#MumbaiRains – Gurudwaras, Churches, Mandals open doors for Food and Shelter

All faiths, temples, mosques, dargahs and gurudwaras came to people’s rescue. These notifications and warnings give just a glimpse of the compassion still alive and kicking in Mumbai.

Akhtar Raza realised he may never reach home on Tuesday night until he read one of the forwarded messages from Jamat Raza-e-Mustafa and randomly called a member for help. Volunteer Mohammed Ahmed (34) immediately rode his bike from Ghatkopar to Saki Naka to pick Raza up and drop him at his home in Kurla. “Cars and buses are getting stranded. But on a bike it is easier to navigate,” Ahmed said.

Like Ahmed, another volunteer, Worli resident Aarif Khan(29) was answering calls through the day from strangers stranded in waist-deep water. He took seven people home on his bike, one by one. “A group of five tourists from Ahmedabad who had come for Lalbaugcha Raja’s darshan were stuck in Worli. They had missed their train to Ahmedabad. I asked Madina masjid to accommodate them. In such times, nobody looks at religion,” Khan said over the phone, not long after dropping off a couple in Bawla Masjid, Worli, for an overnight stay.

Mosques, gurdwaras and temples in the city opened their doors to stranded people of all faiths through Tuesday and also for the night. The Diocesan Pastoral Center, opposite Mount Mary church in Bandra, provided free food and stay to people stranded in that area.

In the three-storey Chishti Hindustani Mosque in Central Mumbai’s Byculla, over 500 people from CST railway station and nearby areas came to take shelter on Tuesday night, all belonging to various religious groups.
Donors pooled in to arrange a simple dal-chawal dinner for everyone. “We saw women stranded at railway stations, children crying in rain and decided our premise was big enough to give shelter to hundreds,” said Maulana Abdul Jabbar. The mosque made announcements over loudspeakers, garnering support from several locals who pitched in to arrange for food and essentials.

“We arranged 20 tempos to get people from different locations till the mosque,” the maulana added. People from as far as Kalyan, Borivali and Thane spent the night at the mosque — Hindus, Christians and Muslims, all damp and tired, sharing the same space. “Every one is helping everyone here. So many volunteers turned up at the mosque. Nobody is asking a person’s name before helping,” said volunteer Tejas Ojha, a Byculla resident.

Mangala Janardhan Survade, a Govandi resident, visits Byculla everyday where she works as domestic help, along with four other women.  On Tuesday, they waited at Byculla station for an hour, in vain.  “I have never entered a mosque before. None of us has. These people came and asked if we needed help,” she said. Her friend Sheetal Sonawane added, “Humanity rises during tough hours.”

In Govandi’s Shia mosque in Lotus Colony, over 15 people took shelter in the late evening hours. “People are coming and going. We are providing them food,” said joint secretary of the mosque, Haider Abbas. At St Michael’s Church in Mahim and in at Holy Family church in Chakala too, the stranded taking shelter were all just weary Mumbaiites, of all faiths.

All the gurudwaras in Mumbai are open for Langar and shelter for everyone who is stuck at any part of the city Gurdwara Dashmesh Darbar ready with hot Langar for stranded at GTB nagar Sion Koliwada. : Request everybdy to spread msg this msg to all grups for people who are stranded
Note:- our volunteers are in that particular area
Sion hospital, near Gandhi market, 4 Road, King Circle, Dadar
1. Dadar Gurudwara for food and shelter. Opp chitra cinema
2. Where ever in mumbai can go to any guruwadara sahib for food and shelter any help can contact. 9323567555. MANPREET SINGH KHALSA ! 9022272252 HARNIT SINGH KHALSA

All the gurudwaras in Mumbai are open for Langar and shelter for everyone who is stuck at any part of the city.

Dadar & Mahim:
Those stuck at Dadar Mahim…bandra…the pastrol center at bandra and st Michael’s Church is open …pls come and rest a while …. Till things settle..

Thane:
Thane st John the baptist welcomes those who are stranded

Bandra (West):
Diocesan pastoral Centre open for those stranded, accommodation and food available. We r opposite Mount Mary Church, Bandra West. Ask those stranded to contact me. Fitzgerald

Goregaon:
Those stranded around goregaon may use sarvodaya building in seminary campus

Vakola & Santacruz:
Those stranded at Vakola, Santacruz our school St. Anthony school hall is open.

Girgaum:
St Teresa’s High School – Girgaum next to Hinduja College – Charni Road open to all who r stranded. Drinking water and snacks are made available.

Those stranded near dadar, matunga, sion, parel can move towards Shishuvan School,Matunga Boarding,junction of Rafi Ahmed kidwai road & Dr. Baba saheb Ambedkar road. Food and water has been made available.

Shri Hirji Bhojraj & Sons k v o jain chhatralaya
Shraddhanand ashram road
Matunga
Phone no.;022-24022353
022-24011524
Kanu bhai-096191 54608