Kottakkal Arya Vaidya Sala, the 121-year-old legendary institution known the world over for Ayurveda, has lent a helping hand to Palappura Juma Masjid at Kottakkal to set up a power generator, upholding the long tradition of communal harmony.
Kottakkal Arya Vaidya Sala is known for embracing all communities, and the front gate that heralds the people to Kailasa Mandiram, the headquarters of Arya Vaidya Sala, proudly sports the symbols of three major religions: Hinduism, Islam and Christianity.
Switching on the newly erected power generator at the mosque on Thursday, Arya Vaidya Sala Managing Trustee P. Madhavankutty Varier reassured that Arya Vaidya Sala would continue to support all efforts that ensure peace and harmony in society.
The mosque officials heralded Dr. Varier and colleagues into the prayer hall of the centuries-old mosque, and the feeling of camaraderie that Arya Vaidya Sala founder Vaidyaratnam P.S. Varier created a century ago was palpable there.
It was Vaidyaratnam who erected the famous wooden minbar (pulpit) of Palappura Juma Masjid about a century ago. Vaidyaratnam had studied the structure and intricacies of the pulpit before donating it to the mosque.
When the Arya Vaidya Sala team stood around the pulpit, which glazed in mahogany lacquer to the right of the mihrab (niche indicating Kaaba direction), the beautiful memories of Vaidyaratnam resonated the hall.
“The tradition of the communal amity propagated by Arya Vaidya Sala founder is still being followed enthusiastically,” said Arya Vaidya Sala Public Relations Officer M.T. Ramakrishnan. “Arya Vaidya Sala has been maintaining the warmth of that beautiful relation with this mosque since its beginning,” he said.
Arya Vaidya Sala chief executive officer G.C. Gopala Pillai, trustees P. Ramkumar and K.R. Ajay, joint general managers P. Rajendran and U. Pradeep accompanied Dr. Varier.
The mosque officials who welcomed Dr. Varier and colleagues included general secretary Thoppil Kunhippa, vice president Mammukutty Haji, joint secretary Mustafa Paravakkal, and Chalambadan Mohammed Kutty Haji.
Arya Vaidya Sala offers its copper vessels every year for cooking food for the annual Uroos (nercha) at Palappura Juma Masjid. This too has been a tradition started more than six decades ago when P. Madhava Varier was the managing trustee.
