MANGALURU, March 4, 2026 — In a beautiful and poignant display of communal harmony and brotherhood, a grand interfaith Ifthar gathering unfolded this evening, jointly hosted by some of the region’s top religious and educational leaders.
The landmark event, held at The Yenepoya School in Jeppinamogaru, was cordially hosted by Most Rev. Dr. Peter Paul Saldanha, Bishop of the Diocese of Mangalore; Dr. Yenepoya Abdulla Kunhi, Chancellor of Yenepoya (Deemed to be University); and Mr. Vishal Hegde, Chancellor of Nitte (Deemed to be University).
Bringing together people from various walks of life to break bread and share in the spirit of the holy month, the gathering was graced by several prominent dignitaries. Notable attendees included Hon. U. T. Khader, Shri Darshan H.V., IAS, Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Dakshina Kannada district, and renowned orthopaedic surgeon Dr. M. Shantharam Shetty, Pro-Chancellor of Nitte (Deemed to be University).
Adding to the grandeur and significance of the evening, numerous religious heads, community leaders, politicians, and bureaucrats from across the region were also present, reflecting the city’s deeply rooted inclusive fabric.
The Deeper Meaning of Fasting and Prayers for Global Peace
The evening’s proceedings began with a warm and reflective introductory address by Dr. Yenepoya Abdulla Kunhi. Welcoming the dignitaries, he spoke on the profound significance of Ramadan, emphasizing that fasting—one of the five pillars of Islam—is a practice observed with immense devotion.
Dr. Kunhi beautifully contextualized the practice, noting that fasting is not merely about experiencing hunger, but about understanding the pain of the marginalized and cultivating a compassionate mindset to feed others. He highlighted that this spirit of fasting holds shared significance across other faiths, including Hinduism and Christianity.
During his address, Dr. Kunhi also took a moment for solemn remembrance and global reflection:
- Heartfelt Tributes: He fondly remembered the late Vinay Hegde, whom he considered an elder brother, and the late Dr. Raghavendra Rao, Chancellor of Srinivas University. Noting they were regular attendees of previous Ifthar gatherings, he offered prayers for their souls.
- A Plea for Peace: Expressing deep concern over the current war-like tensions involving Israel, America, and Iran, Dr. Kunhi prayed earnestly for a swift, peaceful resolution and specifically for the safety of Indians and local brethren working in the Gulf region.
- Gratitude for Continued Legacy: He expressed his happiness and gratitude to Vishal Hegde for continuing his father’s legacy of complete cooperation for the Ifthar, and thanked Bishop Saldanha for his unwavering support in organizing the gathering.
“Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”: A Call to Eradicate Prejudice
Following Dr. Kunhi, Bishop Dr. Peter Paul Saldanha delivered a powerful message of peace, human integration, and shared spirituality. He emphasized that celebrating religious festivals socially across different faiths does more than just double the joy—it multiplies tolerance, empathy, and mutual relationships.
The Bishop noted that such intimate gatherings are vital for eliminating prejudices, suspicion, fear, and hatred, allowing communities to understand each other’s cultures up close. Stripping away the superficial layers of religion, he reminded the audience that we are all human beings created by one God, heading toward the same destiny.
He advocated strongly for the mindset of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” (the world is one family), noting that genuine spirituality makes us see everyone as our own.
Addressing the global tensions mentioned earlier by Dr. Kunhi, Bishop Saldanha urged the gathering:
“Instead of sitting indoors in fear, we must step out and unite to build communal harmony, coexistence, forgiveness, and gratitude. No religion promotes hatred; Christianity teaches us to ‘love your neighbor as yourself,’ just as Islamic spirituality teaches mercy and the worship of God.”
“Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah”: Dr. Shantharam Shetty on Universal Well-being
Adding to the evening’s spiritual depth, Dr. M. Shantharam Shetty, Pro-Chancellor of Nitte University, delivered a stirring message centered on universal brotherhood and shared values across religions.
Echoing the Bishop’s sentiments, Dr. Shetty also invoked the Upanishadic philosophy of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam,” emphasizing that this unity exists entirely independent of a person’s color, creed, or background. He noted that Ramadan is not just a festival for Muslims, but a profound lesson for all of mankind, where devotion and the understanding of others’ suffering make charity a vital component of the holy month.
Drawing beautiful parallels between different scriptures, Dr. Shetty highlighted the universal message of love in the Bible alongside the prayer from the Upanishads: “Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah,” which wishes for everyone to be happy, healthy, and free from suffering.
To illustrate the unwavering presence of the divine during times of hardship, he shared the beloved “Footprints in the Sand” allegory. He recounted the story of a man questioning why there was only one set of footprints during the hardest times of his life, only to realize that during those most difficult moments, God was actually carrying him.
