Lokmat News Network
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
Every year, the Tablighi Jamaat organises a district-level Ijtema near the city. This year, the congregation will be held at Kasabkheda-Raipur, just 36 km away from the city, and more than one and a half lakh devotees are expected to attend. The preparations for the necessary arrangements have been underway for the past two months. The local residents mentioned that the Ijtema will be held on 350-acre land.
Organising Ijtema at the state and national levels has become challenging for the organisers. As a result, for the past few years, district-level Ijtemas have been organised. For the Ijtema in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district, a grand 1,000 by 1,000-meter pavilion is being set up. Arrangements will be made to accommodate devotees from each taluka. There will be parking facilities at nine different locations, and each taluka will have its own designated area. To reach the Ijtema site, there are four to five major roads. Devotees will arrive via Kasabkheda, A S Club, Raipur-Lasur, Lasur-Devgaon, Raipur-Maliwadgaon, and Kasabkheda-Potul road routes.
A farm pond (shet tale) with a capacity of 40 lakh litres has been created, and drinking water will be supplied through two wells. Two places will be set up as 'Wazukhana' for the devotees to wash their hands and feet. Thousands of volunteers come daily for the preparation of the Ijtema, working throughout the day and leaving afterward. On all three days of the Ijtema, different religious leaders will provide guidance. Devotees will offer the five daily prayers at the venue during these three days.
Preparation for two months
Every year, more devotees attend the district-level Ijtema than expected. Therefore, this year, a larger space has been selected. To ensure that the devotees do not face any difficulty while commuting, Raipur village, which is centrally located, has been chosen as the venue, as stated by some responsible officials.
85% of the land belongs to Hindu farmers
The land where the Ijtema is being held in Raipur consists of 85% owned by Hindu families. Two months ago, the organisers met with various farmers and landowners. They readily agreed to donate their entire land for the event, free of charge. Many of the farmers had crops on their land, and seeing the support from the Hindu community, the organisers were deeply moved.