South Asia’s largest Eidgah Gore-Saheed Maidan is ready for devotees

Kaushik Bose:

Gore-Saheed Bara Maidan is the largest Eidgah in South Asia in terms of area prepared for Eid congregation. The Eid congregation will be held at 9 am on the day of Eid-ul-Fitr. Maulana Samshul Alam Kashemi will lead the large Eid congregation. Several levels of security measures have been taken for the smooth and peaceful Eid congregation, two special trains have been arranged to facilitate the movement of pilgrims.

 According to Dinajpur district administration sources, the area of Shaheed Bara Maidan in Gore is about 22 acres. Since the partition of the country in 1947, the Eid congregation has been held in this field. But there was no big pulpit. In 2015 local MP and National Assembly Whip Iqbalur Rahim MP planned and financed the construction of the minaret. Then the construction work was completed in 2017. The 52-domed Eidgah Minar has cost 3 crore 80 lakh taka. There are two minarets of 60 feet on both sides of the domes, two minarets of 50 feet in the middle. The height of the first dome of the minaret in the Eidgah grounds i.e. the mehrab (where the imam will stand) is 47 feet. There are 49 other domes with it. Besides, 32 arches have been constructed with a length of 516 feet. There is no other such large Eidgah ground in South Asia. Earlier there was Dinajpur Station Club inside the Eidgah, but now it has been removed. As a result, the size of the Eidgah has increased.

The entire minar is constructed with ceramics. Each dome and minaret has electric lighting. At night, the Eidgah minar becomes illuminated.

 Every year since 2017, devout Muslims from Dinajpur district and neighboring districts and upazilas have been offering Eid prayers here. But due to the Corona situation, the Eid congregation was not held for two years at the historical Gor-e Shaheed Maidan. Preparation work is going on for the last one month at this biggest Eidgah in South Asia. Preparations have already been completed.

 According to Dinajpur Sadar Upazila Public Health Engineer office, 300 ablution facilities, 40 toilets and 5 points have been established for the supply of drinking water for the worshippers.

 Dinajpur Superintendent of Police Shah Iftekhar Ahmed said after visiting Shaheed Eidgah in Dinajpur Gore on Sunday, several levels of security measures have been taken for the peaceful and orderly completion of the Eid congregation. The security system has been strengthened with the coordination of various law enforcement forces including Police, BGB, RAB. 50 CC cameras have been installed in the Eidgah grounds. A watch tower has also been placed in the middle of the field. He said that one special train has been arranged from Dinajpur’s Parvatipur and another from Thakurgaon for the convenience of worshipers in this congregation.

 National Assembly Whip Iqbalur Rahim MP, the entrepreneur and planner of this largest Eidgah Minar and chief advisor of the management committee said, Sholakia is a traditional ground, but Dinajpur Eidgah ground is four times bigger in terms of size. The area of Shaheed Maidan in Gore is about 22 acres. There is no such big Eidgah in the subcontinent. Devoted Muslims from Dinajpur district and neighboring districts and upazilas are offering Eid prayers here.