Dr. Shetty spoke with immense pride about the host city, noting that Mangaluru is currently ranked as the safest city in India and the 49th safest globally. He attributed this stellar achievement directly to the character, tolerance, and cooperation of its people.
He concluded his address with a powerful call to action, urging the diverse audience to remain firm in their faith while being confident in their collective ability to serve the country together.
The Parable of the Little Bird
To bring the evening’s addresses to a poignant close, Bishop Saldanha shared a moving allegory about a massive forest fire.
As all the larger animals fled the blaze in terror, one small bird stayed behind. The bird repeatedly flew to a nearby lake, dipping its wings in the water, and flew back to drop the meager moisture onto the raging fire. When mocked by another bird about the futility of its tiny actions against such a massive inferno, the little bird simply replied that it had to do its part so its conscience would remain clear.
The leaders left the attendees with a powerful final thought, urging everyone in Mangaluru and beyond to be like that little bird: doing their own small part, every day, to spread love, compassion, and unity in a fractured world.
ಸರ್ವಧರ್ಮ ಸೌಹಾರ್ದತೆಗೆ ಸಾಕ್ಷಿಯಾದ ಮಂಗಳೂರು: ಧಾರ್ಮಿಕ ಮತ್ತು ಶೈಕ್ಷಣಿಕ ಮುಖಂಡರ ನೇತೃತ್ವದಲ್ಲಿ ಬೃಹತ್ ಇಫ್ತಾರ್ ಕೂಟ
ಮಂಗಳೂರು, ಮಾರ್ಚ್ 4: ಪವಿತ್ರ ರಂಜಾನ್ ಮಾಸದ ಪ್ರಯುಕ್ತ ಸರ್ವಧರ್ಮ ಸೌಹಾರ್ದತೆ ಮತ್ತು ಭಾತೃತ್ವದ ಸಂದೇಶ ಸಾರುವ ಬೃಹತ್ ‘ಇಫ್ತಾರ್’ ಕೂಟವನ್ನು ಜಪ್ಪಿನಮೊಗರುವಿನಲ್ಲಿರುವ ದ ಯೆನೆಪೋಯ ಶಾಲೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಬುಧವಾರ ಸಂಜೆ ಅತ್ಯಂತ ವಿಜೃಂಭಣೆಯಿಂದ ಆಯೋಜಿಸಲಾಯಿತು.
ಮಂಗಳೂರು ಧರ್ಮಪ್ರಾಂತ್ಯದ ಬಿಷಪ್ ಅತೀ ವಂದನೀಯ ಡಾ. ಪೀಟರ್ ಪಾಲ್ ಸಲ್ಡಾನ, ಯೆನೆಪೋಯ (ಡೀಮ್ಡ್ ಟು ಬಿ) ವಿವಿಯ ಕುಲಾಧಿಪತಿ ಡಾ. ಯೆನೆಪೋಯ ಅಬ್ದುಲ್ಲಾ ಕುಂಞಿ ಹಾಗೂ ನಿಟ್ಟೆ (ಡೀಮ್ಡ್ ಟು ಬಿ) ವಿವಿಯ ಕುಲಾಧಿಪತಿ ಶ್ರೀ ವಿಶಾಲ್ ಹೆಗ್ಡೆ ಅವರು ಜಂಟಿಯಾಗಿ ಈ ಅರ್ಥಪೂರ್ಣ ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮವನ್ನು ಆಯೋಜಿಸಿದ್ದರು.
ಹಸಿವಿನ ಅರಿವು ಮತ್ತು ಜಾಗತಿಕ ಶಾಂತಿಗಾಗಿ ಪ್ರಾರ್ಥನೆ:
ಪ್ರಾಸ್ತಾವಿಕವಾಗಿ ಮಾತನಾಡಿದ ಡಾ. ಯೆನೆಪೋಯ ಅಬ್ದುಲ್ಲಾ ಕುಂಞಿ, “ಉಪವಾಸ ಕೇವಲ ಹಸಿವಿನ ಅನುಭವವಲ್ಲ; ಅದು ಬಡವರ ಕಷ್ಟವನ್ನು ಅರಿಯುವ ಮತ್ತು ಕರುಣೆ ಬೆಳೆಸುವ ಸಾಧನ” ಎಂದರು. ಗಲ್ಫ್ ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿರುವ ಭಾರತೀಯರ ಸುರಕ್ಷತೆ ಮತ್ತು ಇಸ್ರೇಲ್, ಅಮೆರಿಕ, ಇರಾನ್ ನಡುವಿನ ಯುದ್ಧದ ವಾತಾವರಣ ಶಮನಗೊಂಡು ಜಾಗತಿಕ ಶಾಂತಿ ನೆಲೆಸಲಿ ಎಂದು ಅವರು ಪ್ರಾರ್ಥಿಸಿದರು. ಇದೇ ವೇಳೆ, ಅಗಲಿದ ಗಣ್ಯರಾದ ದಿವಂಗತ ವಿನಯ್ ಹೆಗ್ಡೆ ಮತ್ತು ಡಾ. ರಾಘವೇಂದ್ರ ರಾವ್ ಅವರನ್ನು ಸ್ಮರಿಸಿದರು.
