In a dowry-free mass wedding ceremony organised at the Ijtema ground on the second day of State-level Ijtema (Islamic religious congregation), which has begun on Saturday at Kalapahada village under Aul block, about 150 couples got married. Hajrat Maulana Zulfukar conducted the wedding after Asr prayers.
In the Ijtema, the Islamic scholars from different States delivered sermons of Prophet Muhammad by throwing light on the holy Quran and its significance for achieving salvation. The three- day-long Ijtema will be concluded on Monday.
About 60,000 Muslims congregated in the Ijtema place on Sunday to listen to the religious sermons. Tight police arrangements were made in order to avert any untoward incident and maintain peace. As many as six platoons of police forces apart from one DSP, one ASP, 20 Sub Inspectors/Assistant Sub Inspectors, 4 Inspectors and 40 Home guards were deployed at the Ijtema site, stated SP Rabi Narayn Behera.
Similarly, three-day-long “Sunnato bhara” Ijtema has been going on at Mantripada under Derabish block. Several national level Islamic scholars have been participating in the Ijetma. Pilgrims from the State and Bihar came to attend the ceremony. Every day, about 10,000 devotees congregated there.