Chhattisgarh Waqf Board reschedules Friday prayers on Holi, issues directives

Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], March 13 (ANI): The Chhattisgarh Waqf Board has decided to reschedule Namaz in mosques across the state this year, as Holi celebrations coincide with Friday prayers.
An official directive has been issued to all mosques regarding this change.
As per the directive, the Friday prayers, which are usually held between 12:30 PM and 1:00 PM, will now take place between 2:00 PM and 3:00 PM on March 14.
Speaking on the decision, Chhattisgarh Waqf Board Chairman Dr. Salim Raj said, "The Chhattisgarh State Waqf Board has decided that, considering the festival of Holi, Friday prayers will be held between 2:00 PM and 3:00 PM in all mosques. Previously, the prayers were conducted at 12:30 PM or 1:00 PM, but now they will be held later in all mosques across the state. Chhattisgarh has become the first state in the country to implement such a change in mosque prayer timings."
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, according to authorities, Friday Namaaz prayers in mosques in the cities of Haridwar in Uttarakhand and Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh have been postponed to the afternoon to avoid overlapping with Holika Dahan timings on March 14, the day of the Holi festival.
Haridwar Superintendent of Police Pankaj Gairola confirmed that a meeting with community representatives resulted in the decision to hold Friday prayers after 2:30 pm.
"We called representatives of both sides from the nearby Jwalapur area. A decision has been made that the Friday Namaz will be offered after 2.30 pm. The timings of Holika Dahan were also discussed... This was a successful meeting. If anyone tries to hamper the law and order situation, then strict action will be taken," SP Gairola said.
"Zones and sectors have been created in the entire district in which adequate police arrangements are being made," he said.
Maulana Arif Qasmi of Jamia Ulama Uttarakhand echoed the importance of peace, emphasizing the unity between Hindus and Muslims in the region.
"Because peace in the area is very important, both Hindus and Muslims have gathered here today. In our area, there has never been a situation of conflict. We have all decided that the Friday prayers in the city's mosques will be held at 2:30 pm," Maulana Qasmi said.
Similarly, in Gorakhpur, Mufti Munawwar Raza, the Imam of the Mubarak Khan Dargah, affirmed the significance of both religious observances and announced that Friday prayers would be held after 2 pm to avoid any conflict.
"Each prayer has its own significance. Now, since both festivals are falling on the same day, a meeting was held here, and it was decided that the prayer time will be set after 2 pm," he said. (ANI)