HINDU STATESMAN Rajan Zed, in a statement from the US today, welcomed Sultan’s gesture and added that it was “step in the right direction” accepting the longstanding request of the community. He said that funeral rites according to ancient religious traditions were highly important for Hindu and Sikh families.

According to reports, the crematorium will be built at the cost of over 9.5 million dhirham with funds raised from the community and was expected to be ready by yearend. Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, urged other countries of the world also to provide land for Hindu and Sikh crematoriums and assistance in building those as these funeral rites had been in existence for centuries and Hindus and Sikhs would like to follow the traditions.

Sharjah, a constitutional monarchy which claims itself as the cultural capital of UAE and settled over 5000 years, has charming waterways, serves no alcohol, maintains strict decency laws and contains excellent galleries-theaters-museums and elegant mosques.