Mahesh has been serving the Haj pilgrims for more than two decades.     Konduri Mahesh As the first batch of Haj pilgrims left the other day amidst chants of Labbaik Allahuma Labbaik ..., his eyes turned moist. Neither he was seeing off his family, nor was he one of the onlookers thronging...

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The book seeks to explain the purpose behind the holy pilgrimage in a simplified way The season of Haj is about to begin and the Hajis (devotees on pilgrimage to Mecca) are ready to leave for Saudi Arabia to perform Haj, an annual pilgrimage performed by Muslims, which is mandatory for adult Muslims...

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Biting wit and in-your-face elements mark Sulaiman Khateeb’s poetry laced with local humour      File photo of Sulaiman Khateeb His name has become synonymous with humour, particularly Deccani humour. Think of Sulaiman Khateeb and what comes to mind is poetry dipped in pure...

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Educated, well-to-do Muslims are being roped in to take up the cause of the less fortunate as part of their religious obligation.     The idea is to empower and emancipate the poor and underprivileged members of the community        through education. (Photo:...

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The philosophy and thought of the great poet who penned Saare jahan se achcha have been kept alive in the city with various programmes and initiatives over the decades Hyderabad has a strong connect with poetry. With the city’s founder, Muhammed Quli Qutb Shah, himself being a shayer of no mean...

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Gatherings like wedding receptions set stage for shayaris on cricket The frenzy generated by the limited overs game is well captured by the masters of the condensed style. Cricket and Shayari — on the face of it there is no connection between the two. But a careful look will reveal a lot of...

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Clarity of thought and simplicity of language mark the poetry of Bano Tahira Sayeed who could give shape to her thoughts and feelings in Urdu, Persian and English with equal ease There is no dearth of polyglots. But, how many can go lyrical in more than one language? Not many. But Bano Tahira Sayeed...

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