Religious Purposes Research Articles

"Interfaith dialogue in limbo: How can tradition work against religious purposes?"

"When we talk about dialogue, we always start looking for ways to best present the content of our speech. Approaching another through dialogue does not seem to care too much about the will or desire to accept the otherness for dialogue even if this is the basis of the binary formula of dialogue. Yet, in the case of religious dialogue, things are not at all so clear or proactive; instead, this (accepting otherness) is usually the central issue of interreligious dialogue. However, when we finally manage to bring together two or more religious representatives for dialogue, the most intriguing aspect of the dialogue is less emphasized on the content and issues to be brought to the attention of the participants and more on the issue of accepting, tolerating all others’ traditions through this dialogue. Nervousness, anxiety, discomfort, and squirming are the habitual and, even more shocking, ""expected"" features in interfaith dialogue. Well, if this is the main problem in interfaith - being able to bring acceptance in this ""toxic"" environment - then this would be a step forward. But probably all these are since, at present, the construction of interreligious dialogue is still in progress, about to be polished and become a formal custom, an emerging tradition of the current era. However, is the content that all participants in the interfaith dialogue bring, our particular traditions, to blame for this challenge? Can they help us build the bridge or, on the contrary, put interfaith in a limbo state, waiting for a redeemer? To pinpoint the direction in which interreligious dialogue is heading, we must better evaluate and understand a ""tradition"", what it is, how it works, and why it is developed and preserved. What is the significance of a tradition for people in general and a religious group in particular? How deeply rooted is it in human thinking and how valuable to fight for it? And then, can we consider changing, altering, or even removing a whole tradition from our perspective? If so, [regardless of the response] what is then the impact of [any] tradition on us and our reactions to the current issues, therefore to human endeavor? This article illustrates the role that tradition plays in peoples' views of the world and how tradition influences their behavior and attitudes toward certain practices and against a current acquisition of interreligious relationships, namely interreligious dialogue."

Festival and culture in Bhutan

Festivals in Bhutan are celebrated annually at national and local level as it is one of the cultural aspects to display the devotion towards Buddhism. The annual festivals take place in Dzongs where monks perform mask dances with a communal belief i.e. to commemorate the arrival of Buddhism in the country. Besides, lay men and women perform dances to entertain the crowd. Whereas local festivals usually take place in open space in their respective villages and contain the features of pre-Buddhism practices. Neypo is the local festival that is celebrated annually by the local community of Gaytsa village under Bumthang Dzongkhag. It may sound mystic to some but the festival is dedicated to worldly deities and spirits who are believed to have a direct impact on the daily life and the prosperity of a family or a community. Thus the community's spiritual beliefs are central to the cultural identity of the country, making their way into the Constitution of Bhutan, 2018 and other government policies. Besides religious purposes the events also provide the opportunity for the local people to wear the best dress, relax from daily work and to enjoy quality time with family and friends.

Therapeutic use of ayahuasca: a review of the evidence of its use in approaching depressive disorders

IntroductionAyahuasca (AYA) is a psychotropic plant from South America used for religious purposes by indigenous people of the Amazon. Increasing evidence indicates that AYA may have therapeutic potential in the treatment of mental health disorders like depression – a common life-disrupting, highly recurrent disorder – that is among the leading causes of disability worldwide.ObjectivesThe aim of this exploratory study is to gather and assess scientific evidence about clinical effects of AYA in the treatment and symptomatological expression of patients with depression.MethodsA literature research was conducted on PubMed, starting from the MeSH terms: “Banisteriopsis” and “Depression”. Results corresponding to investigations using AYA, and based on an adult population with depressive disorders, were selected for our analysis.ResultsThe research provided 8 results, of which 6 met the defined criteria. Different types of studies with variable samples were considered, including retrospective and prospective observational studies, meta-analysis and a narrative review. Overall, evidence about the use of AYA in depressive disorders is associated to reductions in depression scales, to significant antidepressant effects and in mediating improvement of grief symptoms. AYA administration increased introspection and positive mood, self-acceptance, empathy, openness and potentiated improvements in emotional processing. The underlying potential mechanisms, adverse effects and the current limitations related to its study and use are analysed and discussed.ConclusionsThe use of AYA in depression shows promising results that should be further explored in controlled trials with larger sample sizes, in order to better evaluate its clinical effects, safety profile and related short and long-term effects.DisclosureNo significant relationships.

