A Hindu engineer on holiday in India’s southern Kerala state has paid for a mosque to be restored after local Muslims failed to raise funds before Ramadan.
P V Soorya Narayanan, 58, was visiting his ancestral home in Vattaloor in Malappuram last month when he noticed the decaying walls of the neighbourhood mosque, Masjidul Ummarul Farook.
Mr Narayanan, who works in Qatar as an engineer, met mosque officials to inquire about the dilapidated condition of the building's dilapidated condition, and offered more than $660 to have it painted and repaired.
“It is customary for the mosques in Kerala, in fact across the world, to get cleaned and painted before Ramadan but due to the pandemic and shortage of funds, the mosque could not be painted,” Manzoor Palliparambil, general secretary of the mosque, told The National.
“His family lives near the mosque. He asked his cousin, who runs a construction firm, to get the mosque painted and paid for the services.”
Mr Narayanan’s contribution to the mosque is a rare but not uncommon gesture in India, where tension between Hindus and Muslims is rising.
Last month, a Muslim businessman donated land worth millions of rupees for a Hindu temple touted as the world’s tallest religious monument, in eastern Bihar state.
But animosity is soaring in neighbouring Karnataka, where Hindu groups have tried to prevent Muslims from following Islamic customs such as wearing hijab and eating halal meat.
Muslims have also been barred from doing business near Hindu temples.
Hindu groups in the coastal state have also objected to the use of loudspeakers for azaan, the daily call for prayer, at mosques in recent weeks.
But Mr Palliparambil called Mr Narayanan’s gesture an example of the “Kerala model” of development to preserve and promote communal harmony and social justice.
Kerala, which has more than 36 million residents, is a Hindu-dominated state, with Muslim and Christian populations at nearly 45 per cent.
The tiny state is ruled by a left-leaning government and largely remains unaffected by the sectarian strife elsewhere in the country.
“He has set an example of communal harmony in the state … Hindus and Muslims live peacefully here and it is not rare for people from other communities to help each other,” Mr Palliparambil said.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Pearls on a Branch: Oral Tales
Najlaa Khoury, Archipelago Books
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
What is a black hole?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
