20, Mar 2025 | Syed Ali Mujtaba

Chennai: Let’s celebrate this incredible story of compassion, faith, and togetherness in India! In the heart of Chennai city, a temple called ‘Sufi Dar’ has been serving ‘Iftar’ to the Muslims throughout Ramadan for the last 40 years or so.

The scene at the Wallajah Mosque in Triplicane is electrifying. Volunteers from the Sufi Dar temple located in Mylapore come to the Big Mosque every evening with the eatables for ‘Iftar’.

Amidst the systematic hate leading to growing anger and despair, it is important to showcase a lived reality of camaraderie, equality and sharing which is the bedrock of the Indian Constitution and secularism. That way we not only hold on to every thread of hope, but effectively project these narratives, lest we lose our will to fight the good fight. As part of our #EverydayHarmony series, CJP brings you instances where Indians share and care, every single day… our food, our businesses, our homes and our friendships. This instances show how we Indians continue to reject hateful and divisive agendas even while street violence and social media are used as part of a sinister, hate-filled political agenda to tell us otherwise. Let’s reinforce India’s everyday lived reality, and through that collectively and aggressively, uphold and defend a unique pluralism, a diverse culture and truly secular values. Donate now to help us combat hate and prejudice!

The volunteers, respectfully donning traditional Muslim caps, serve the fasting Muslims to break their fast. They help them with water bottles and dates to break the fast which is for 13 to 14 hours in this part of the world.   

Every evening the Sufi Dar volunteers come carrying colorful buckets filled with eatables to the big mosque. They bring items like; fruit, milk, cooked rice, sweets, dates, watermelon, and packaged water.

“Each day we change the menu and give vegetable biriyani, channa rice, pulao, cauliflower rice etc,” said Harish Makkar, one of the volunteers from the Sufi Dar.  “Some 1000- 1200 Muslims gather daily at the mosque to break their fast. Volunteers or ‘sevadars’ from the Sufi Dar have been serving them faithfully for nearly four decades,” he adds.

 “The Muslim brothers appreciate our activity, the sevadar (volunteer) said”, adding, “We do this as a service and with the motive that compassion knows no religion.”

“The important thing about our activity is the leftover food is distributed among the Hindu destitute who gather in large numbers every evening outside the mosque,” the volunteer explained.  

As one enters the Sufi Dar, one is overwhelmed by the atmosphere of sanctity that prevails there. Pictures of several Muslim Sufi saints, Hindu saints and mystics, Jesus Christ and Mother Mary, Guru Nanak, and other Sikh gurus, religious leaders of Radhaswami and Chidakashi sects, and Sai Baba adorn the walls of Sufi Dar.

Marble statues of Lord Ganesh, Laxmi Narayan, Shiva Parvati, Radha Krishna, Lord Ram, Sita, Laxman, Hanuman, Durga Mata and Jhulelal Saint are tastefully arranged and placed there.

Every visitor, irrespective of his faith, is sure to behold his favorite deity and feel at home in Sufi Dar.

This beautiful tradition was started by Dada Ratanchand, a Hindu refugee from Sindh, who sought refuge in Chennai after the Partition of India.

Nawab Mohammad Ali Wallajah, the ancestor of Nawab Mohammad Abdul Ali, the current Prince of Arcot built the Big Mosque. 

In a world often divided, this Chennai temple stands as a shining example of unity, reminding us that love, kindness, and tradition can bring communities together.

Related:

Hindu-Muslim Unity: The other side of Kanwar Yatra

Muslim community comes together to perform last rites of Hindu neighbour