Around 1,200 couples came together in Hyderabad for Namoththunam, a unique Jain prayer with a difference. The gathering took place at Imperial Gardens and was reported on October 5.

Namoththunam is a special Jain prayer observance. Events of this scale, bringing together more than a thousand couples in one venue, are rare and reflect the community’s strong tradition of collective worship.

Large religious gatherings like this one combine devotion with community bonding. Families participate together, and the shared recitation creates an atmosphere that many describe as deeply moving.

“This gives the programme a strong human-interest and social relevance,” said Dr Archana Ranka, a gynaecologist who took part in the prayer. The prayer encourages self-reflection and self-improvement, cultivating qualities such as patience, compassion, humility, discipline and control over anger and ego, the organisers said.

The Hyderabad event adds to the city’s reputation as a hub for diverse religious and cultural gatherings. Organisers of such large prayers typically coordinate seating, sound and prasad distribution for thousands of attendees.