‘ವಸುಧೈವ ಕುಟುಂಬಕಂ’ ಸಂದೇಶ:
ಬಿಷಪ್ ಡಾ. ಪೀಟರ್ ಪಾಲ್ ಸಲ್ಡಾನ ಮಾತನಾಡಿ, ಬೇರೆ ಬೇರೆ ಧರ್ಮದವರೊಡನೆ ಹಬ್ಬಗಳನ್ನು ಆಚರಿಸುವುದರಿಂದ ಸಮಾಜದಲ್ಲಿರುವ ಪೂರ್ವಾಗ್ರಹಗಳು, ದ್ವೇಷ ಮತ್ತು ಭಯ ದೂರವಾಗುತ್ತದೆ ಎಂದರು. ನಾವೆಲ್ಲರೂ ಒಂದೇ ದೇವರ ಮಕ್ಕಳು, ‘ವಸುಧೈವ ಕುಟುಂಬಕಂ’ ಎಂಬ ಆಧ್ಯಾತ್ಮಿಕ ಭಾವನೆ ನಮ್ಮದಾಗಬೇಕು ಎಂದು ಕರೆ ನೀಡಿದರು. ಕಾಡ್ಗಿಚ್ಚು ನಂದಿಸಲು ತನ್ನ ರೆಕ್ಕೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ನೀರು ತಂದು ಹಾಕಿದ ಪುಟ್ಟ ಹಕ್ಕಿಯ ಕಥೆಯನ್ನು ಹೇಳುವ ಮೂಲಕ, ಸಮಾಜದಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರೀತಿ-ಶಾಂತಿ ಹರಡಲು ಪ್ರತಿಯೊಬ್ಬರೂ ತಮ್ಮ ಕೈಲಾದ ಸಣ್ಣ ಪ್ರಯತ್ನವನ್ನು ಮಾಡಬೇಕು ಎಂದು ಕಿವಿಮಾತು ಹೇಳಿದರು.
‘ಸರ್ವೇ ಭವಂತು ಸುಖಿನಃ’:
ನಿಟ್ಟೆ ವಿವಿಯ ಸಹ-ಕುಲಾಧಿಪತಿ ಡಾ. ಎಂ. ಶಾಂತಾರಾಮ್ ಶೆಟ್ಟಿ ಅವರು ಉಪನಿಷತ್ತುಗಳ ‘ಸರ್ವೇ ಭವಂತು ಸುಖಿನಃ’ ಮತ್ತು ಬೈಬಲ್ನ ಪ್ರೀತಿಯ ಸಂದೇಶವನ್ನು ಉಲ್ಲೇಖಿಸಿದರು. ಮಂಗಳೂರು ಭಾರತದ ಅತ್ಯಂತ ಸುರಕ್ಷಿತ ನಗರ ಎಂಬ ಹೆಮ್ಮೆಯನ್ನು ವ್ಯಕ್ತಪಡಿಸಿದ ಅವರು, ನಾವೆಲ್ಲರೂ ಪರಸ್ಪರ ವಿಶ್ವಾಸದಿಂದ ದೇಶದ ಸೇವೆ ಮಾಡಬೇಕು ಎಂದರು.
ಈ ಸೌಹಾರ್ದ ಕೂಟದಲ್ಲಿ ವಿಧಾನಸಭಾಧ್ಯಕ್ಷ ಯು.ಟಿ. ಖಾದರ್, ದಕ್ಷಿಣ ಕನ್ನಡ ಜಿಲ್ಲಾಧಿಕಾರಿ ದರ್ಶನ್ ಎಚ್.ವಿ. (ಐಎಎಸ್), ವಿವಿಧ ಧಾರ್ಮಿಕ ಮುಖಂಡರು, ರಾಜಕೀಯ ನಾಯಕರು, ಅಧಿಕಾರಿಗಳು ಹಾಗೂ ಸಮಾಜದ ಗಣ್ಯರು ಭಾಗವಹಿಸಿದ್ದರು.
