Grand festivities mark Milad-un-Nabi in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: Prophet Mohammed’s birth anniversary was celebrated in a grand manner in the city on Sunday.

Apart from charity events like blood donation camps, mass marriages for the poor and free distribution of food, huge rallies were taken out from Mecca Masjid to Moghalpura via Madina and Miralam Mandi.

Around 130 organisations under the Sunni United Forum of India (SUFI) participated in the celebrations, and conducted various programmes.

The rally started from Mecca Masjid in Old City, proceeding towards Madina, Salarjung Museum, Miralam Mandi, and ended at Moghalpura grounds with special prayers. Nearly 40,000 vehicles and a lakh of people participated in the two main processions on Sunday.

The rally was flagged off by Moulana Ibrahim Pasha, Mutawalli of Qadri Chaman Dargah, Moulana Qubool Pasha Khattari, Moulana Murtuza pasha and Syed Zaheeruddin Sufi who urged people to move peacefully and told them to pray for peace and love.

“Around 1,060 units of blood were donated in the camps conducted by the SUFI organisations during the last couple of days, marriages of poor girls, food distribution camps, and other charities were part of the celebrations,” said SUFI spokesperson Mohamm-ed Nizamuddin Siddiqui.

The food, fruit and sweets donation programmes started after the early morning prayers, said Mr Afroze, a volunteer who was distributing ice-creams near Charminar.

Other than mass celebrations, people enjoyed “kheer poori”, a special dish made for Milad-un-Nabi at their homes.

Mass gatherings at Darussalam and several other places of Old City were conducted for religious meetings and poetry.