The Moideen Palli on 12 June has reopened. It had been closed for two months to contain COVID-19. Photo: Shahan Abdul Samad/Maktoob
Kannur was home to Kerala’s only Muslim dynasty, the Arakkal Ali Rajas. Moideen Palli, the roadside mosque at Ayikkara or Kannur City in Kannur district nearby is an excellent piece of craftsmanship. The locals call Ayikkara as ‘Kannur city’ because once it was a downtown area during the Arakkal rule. The city area is called ‘Kannur town’.
Built almost three hundred years ago, the Moideen Palli is one of the oldest Mosques in Kannur.
The Moideen Palli on 12 June has reopened. It had been closed for two months to contain COVID-19.
On the reopening day, the historic mosque conducted Jumua (Friday prayer) by maintaining COVID-19 norms.
The COVID-19 norms include disinfecting the mosque, maintaining a register for believers, restricting the number of persons for a group prayer to 100 with physical distancing, wearing face masks, disallowing people above 65 years of age, using hand sanitizers and bringing personal prayer rugs from homes, and ensuring that the ablutions are done from home.
Few mosques except major mosques across Kerala will continue to remain closed for a few more weeks in spite of the government allowing them to reopen conditionally.
Shahan Abdul Samad, a freelance photographer and multimedia journalist based in Kannur has captured the prayer which held after weeks of closure to slow pandemic’s spread.
Built almost three hundred years ago, the Moideen Palli is one of the oldest Mosques in Kannur. Photo: Shahan Abdul Samad/MaktoobThe mosque authorities are preparing a register for visitors, according to COVID-19 norms. Photo: Shahan Abdul Samad/Maktoob The COVID-19 norms include using hand sanitizers and bringing personal prayer rugs from homes, and ensuring that the ablutions are done from home. Photo: Shahan Abdul Samad/Maktoob “We are living amid growing concern over the difficult conditions the world at large are going through due to the pandemic,” said Imam, turning to Allah to grant all humanity salvation and refuge from the deadly outbreak of coronavirus and to bring life back to normal. Photo: Shahan Abdul Samad/Maktoob The resumption of prayers capped a sombre period for many, who this year marked the fasting month of Ramadan and the Eid al-Fitr holiday without their usual daily visits to the historic mosque. Photo: Shahan Abdul Samad/Maktoob Devotees maintained a distance of six feet from each other, to prevent the spread of Pandemic. Photo: Shahan Abdul Samad/Maktoob The new measures come as Kerala begins to loosen restrictions and stay-at-home orders following weeks of curfews and lockdowns. Photo: Shahan Abdul Samad/Maktoob
