Punjab

Mecca dioramas: Celebrating Eid-e-Milad

Boys stand in Mozang market area every day after school to collect funds to build dioramas to celebrate Eid-e-Milad.

Sher Khan February 10, 2011

LAHORE: Adnan Aslam, 12, and Muhammed Arsalan, 11, residents of Mozang, have been standing in the area market everyday after school for the last three days to collect funds to build dioramas to celebrate the Eid-e-Milad-un Nabi. The boys said they had collected Rs2,500 in these three days.

As Eid-e-Milad-un Nabi approaches, children in many city neighbourhoods start collecting funds to build dioramas of the mountains and settlements of Mecca and Madina as a cultural tradition. On 12 Rabi-ul-Awwal every year, young boys and girls display the dioramas in some cases built over several days. In some neighbourhoods these are judged by some of the elders including some clerics. The winning dioramas get a trophy and in some cases also some prizes.

Adnan hoped to win the trophy at the competition this year, which he said, was given by the Market Committee head.

Muhammed Ali, a 13-year-old student at the Cathedral School, was also seen collecting money for decorations. He said that money will be spent on building the model of the Kaaba and the Masji-i-Nabwi.

“I started participating in the competition since I was nine. My friends and I make a wonderful large model every year. Everyone loves it and it is a lot of fun,” said Ali.

Ali’s elder brother Usman Elahi said that the funds were also used to decorate the neighbourhood and the nearby market. He explained that typically the collections were used to buy toys to depict people, animals and transport in the models; lighting; decorations; and food to be distributed among children of the area. He said if some money was still left, it was contributed towards organisation of naat mehfils on the 12 Rabi-ul-Awwal.

Shaukhat Ali, a vendor in the market, said that the children’s passion for participating in the celebrations represented their respect for the day. “The adults participate because of the passion these children bring to the occasion,” he said. Temple Road has the biggest celebration and dioramas display in the city, he said. He said the tradition has been around for more than 20 years.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 10^th, 2011.

COMMENTS (13)

ismail | 13 years ago | Reply there was no concept of this 3rd (socalled) eid till 3rd hijri..and if it is existent.then y Khana kaba and Madine Munawwara are not decorated on 12 rabiulawwl???? y the native of the Holy cities do not celebrate this eid ??

Syed | 13 years ago | Reply millions of Pakistanis lost their home last year and are living under the skies, but we should spend the money on arrangement of naats. Its ironic, that on one hand in Pakistan there a dance troop training for Flash mobs, which is offcourse not in line with Islam, but their proceedings are going towards charity. While on the other hand we have so called “Islamic Tradition”(which by the way is also totally out of religion), where the proceedings are going towards arrangements of Naats. Subhan Allah. Money of the People, by the People, FOR the Mullahs!!!!

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Syed | 13 years ago | Reply @ Bilal Raza Qadri, Instead we have become like Punjab, where a Person whose job was to protect a person, breaks his oaths, and kills the very same person, and is regarded as hero !! right?? From the hand of the thieves to the hand of the dacoits.

Syed | 13 years ago | Reply millions of Pakistanis lost their home last year and are living under the skies, but we should spend the money on arrangement of naats. Its ironic, that on one hand in Pakistan there a dance troop training for Flash mobs, which is offcourse not in line with Islam, but their proceedings are going towards charity. While on the other hand we have so called "Islamic Tradition"(which by the way is also totally out of religion), where the proceedings are going towards arrangements of Naats. Subhan Allah. Money of the People, by the People, FOR the Mullahs!!!!

MAD | 13 years ago | Reply @Haseeb: I do. I wish I could say the same for you.

ajawai | 13 years ago | Reply @irfan ahmed: Don't you think your comment is bit extreme?

Bilal Raza Qadri | 13 years ago | Reply To compare children's fund raising for Miald with od terrorists i not fair. If the people who celeberate Milad wouldn't have resisted Taliban terrorists, the whole country would have become like Khyber Pakhtukhwa.

Naushad Shafkat | 13 years ago | Reply This Great Day, when the Prophet of Islam was born, is celebrated in a manner that would make him sad; in the poor areas of Karachi small lanes, by-lanes, streets and even roads are lit with literally thousands, yes I repeat thousands, of 100 watt electric bulbs making the streets glow and shine - all this with stolen electricity from hooks (kundas). This in the name of a man who would not even build a mosque unless he had paid the owners of the land it was to be built on. It is celebrated most vociferously by those who say that they do not believe in celebrating birthdays and refuse to eat even a bite of their own children's birthday cake 'as it is a Christian custom'. Most of those herded by the Mullahs to swell their numbers do not even know what they are there for (as in most gatherings by the religious parties be it for Namoos-e-Risaalat, against the price hike or for simple sister Afia). Years ago my Islamic Jurisprudence teacher the Late Mr. Kemal Faruki (Allah Bless his soul) a renowned Islamic scholar, had said that he always thanked God that the Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H.) was born and buried in Arabia for he shuddered to think what would we have done had it been in our part of the world. I did not understand what he said then. Seeing what is happening now it too feel the same. May ALLAH have mercy upon us all! Amen!

Dee-va | 13 years ago | Reply Wow. Just like Christmas huh. Where everyone makes nativity scenes. What are we doing.....

Haseeb | 13 years ago | Reply @MAD: Only if you knew Islamic history.

Shalom | 13 years ago | Reply some time comments of readers show how ignorant they are about the culture and issues

irfan ahmed | 13 years ago | Reply This is how the religious fanatics capture their future foot soldiers,they start off by getting small children busy in fund raising for such rituals which trains them for fund raising for financing terrorist operations later on.

MAD | 13 years ago | Reply There are only two Eid's. where did this 3rd come from????

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