BY MOHD MAJID MALIK , BHADERWAH,MAY30—-MASJIDS in this Chenab valley are offering cool atmosphere this summer. Reasons: Much on the lines of worship places in the hot Middle-East, air-conditioners have made way into Masjids in Bhaderwah ,Doda,Thatri Kishtwar and Ramban .. While a Masjid in Doda city introduced the facility last year, in the latest, at least two more–one at Bhaderwah and Kishtwar have installed the ACs even as many more plan to go for the hi-tech but comparatively costly cooling, soon.
“Earlier there would be complaints that electric fans don’t provide requisite coolness amid hundreds of people on board, every floor. But now everyone offers prayers in literally cool environment,” said a local of Doda adding that four ACs have been installed for the 1000 odd square-feet area. “It’s really cooling to offer Prayers in such a congenial atmosphere,” hailed Saidullah a local.People at Jamia Masjid Ramban echoed similar views. “See this is something worth appreciating.
We are making the use of latest technology to upgrade our Masjids,” said a medico who regularly offers Namaz at the Masjid.All mosques in Bhaderwah would also go for the air conditioning soon.“Earlier I had some inhibitions whether or not it would be successful. But now that it’s doing well elsewhere here, we’ll Insha Allah go for it soon,” committee members said at Bhaderwah Pertinently last year Masjid- at Udhampur got air-conditioned when the Ab Quyoom Banday who is also a senior bureaucrat, pioneered the idea.Experts said the air-conditioning is done on parameters like cubic area, number of doors and windows of a Masjid.
“Normally a Masjid floor here needs four to six ACs,” said proprietor of Electric Solutions.Observers have a mixed reaction. Senior bureaucrats who for quite sometime has been frequently attending Masjid and shrine functions, links the air-conditioning with modernization. “Masjids across the world have such facilities but what needs to be looked into is the funding. If it (AC installation) is being done though collection of door-to-door donation then it’s not required. But if some localities are doing it out of affluency then its OK,” they said.