Ludhiana mosque project starts with Guru's blessings

LUDHIANA: In a fine example of communal harmony, the first 13 bricks for building a mosque were on Saturday blessed at Gurdwara Rai Patti of Pherurian in a combined Ardas and Dua before the village Sikhs and Muslims carried those to the construction site with respect. Sikhs are major contributors of money and material to the project.
Gurdwara president Iqbal Singh said: "We had a gurdwara and temple in the village and wanted a mosque as well. The work started from a gurdwara to promote Punjab-like communal harmony and brotherhood across the country. The village celebrates all the festivals together." The Sikhs who committed their money to the project include NRIs, besides Sant Baba Gurcharan Singh of Nanaksar. The Sikh-dominated village of 1,400 voters has just four Muslim families.

Inderjit Singh, a Muslim from the village, said: "We longed for a mosque in the village, for which we bought 4.5-biswa land for Rs 1.75 lakh about 10 years ago but did not have the resources to start the work until now." He said: "After the prayers at the gurdwara, the Sikh brothers carried the bricks with us. The mosque will be ready in a year and quicker if we get more help. Sikhs have been our major contributors." The outsiders are all praise for the villagers of Pherurian.
Nathowal villager Mansa Khan of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said: "Sikhs have helped build many mosques in Ludhiana and Raikot areas. We are proud of this tradition of communal harmony."