Hyderabad: Siddiqui a shining example of Ganga Jamuni Tehzeeb

Hyderabad : A devout Muslim Mohammed Meher Siddiqui’s fondness towards Lord Ganesh and his involvement in the festival has set a perfect example of ‘Ganga Jamuni Tehzeeb’ of Hyderabad.

Popularly known as ‘Ramnagar Siddiqui’ by virtue of the Ganesh Pandal in the locality, Mohammad Meher Siddiqui has become an inspiration for the pandal organisers in the city. The association of Siddiqui with the Ganapati festival started way back in 2007 when he had some personal problems. He prayed before Lord Ganesh at his friend’s pandal to solve all the problems he was facing. With his problems being solved, Siddiqui started installing the Ganesh idol in 2007. “Initially we had a small idol but from the year 2011, the size of the idol increased and today we are no match in terms of organising the Ganeshotsav,” said Siddiqui.

He credits the success of the Ganeshotsav to his friends. “We are a group of 100 members, and we do not seek ‘chanda’ from the public. We contribute between ourselves and come up with the best plan. Every year we have different themes, which attract a lot of people from different parts of the city,” said Siddiqui. He says that there is no compromise on the arrangements as the expectation of the people increases a lot. “We don’t compromise on anything. We offer a laddu of 369 kgs and this is placed on the hand of Lord Ganesh. We plan in and tell the artists in advance to make a strong base,” said Siddiqui. Besides the installation of Ganapati, they take up pooja two times a day and there will be a maha Aarati on Saturdays and Sundays (being a holiday for many) and organises Annadanam on this Saturday.

The pandal has been popular among the devotees as they watch it on social media. Siddiqui said that they were the first in the city to take up Shri Ganesh Aagaman, which is popular in Mumbai. This year the organisers are planning for a grand immersion programme by inviting Aghoris and Pune Dhol Tasha Pathak.

When asked about idol worship being banned in Islam, Siddiqui said that no religion teaches differences. “Even my friends visit our pandal and they also enjoy being part of the festival. I have a group of 70 to 80 friends and they never objected to me worshiping Lord Ganesh. In fact, they also participate and enjoy,” he said. He suggested the youth not to fall prey to the political leaders’ provocative comments. He said that along with Hindu festivals, they also celebrate Muslim festivals with unity. They organise Iftar parties for us during the holy month of Ramzan, said Siddiqui.