‘Sense of amity’: Patna temple, mosque set example amid loudspeaker row

In the midst of a row over use of loudspeakers at religious places, a temple and a mosque in Patna - 50 metres apart from each other - have reached a mutual understanding over the timings of use of loudspeaker in a show of peaceful coexistence and communal harmony. The temple turns off its loudspeakers during Azaan timings while the mosque takes care of temple devotees as a mark of reverence towards each other, news agency ANI reported on Sunday.

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“Neither we've a problem with Azaan nor do they have an issue with Bhajan-Kirtan. We maintain brotherhood among us and often help each other,” temple chairman Kishor Kunal said. The mosque head said that it “offered Sharbat (a refreshing drink) to devotees coming to the temple on Ram Navami.” “Loudspeakers in temples play Bhajan-Kirtan throughout the day but are turned off during Azaan as a mark of respect. There's a sense of amity,” he was quoted as saying by ANI.

The story surfaces at a time when the Uttar Pradesh government removed as many as 45,773 loudspeakers from various places of worship during a statewide drive on Saturday. The state’s home department had on April 23 issued orders to remove loudspeakers from religious places.

Meanwhile in Maharashtra, MNS chief Raj Thackeray will hold a mega rally in Aurangabad on Sunday amid the ongoing loudspeaker row in the state. The MNS chief last month tried to corner the Sena-NCP-Congress government in Maharashtra by demanding that loudspeakers on mosques be removed, and warned that he will "play the Hanuman Chalisa in front of mosques at a louder volume" if the demand was not met.

(With inputs from ANI)