Bhopal, January 27 (Pervez Bari): Following close on the heels of the news coming that a Gulf-based NRI is building a Masjid in Kerala, here now comes the news of a Mumbai-based Muslim who has constructed a Mandir in Rajasthan.
The Ganeshdham Mandir, near fortress of Ranthambore, a Project tiger reserve, which in turn is near Sawai Madhopur has come up. The Mandir has been constructed by an industrialist Mr. Ashiqali Nathani. The Mandir is scheduled to be inaugurated today i.e., 27 January and thrown open to the public the next day. According to Mr. Ashiqali, once travelling from Jaipur to Mumbai, one of the directors of his company suggested him to visit the Ganeshdham Mandir in Sawai Madhopur. When he visited the temple, it was in utter ruins and in a very bad shape. Then and there he decided to get the Ganeshdham Mandir reconstructed all over again and the ashram for Maharaj Prabhudasji of the temple and other devotees of Sawai Madhopur.
Today by the initiative of Mr. Ashiqali Nathani the Mandir and the Ashram is complete and is ready to be dedicated to the people. Mr. Ashiqali told this Correspondent that the Mandir shall be inaugurated by Bhopal-based and one of the senior most distinguished Congress leader Mr. Aziz Qureshi, who is an ex-Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) & former Minister of Madhya Pradesh, on January 27 at 11.30 a.m. The inaugural function would be presided over by MLA of Sawai Madhopur Mr. Allauddin Azad.
Meanwhile, a word about Prabhudasji Maharaj. He was born in Bonli near Sawai Madhopur. When young he went to Bikaner and studied Ayurveda and other Ayurvedic medicines. He then decided to take “Sanyas” and left his home and went to the jungles of Ranthambore near Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan. There he did “Tapasya” (penance) for 30 long years amidst tigers and other wild animals. The place where he did his “Tapasya” for 30 years is known as “Tapobhoomi”.
On the persuasion and the help of Mr. Rajiv Gandhi, who was a regular visitor to the Ranthambore jungle, Prabhudasji Maharaj, fondly called as “Babaji” by the local devotees, came out of the jungle and a plot near Ranthambore tiger reserve was allotted to him. There he sat under a tree and started doing “Tapasya” at the same place where Ganeshdham Mandir is located today. Prabhudasji Maharaj has been conferred the crown of Sri Mahant by the Shankarachrya.
Meanwhile, it may be mentioned here that born in Karachi, Pakistan, Mr. Ashiqali Nathani’s family migrated to India in 1950 and settled in Hyderabad (Secunderabad). At the age of four-and-half-years, Mr. Ashiqali Nathani went to the United Kingdom with his uncle Mr. Sadiqali and settled at Swindon near London. Educated in London and had his own business of import of leather and leather products. In the year 1985 Mr. Ashiqali Nathani with his family then migrated to the United States of America for promoting his business. There Mr. Nathani started his business for Leasing and Finance and has also given lectures on finance in many universities of the United States of America.
After making his business of Import and Finance and Leasing successful and on the invitation of the then Prime Minister Mr. P. V. Narasimha Rao, Mr. Ashiqali Nathani came to India in 1996 to bring finance and infra-structure. When he saw that the Indian people were facing shortage of power and the whole country was suffering from power related problems he decided to come into power sector for the betterment of the nation by providing cheap electricity to Indian citizens and to the Indian industries. Thus, Tiana Power Project Pvt. Ltd. came into existence. Under the Tiana Power Project Pvt. Ltd. other companies like Tiana Impex, Tiana Infra, Tiana Shipping, Tiana Leasing and Finance are taking shape.
It may be pointed out here that a Qatar-based Hindu businessman is constructing a mosque in Kerala with the aim of promoting communal harmony. He claims that it will be the first mosque to be built in the state by a Hindu in over 1,200 years.
The construction is going on. The mosque will be ready in two-three months. Over 400 people can offer prayers in that mosque at a time. It is being built by Cheril Krishna Menon, a prominent NRI businessman in the Gulf. The mosque is coming up in Kozhikode.
Menon, who is chairman and managing director of the Doha-headquartered Behzad Group of Companies, is reported to have taken approval from Muslim scholars and religious leaders for building the mosque. (pervezbari@eth.net)