Hyderabad: Brisk preparations are on with great enthusiasm, religious zeal and fervour across the city for the Milad-un-Nabi procession which will be held on Sunday as part of the 1,500th birth anniversary celebrations of the Prophet Mohammed. Hyderabad, especially the Old City, has been decked up with green flags, banners and has been brightly illuminated.

Like every year, a number of programmes are being chalked out, including special conferences, big congregations, processions and Mehfil-e-Milad with great reverence and devotion will be arranged to pay respects to the last messenger of Islam, Prophet Mohammed, whose life and teachings are a beacon of light for mankind. This year, Muslims will organise a year-long celebrations witnessing 1,500 years of celebrations.

In the city, a total of 100 events are to be held on Sunday. These include 50-60 food distribution programmes, 12 Jalsa programmes and 38 other religious processions.

In a gesture aimed at fostering communal harmony, the Muslim community postponed the procession of Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi to September 14, which was to be taken out on September 5 (12 Rabi-ul-Awwal, as per Islamic calendar) as it was colliding with the Ganesh immersion procession. This is the third consecutive year that Hyderabad showed ‘Ganga-Jamuna Tehzeeb’, the mutual respect and the unity between Muslims and non-Muslims.

Several areas in the city are preparing to hold vast celebrations on Sunday. The city is being beautifully decorated. All arrangements are being finalised to celebrate in a befitting manner. Roads, streets and buildings in many parts of the city, especially Old City, are being decorated by the faithful with colourful lights and buntings.

Milad-un-Nabi is the most celebrated festival among Sunni Muslims. The processions will be taken out by singing salutations and verses in praise of Prophet Mohammed. A grand public meeting will be organised, addressed by Islamic scholars and intellectuals. Special arrangements would be made to ensure security of the processions.

The decoration of Yakutpura on Milad is famous across the city, where thousands visit from far away areas. Interestingly, people of all religions and castes will visit the areas to see the decoration and the exhibition of Islamic relics and Islamic structures.

Meanwhile, the religious heads have appealed to Muslims not to use DJs and music bands in processions, instead to utilise the money to feed the poor and needy on the day by setting up food langars.

The Markazi Milad Juloos Committee urged participants of the processions to not indulge in any behaviour that may be construed as objectionable, and to be mindful of passersby. Committee member, Hafiz Muzaffar Hussain strongly discouraged youth from performing stunts on two-wheelers.

“The Milad Juloos Committee has always appealed to not indulge in any sort of action that is against the Sharia,” he said, adding that the use of DJs during Milad celebrations is against Islamic law.

Meanwhile, on Thursday night the Markazi Milad Juloos Committee organized a Milad Dinner at Noori Shah Dargah in Old City. Hyderabad City Police Commissioner CV Anand was the chief guest of the programme.

On this occasion, the Commissioner expressed his gratitude to the people of Hyderabad, especially the residents of the Old City, for their continued cooperation. He said that the police have held detailed discussions with the officials of the Juloos Committee regarding the arrangements.

The commissioner said “The officers have been briefed on the measures to be taken. In the coming days as well, we will work to maintain peace and harmony in the city,” he said.

DCP South Zone Sneha Mehra, DCP South East Zone Chaitanya Kumar, and Traffic DCP Venkateshwarlu were also present.