BHUBANESWAR, ORISSA, INDIA, September 13, 2005: Lord Ganesha is no longer just a Hindu deity in Orissa. A mosque-like structure has been constructed as a marquee at a puja pandal and the Quran has been chanted during the procession for immersion of the icon. This particular Ganesha puja was celebrated for 20 days! The Orissa Muslims have been celebrating Ganesha puja for over 10 years in Bhubaneswar, in a rare show of communal amity and fraternal between Hindus and Muslims. A group of Muslims, mostly fishermen, have been organizing prayers for Lord Ganesha. They have formed a Jawan Matsya Byabasayi Sangha Puja Committee and have been performing this prayer ritual for the last 12 years. Local Hindus help them in the celebration. There are a few differences in the manner in which the puja is conducted. While the Ganesha icon is immersed on the same or next day as a practice in other places, the Muslims continue the festivities for 20 days. And during the immersion procession some lines from the Quran are chanted and prayers held for about two hours. “We perform all the Hindu rituals while the God is on marquee,” revealed Abid Hussain, a functionary of the Puja committee. This year’s Ganesh festival has a 40 ft marquee complete with tombs and minarets. Committee members, all Muslims clad in roza (period of fasting) dresses, have been chanting Ganesha chants every day and distributing prasad made of coconut, milk and paneer to visitors.
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