Indian interfaith religious leaders pray for global peace and harmony

Indian interfaith religious leaders offered collective prayers for global peace and harmony.

The Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah, a renowned Sufi shrine in Delhi, hosts thousands of visitors from various religious backgrounds during Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. Muslims worldwide observe it with fasting, communal prayer, and reflection.  

This month was marked by communal iftar "Sadbhavana" (goodwill in Hindi) gatherings where people of different faiths came together to break the fast, reflecting unity and brotherhood.

Muslims eat iftar, a meal, at sunset to break their fast during Ramadan. Eid al-Fitr (festival of breaking the fast) marks the end of the month-long Ramadan fast, celebrated by Muslims worldwide.

The dargah is known for its inclusive and interfaith atmosphere, especially during Ramadan.

On March 30, the Dargah Management Committee invited interfaith religious leaders—Divine Word Father Norbert Herman from the Catholic Church, an acharya from the Buddhist community, a religious leader from Parsi, and a religious leader from the Sikh community, along with a few well-wishers—to participate in the qawwali and iftar.

Qawwali is a form of Sufi Islamic devotional singing originating in India. Qawwali was originally performed at Sufi shrines or dargahs throughout the Indian subcontinent.

According to Father Herman, an avid promoter of interreligious dialogue in Delhi Archdiocese, interfaith gathering promotes fellowship and finds ways to work for common good, while promoting peace and harmony in the country.

The meal was followed by religious leaders offering blessings for the group’s collective well-being and performing intercessory prayers for global peace and harmony in the Dargah.

As a "bridging cultural practice," interfaith prayer created shared rituals that celebrated diversity and fostered mutual respect and understanding.

This inclusivity aligns with the Sufi tradition of love and harmony transcending religious boundaries.

A Dargah Management Committee, like the one for the Ajmer Sharif Dargah, is a statutory body, often constituted by the Indian Federal Ministry of Minority Affairs, responsible for managing and administering a dargah (a shrine of a Sufi saint).