Wakaf Produktif Sumber Mata Air Sebagai Upaya Mewujudkan Kesejahteraan Umat Berdasarkan Undang-Undang Nomor 41 Tahun 2004 Tentang Wakaf

Society in general considers waqf limited to immovable objects that are used for the common good. For example, land used to build mosques, Islamic boarding schools, schools, cemeteries, and so on. In fact, apart from having a religious spiritual dimension, waqf is actually an Islamic teaching that is beneficial for the welfare of the people. This study aims to describe the waqf of springs as an effort to realize the welfare of the people. This study used qualitative research methods. The data is sourced from primary and secondary data which is processed and analyzed in a descriptive-analytical manner. The results of the study show that water sources can also be used as legal waqf objects. However, it should be underlined that the waqf is a source of water or wells, and not the water itself. This is because water is classified as something that can be consumed / utilized so that it cannot be used as a waqf object. In contrast to wells or water sources that can always flow and provide benefits. In a sense, this water waqf is used for public and religious purposes, such as bathing, drinking, and ablution.Keywords: waqf, water sources, welfare, people.

Kratom (Mitragyna Speciosa): a Psychoactive Plant with Opportunities and Risks

Kratom is an evergreen tree that is native to Southeast Asia. Its leafs are traditionally used as a stimulant, a remedy for various health problems and for religious purposes. Especially in the US (in a lesser extent also in Europe) kratom use is significantly prevalent. In Western countries, kratom is used predominantly as an analgesic and stimulant, for the treatment of opioid use disorders, and for improving mental health (e. g., in depression, anxiety disorders). Main molecular constituents of kratom are alkaloids of which mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine appear to be most important. Pharmacodynamics and -kinetics of kratom are complex and insufficiently studied. It is known that mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine are partial agonist at human μ-opioid receptors and antagonists at κ- and δ-opioid receptors with additional effects at other central receptors. Tolerability of kratom is presumably better than that of classical opioids; this is probably due to missing effects of kratom on β-arrestin and discussed as a starting point for the development of opioids with improved tolerability. Some alkaloids of kratom are inhibitors of CYP26 and to a somewhat lesser degree of CYP2C19 and CYP3A4. The addictive potential of kratom appears to be lower than that of classical opioids; however, corresponding data is limited and kratom use disorders appear to occur primarily in Western countries. Several cases of severe health-related problems and deaths are known in the US; in these cases, however, polysubstance use was usually present. Kratom use is likely associated with hepatotoxicity and cardiotoxicity. Kratom-associated mortality and morbidity in Western countries are quantitatively significantly different from Southeast Asia, where kratom use is no public health problem. The reasons for this may be the combined use of substances (which is more prevalent in Western countries), higher dosages of consumed kratom, adulterations and contaminations of commercially available kratom in Western countries, pharmacokinetic interactions, and higher concentrations of 7-hydroxymitragynine in dried kratom leafs (that are typically consumed in Western countries) in comparison to fresh leafs (that are typically consumed in Southeast Asia).

Sparking Religious Conversion through AI?

