A Abdul Aziz, Sri Lanka Correspondent
Puttalam is a multi-cultural and multi-religious town. Islam is the major religion in Puttalam town, while Buddhism and Christianity are significant minorities with a small Hindu population. It is situated 120 kilometres away from the capital, Colombo.
The foundation stone was laid for a mosque here in Puttalam on 6 August 2023, by S Nizam Khan Sahib, National President Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Sri Lanka. About 20 members participated in this event. All those who participated also took part in laying the foundation stones of this mosque.
A senior member of the local jamaat was the late Khidr Mohideen Sahib, who embraced Ahmadiyyat in 1960. Prior, he was editor of Unmai Udayam a Tamil newspaper published by the non-Ahmadis known as the Tawheed Group. As an editor, the late Khidr Mohideen Sahib published articles against Ahmadiyyat in that journal. However, later he got answers to all of his accusations against the Jamaat from another pioneer Ahmadi, O Abdul Majeed Sahib of Negombo. As his answers satisfied him, the late Khidr Mohideen Sahib started to study more about Ahmadiyyat through O Abdul Majeed Sahib of Negombo and embraced Ahmadiyyat.
In 1992, a plot of land was purchased, and a prayer hall was built. There are around 30 Ahmadi members living in this town.
