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He has Ram Lalla in his heart

In a country that bays for blood at the mention of Babri Masjid or Ram temple ? depending on which side of the rabble-rousers you are on ? here is an exception, reports BP Singh Deo.

Published on: Jan 15, 2007, 24:44:00 IST
None | By , Ayodhya
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In a country that bays for blood at the mention of Babri Masjid or Ram temple — depending on which side of the rabble-rousers you are on — here is an exception.

HT Image
HT Image

Mohammed Shahid Khan, who claims to be a family member of the Nizam of Hyderabad, reached Ayodhya on Sunday. He said he was "concerned over the condition of Ram Lalla" and said he would fund the puja in the makeshift structure and offer 1,100 "laddoos" to the deity everyday.

Khan said he is in no hurry to rush back — he will stay on for a few days to make sure his Ram Lalla is fine. He said he would form a new 'Ram Rahim Trust' and organise regular "mass kitchens" to feed the poor in the city.

Khan said he was unhappy with the politics over the temple construction in Ayodhya. Politics and religion should not be mixed, as all religious teach peace and harmony among mankind.

Khan called on the head priest of Ram Lalla, Swami Sateyndra Das Shastri.

Seraikella: He makes masks filled with emotions. And with his brushes and fingers, breathes life into one of the most extraordinary dance forms of the land, Seraikella Chhau.

Sushanta Kumar Mahapatra is a mask-maker no dancer can do without in Seraikella. This is a skill he inherited from his uncle. The skill, however, brings him little fame, and almost no money. Yet, he carries on the tradition. His taut face is in contrast to the life he manages to breathe into the masks.

"In Seraikella Chhau, it is the mask that narrates the story. Each dance is the projection of a particular mood or theme that is taken from mythology, nature, life or folk tales," says Sushanta.

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