Hyderabad: Ahead of Shab-e-Barat, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation commenced cleaning of Muslims graveyards across the city. Following the call for tenders for works on Thursday, the public representatives make sure that contractors have undertaken tasks, including cleaning debris, cutting overgrown bushes and clearing garbage in corners of the yards along with equipping lights and water facilities for visitors.
The ceremonial Islamic festival of Shab-e-Barat, also known as ‘jagne ki raat’, is scheduled for Friday night. Thousands of Muslims will visit graveyards to pray for the well-being of their dear ones who have departed.
Yakutpura MLA Jaffar Hussain Meraj went round graveyards in the constituency. He inspected the works at the graveyard in Rein Bazar, Kurmaguda, Santoshnagar along with corporators and GHCM officials. He ensured that the graveyards were cleaned and well-maintained ahead of Shab-e-Barat.
Hussain said, “The tender was called on Thursday, and the cleaning works begin on Friday. The works include white washing the boundary walls.” He ensured that the graveyards will be lit up for visitors.However, in majority of graveyards in other areas, cleaning has not been completed on time. Mohammed Ahmed, an Old City activist, said several graveyards in the city were not cleaned. In Misri Gunj, Bahadurprura, the works are yet to be started.
Meanwhile, the government announced a holiday for Shab-e-Barat which is observed on the 15th of Shaban, the eighth month in the Islamic calendar. Although the government, in its calendar, announced a holiday for Shab-e-Barat on February 14, it has been listed under optional holidays and not as a general one.
