Jalsa Salana is an Annual event which was founded in Qadian, India in 1891 by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, The Promised Messiah (as). Jalsa Salana UK was established in 1964, but sadly this year Jalsa Salana UK has been postponed because of COVID-19. As the whole of the UK is in lockdown we thought of creating a scene of Jalsa Salana UK with things we have at home. We thought of it because we were sad when he heard Jalsa Salana UK would be cancelled and thought it was a good way to spend time during the lockdown. We had everything we needed to make this scene at home.
We made the marquees with old cereal boxes and turned them inside out so that they would be white. To get the sagged roof we simply used the round tube from tissue roll as a pole and used paper to connect the original roof to the tube. The Meccano model was made by Haaris. He wanted something that looked like a buggy and followed some instructions to make a model. I made these really cool paper cars. I have a special book and paper for it. You colour in the car, cut it out and fold in in the necessary way. Then you stick it all together like a paper/origami model. Haaris made the front stand showing the flags. He simply coloured in the Union flag, but Haaris used tissue paper for the Ahmadiyya Jama’at flag as he wanted it to be special. He used rolled up newspaper to make the poles and covered them in some silver tape. We added all the writing with a permanent marker. It took 12 days in total to make!
It is very sad that we have to cancel Jalsa this year but I think it is much better to be safe so that the virus doesn’t spread at Jalsa. It would be even worse for vulnerable people who would come to Jalsa and for people coming from around the world to attend. I will miss seeing Huzoor (aba), the flag hoisting, the delicious food, meeting family, making new friends, the exhibitions, book stall, the bai’at session, doing duty at information desk and much much more. When I come into Jalsa I feel very happy and feel part of a community.
Lastly we hope you all like the pictures of our scene we made of Jalsa Salana UK.
Jazak’Allah
Faris Ahmad Munir (Age: 10, High Wycombe Jama’at, Middlesex Region)
[Model by Faris and his brother Haaris, age 13]
