Kerala city gears up for India's largest Ramadan prayer meet

Kerala's Malappuram district is gearing up to host India's largest Ramadan prayer congregation August 4 where believers would take a pledge against terrorism and alcoholism, the organisers said here Sunday.

"With the spiritual experience of the holy night of Ramadan, we teach the people the message of co-existence and moderation," Sayyid Ibrahim Khaleel Al Bukhari, chairman of Ma'din Academy, organisers of the meet, told reporters here.

The mammoth meet will take a pledge against terrorism and alcoholism besides extending a message of harmony, tolerance, love and affection, he said.

Billed as the third largest congregation of its kind in the world, the prayer meet will be held at Malappuram's Swalath Nagar.

At the last edition of this religious get together, a record 700,000 people had offered prayers and more than 100,000 attended the Iftar party held afterwards.

Apart from the main venue, 20 sites on both sides of the National Highway 213 have been identified to accommodate the devotees.

The programme would be telecast live. Special screening centres have been set up in cities like Chennai, Bangalore, Mumbai and Delhi in India and other major cities in the Middle East.

Ma'din Academy is one of the leading charities in Kerala which runs more than 25 educational institutions.