A Muslim family in east Delhi observes Ram Navmi after fasting all eight days of Navratras
A Muslim family in east Delhi observes Ram Navmi after fasting all eight days of Navratras
Where religion ends, faith starts.
All her life Baby Naaz Khan has observed a fast during the holy month of Ramadan. But she continues it during Navratras too. Strange but true.
Power of faith: Baby Naaz Khan (C)with Neena Aggarwal (L)and Archana
Gupta performing kirtan at her Shakarpur residenceu00a0 on Wednesday.
PIC/RAJEEV TYAGI
Khan is a believer with a difference. Khan's friends Neena Aggarwal and Archana Gupta told me about the significance of keeping a fast in during Navratras and the importance of 'Jagdama Maa'. "This time I observed the festival fully and organised a kirtan at my home on the occasion of Ramnavmi on Wednesday," Khan told MiD DAY. The family that responds to calls for prayer from the nearby mosque everyday, reverberated with "Le lo le lo to dane annar kai, mere mata kai nau din bahar ke" on Wednesday.
When asked what she has to say about to those who spill blood in the name of religion, Khan said, "It doesn't take a philosopher to understand that religion cannot be an excuse to kill innocents. Religion is just a way of life. Observing Navratras doesn't make me a lesser Muslim or fasting during Ramadan doesn't make me a lesser Hindu."
Khan, 40, is a widow and lives with her son Danish and Nilofar at Shakarpur in east Delhi. They are the only Muslim family of their locality that observed the festival with so much fervour. "It is really heartening to see that a number of both Muslim and Hindu families supported me. We organized a three-hour long bhajan programme. My friends invited a priestess, Rama Devi, and there were pictures of Hindu gods andu00a0u00a0 goddesses," said Khan.
"It is not easy to persuade women to join kirtan at a Muslim household. But the sheer faith of Khan in Goddess Jagdamba ensured that there was no dearth of participants. I have been leading bhajans for the last 25 years and I have not seen a better believer," said Rama Devi.
Khan's friendsu00a0-- Neena and Archanau00a0-- also return the favour during Ramadan and observe 'roza' during the holy month. ''I have known her for the past 27 years and I feel proud of such a friend who is free of all biases," said Neena Aggarwal.
Danish, who was a bit skeptical initially about her mother's leanings, has now started supporting her. "My mother's faith made me stop cooking non-vegetarian food when she observe Navratras," he said.
Though majority of her family is still against her, yet Khan's unflinching faith keeps her go on and on.
ADVERTISEMENT
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
