Indore:

Madhya Pradesh’s Indore witnessed a heart-warming scene of communal harmony as a Hindu family transported the city Qazi to the main Idgah in a horse carriage for the Eid-ul-Fitr prayers in keeping with a 50-year-old tradition.

According to eyewitnesses, Satyanarayan Salvadia, a city resident, picked up city Qazi Mohammad Ishrat Ali from his Rajmohalla residence and took him to the main Idgah in Sadar Bazar in a horse carriage and dropped him home after the mass prayers.

Talking to reporters, Salvadia said his father, Ramchandra Salvadia, started the tradition about 50 years ago, and he has been taking it forward after the latter’s death in 2017.

“Through this tradition, we wish to give the message of brotherhood to the people of this city. My family will always maintain this tradition,” he said.

Indore is the only city in the country where a Hindu family takes Shahar Qazi to the Idgah with full respect for Eid prayers, Shahar Qazi Mohammad Ishrat Ali said, while appealing to youngsters to not view the world through the lens of politics but from a social perspective.

As people gathered to offer Eid prayers in the city, some sported black bands on their arms, and one of them said the gesture to remember Palestinians who were facing “oppression”.

Madhya Pradesh Congress president Jeetu Patwari reached the main Idgah in Sadar Bazar and extended his wishes to Shahar Qazi Ishrat Ali.

Talking to PTI, Patwari said Eid is associated with India’s Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb (harmony), which also gives the message of love for the country.

“People who talk about hatred cannot be patriots. The public should make such people understand and bring out their real face before the country,” he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)