Minority community members asked to offer namaz at home during Ramzan after hall row in Jyotirmath

Dehradun: Muslims in Jyotirmath, who were earlier permitted to offer namaz on Jyotirmath (formerly Joshimath) Nagar Palika premises, have now been asked to pray at home during Ramzan after a controversy erupted over prayers held inside an under-construction hall.A table tennis hall being built by the Nagar Palika in the town area was locked after videos and photographs showing members of the minority community offering namaz there were widely shared on social media on Thursday evening.Prayers by community members inside the structure, located near the meat market area, drew objections from some local residents after the clips circulated. They demanded that prayers in the building be stopped. Following the backlash, the nagar palika convened a board meeting and decided to shut the hall.Jyotirmath SDM Chandra Shekhar Vashisth told TOI, "The issue was resolved peacefully, and the community members were asked to offer namaz at home." He said members of the Muslim community had earlier used the palika premises for prayers, but no permission was sought this time."Therefore, action was taken, and the hall was locked," he added. The SDM also said that a verification drive was underway in Jyotirmath and adjoining areas.A local resident, requesting anonymity, said Muslims had lived in the town for decades and that the area was known for communal harmony. "Earlier too, they prayed on the palika premises, but this time the photos and videos led to controversy," he said.Allah Diyan, 60, who runs a small laundry shop, said his father moved to Jyotirmath around 1960. "There is no mosque here. In the past, the nagar palika allowed us space to offer namaz, especially during Ramzan. This time we were asked to pray at home," he said.He added that around 50 Muslim families reside in the area and space constraints make it difficult, particularly during Ramzan. "At present, I have a small room where 10 to 12 of us can pray together. We want to maintain peace and brotherhood in the town," he said.Located about 45 km before the Badrinath shrine and 11 km from Auli, Jyotirmath is a prominent religious and tourist destination. There is no mosque in the town.In 2017, after heavy rains flooded the open ground where namaz was being offered, members of the Sikh community had offered space at a gurdwara for Bakr-Eid prayers, strengthening what residents describe as the town's tradition of communal harmony.