Denied entry into Masjid, Muslim women offer Namaz in Hindu Temple!

November 23, 2014

Agra, Nov 23: They came from Iran to Agra to see Taj Mahal, the monument of love. But, they had to go to a Hindu temple to offer Namaz! When the Muslims of Agra failed to arrange a place to offer prayers for the two Muslim women tourists, Hindus welcomed them to the Hanuman temple, cleaned the floor and allowed them to offer Namaz.

The Iranian women after visiting Taj Mahal turned toward the market. When the duo realized that it was time for “namaz”, they started frantically looking for a place to offer prayers, but did not find one.

Even though they found a Masjid, there was no permission for women to enter the Masjid. Their inquiries about a place where they could offer prayers failed to yield any results. The locals did not understand their language.

Meanwhile, flower-sellers near a Hanuman Temple close to the Taj Mahal understood their problem when the women approached them, sources said.

Flower-seller Shravan Kumar managed to convey to them that they could, if they wanted, offer “namaz” in the corridors of the temple, which was closed at that time.

Kumar arranged pages of newspapers and also cleaned the floor for the women to offer prayers. The women then left after thanking the flower seller and others.

The priest of the Hanuman Temple also gave green signal to offer Namaz inside the temple saying that there should not be any restrictions on offering prayers.

Maulana Kahlid, a local Muslim cleric, appreciated the gesture of the local Hindus. “This shows that Hindus in general are not communal. We should be grateful to Hinds for their kindness” he said.

He also lamented that most of the Masjids in India denied entry for women. “Islam has allowed women to go to Masjid and offer namaz. Women in most of the Muslim countries go to Masjid. However, in some countries like India, Pakistan and Bangladesh women are not allowed to entre Masjids thanks to ignorance among Muslims,” he said.

Comments

Add new comment

Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.

Elusive bamboo shrimp resurfaces in Mangaluru estuary after 70 years

News Network

December 7,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 7: A rare bamboo shrimp has been rediscovered on mainland India more than 70 years after it was last reported, confirming for the first time the presence of Atyopsis spinipes in the country. The find was made by researchers from the Centre for Climate Change Studies at Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, during surveys in Karnataka and Odisha.

The team — shrimp expert Dr S Prakash, PhD scholar K Kunjulakshmi, and Mangaluru-based researcher Maclean Antony Santos — combined field surveys, ecological assessments and DNA analysis to identify the elusive species. Their findings, published in Zootaxa, resolve decades of taxonomic confusion stemming from a 1951 report that misidentified the species as Atyopsis moluccensis without strong evidence.

The shrimp has now been confirmed at two locations: the Mulki–Pavanje estuary near Mangaluru and the Kuakhai River in Bhubaneswar. Historical specimens from the Andaman Islands, previously labelled as A. moluccensis, were also found to be misidentified and actually belong to A. spinipes.

The rediscovery began after an aquarium hobbyist in Odisha spotted a shrimp in 2022, prompting systematic surveys across Udupi, Karwar and Mangaluru. Four female specimens were collected in Mulki and one in Odisha, all genetically matching.

Researchers warn the species may exist in very small, vulnerable populations as freshwater habitats face increasing pressure from pollution, sand mining and infrastructure development. All verified specimens have been deposited with the Zoological Survey of India for future reference.

Comments