.
Meanwhile, it may be mentioned here that born in Karachi,
Pakistan, Ashiqali Nathani’s family migrated to India in 1950
and settled in Hyderabad (Secunderabad). At the age of
four-and-half-years, Ashiqali Nathani went to the United
Kingdom with his uncle Sadiqali and settled at Swindon near
London. Educated in London and had his own business of import of
leather and leather products. In the year 1985 Ashiqali
Nathani with his family then migrated to the United States of
America for promoting his business. There Nathani started his
business for Leasing and Finance and has also given lectures on
finance in many universities of the United States of America.
After making his business of Import and Finance and Leasing
successful and on the invitation of the then Prime Minister P.
V. Narasimha Rao, Ashiqali Nathani came to India in 1996 to
bring finance and infra-structure. When he saw that the Indian
people were facing shortage of power and the whole country was
suffering from power related problems he decided to come into
power sector for the betterment of the nation by providing cheap
electricity to Indian citizens and to the Indian industries. Thus,
Tiana Power Project Pvt. Ltd. came into existence. Under the Tiana
Power Project Pvt. Ltd. other companies like Tiana Impex, Tiana
Infra, Tiana Shipping, Tiana Leasing and Finance are taking shape.
It may be pointed out here that a Qatar-based Hindu businessman is
constructing a mosque in Kerala with the aim of promoting communal
harmony. He claims that it will be the first mosque to be built in
the state by a Hindu in over 1,200 years.
The construction is going on. The mosque will be ready in
two-three months. Over 400 people can offer prayers in that mosque
at a time. It is being built by Cheril Krishna Menon, a prominent
NRI businessman in the Gulf. The mosque is coming up in Kozhikode.
Menon, who is chairman and managing director of the
Doha-headquartered Behzad Group of Companies, is reported to have
taken approval from Muslim scholars and religious leaders for
building the mosque.
(pervezbari@eth.net)
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