Hindu-Muslim bonhomie: Ghulam Jilani stitching Lord Hanuman flags in Hazaribagh for 3 generations

"This time we are making the largest Hanuman flags in our tailoring unit. The length of the religious flag will be 40-feet and 80 meters of cloth will be required in the production of such a huge flag. The making of such type of flag will take three to four days and installation of such a humongous flag is also very challenging," said Jilani.

Hazaribagh (Jharkhand): The Ram Navami celebration in Hazaribagh is popular all over the country. People from far-flung areas come to Hazaribagh to see the Ram Navami festival which is celebrated with traditional fervor and gaiety.

In Hazaribagh, Ghulam Jilani has become a role model for Hindu-Muslim unity as he has been engaged in making flags used in Ram Navami festivals and also stitches garments worn by the Lord. Jilani has been associated with a garment shop in Bara Bazar locality of the town where he takes orders for the work. Jilani family has been associated with this pious work for three generations.

Devendra Jain, the owner of the Veer Vatralaya, where Jilani gives his contribution to making flags and garments, said, the business of making flags for the Ram Navami festival was affected for the past two years due to the rise in Covid-19 cases. Post-Covid, people are jubilant to celebrate the festival and come to the shop in hordes for giving orders for the Ram Navami flags.

Our three-generation has been into this business and Ram Navami flags prepared by us are in huge demand in the United States, Switzerland, London, and Australia also. Besides, the Lord Hanuman flags, we are also making religious flags used by the Muslim and Punjabi communities.

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Apart from this, the production of Tri-colors, Sarna flags, and flags related to political parties continues all year-round. The contribution of Ghulam Jilani in making all types of flags is immense. He has become an icon of Hindu-Muslim unity in Hazaribagh, said Jain. "This time we are making the largest Hanuman flags in our tailoring unit. The length of the religious flag will be 40-feet and 80 meters of cloth will be required in the production of such a huge flag. The making of such type of flag will take three to four days and installation of such a humongous flag is also very challenging," said Jilani.