Hectic preparations are underway, with the government, administration, and volunteers collaborating to host the 77th edition of the globally recognised Aalami Tablighi Ijtema at village Eintkhedi on the outskirts of the state capital.
The theme this year focuses on the curtailment of single-use plastics, which remain banned at the Ijtemagah, or the congregation grounds. Organisers say the only exception will be plastic water bottles, which will later be collected, crushed into blocks on-site, and dispatched to a recycling facility. A recycling plant is being installed at the Ijtemagah for this purpose.Preparations for the congregation, which draws participation from community members across the globe, are currently in full swing at Eintkhedi, under the watchful eye of the members of the organising committee.
The building of a 300-acre Shamiana is complete, and teams of volunteers are working round the clock to ensure all arrangements are in place before the start of the religious event, one of the largest in the world.
Omar Hafeez, official spokesperson of the Ijtema committee, says that the real-time data on the number of devotees attending the sermons inside the Shamiana complex is close to 100,000. Hafeez, however, stops short of hazarding a guess on the total number of devotees, as many listen to the discourse from outside the Shamiana complex."It will not be possible for me to guess that number or the number participating in the Dua (prayers) which marks the conclusion of the four-day event," he says.
Speaking of amenities at the Ijtemagah this year, Hafeez says that the Ijtema preparations span a total of 600 acres. While participants will be accommodated in the 300-acre Shamiana complex, another 300 acres have been earmarked for parking and other facilities.The amenities this year include subsidised meals at the four conveniently located food zones at the venue, extensive medical facilities—provided by the Ministry of Ayush—and extensive transport facilities provided by the district administration. The organising committee has requisitioned 400 buses from the transport department this year. Arrival and departure facilitation will be provided to guests at all railway stations, bus stands, and Raja Bhoj Airport.
Local transport services will be augmented by a huge voluntary effort from city residents, who ply their private vehicles between the city and the Eintkhedi Ijtemagah.
The voluntary effort—by city residents cutting across community lines—has seen a huge surge in recent years, with residents serving water, food, and snacks to passersby along the route to the Ijtemagah.
The effort is a tribute to the Tablighi Jamaat elders, who have dedicated their lives to inculcating followers with a sense of Khidmat-e-Khalq, or service to humanity, as a cornerstone of their faith. The organising committee is all praise for the support from the police, district administration, state government, and volunteers, without whose participation an event of this magnitude would not be possible, says Hafeez.
The annual event is scheduled to begin on November 29. The four-day event will conclude with a Dua, or prayers, on December 2.