This paper will take the stance that cognitive enhancement promised by the use of AI could be a first step for some in bringing about moral enhancement. It will take a further step in questioning whether moral enhancement using AI could lead to moral and or religious conversion, i.e., a change in direction or behaviour reflecting changed thinking about moral or religious convictions and purpose in life. One challenge is that improved cognition leading to better moral thinking is not always sufficient to motivate a person towards the change in behaviour demanded. While some think moral bioenhancement should be imposed if necessary in urgent situations, most religions today see volition in conversion as essential. Moral and religious conversion should be voluntary and not imposed, and recent studies that show possible dangers of the use of AI here will be discussed along with a recommendation that there be regulatory requirements to counteract manipulation. It is, however, recognized that a change in moral thinking is usually a necessary step in the process of conversion and this paper concludes that voluntary, safe use of AI to help bring that about would be ethically acceptable.

Betelvine (Piper betle L.): A comprehensive insight into its ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, and pharmacological, biomedical and therapeutic attributes.

Piper betle L. (synonym: Piper betel Blanco), or betel vine, an economically and medicinally important cash crop, belongs to the family Piperaceae, often known as the green gold. The plant can be found all over the world and is cultivatedprimarily in South East Asian countries for its beautiful glossy heart‐shaped leaves, which are chewed or consumed as betelquidand widely used in Chinese and Indian folk medicine, as carminative, stimulant,astringent, against parasitic worms, conjunctivitis, rheumatism, wound, etc., andis also used for religious purposes. Hydroxychavicol is the most important bioactive compound among the wide range of phytoconstituents found in essential oil and extracts. The pharmacological attributes of P. betle are antiproliferation, anticancer, neuropharmacological, analgesic, antioxidant, antiulcerogenic, hepatoprotective, antifertility, antibacterial, antifungal and many more. Immense attention has been paid to nanoformulations and their applications. The application of P. betle did not show cytotoxicity in preclinical experiments, suggesting that it could serve as a promising therapeutic candidate for different diseases. The present review comprehensively summarizes the botanical description, geographical distribution, economic value and cultivation, ethnobotanical uses, preclinical pharmacological properties with insights of toxicological, clinical efficacy, and safety of P. betle. The findings suggest that P. betle represents an orally active and safe natural agent that exhibits great therapeutic potential for managing various human medical conditions. However, further research is needed to elucidate its underlying molecular mechanisms of action, clinical aspects, structure–activity relationships, bioavailability and synergistic interactions with other drugs.

Unfair Business Competition and the Tax on Income Destined for Charity: Forty-Six Years Later

Two sectors in American society, private enterprise and the federal government, are widely recognized as playing indispensable institutional roles, and both are in obvious need of revenue to accomplish their respective goals. The importance of a third sector-those institutions broadly subsumed under the classification of private, nonprofit charitable organizations-should not be undervalued relative to the other two, nor should its equally pressing need for revenue be underestimated. Beginning early in American history, private institutions have played a major role in attending to social needs. In contrast to other countries where major institutions attending to social needs are financed and operated by the government, many of the universities, schools, scientific research organizations, hospitals, libraries, museums, symphony orchestras, and social welfare agencies in the United States are voluntarily supported and operated by private citizens.From the very beginning, tax law in the United States has recognized the unique role played by private, nonprofit charitable organizations by affording them exemption from tax. Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code exempts from income tax organizations organized and operated exclusively for religious, charitable, scientific, literary, or educational purposes, testing for public safety, or for the prevention of cruelty to children or animals. No part of the net earnings of such organizations may inure to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual.

Ottoman religious architecture in Croatia

Objective: To provide a description and analysis of built, surviving, and lost Ottoman religious monuments in Croatia within the historical and sociopolitical context. Methods: Based on the analysis of relevant published sources, historical maps, online sources, as well as site analysis, we provide a description of Ottoman architectural, religious, and cultural heritage in the contemporary Croatian regions of the Dalmatian hinterland and Slavonia. This includes the art historical interpretation of the remains of the three surviving 16th-century domed mosques in three Croatian towns: Klis (today, the Catholic Church of St. Vitus in the Fortress), Drniš (now incorporated into the Catholic Church of St. Anthony held by the Franciscans), and Đakovo (today, the Catholic Church of All Saints). Results: The period of Ottoman rule saw the construction of a great number of Ottoman religious buildings in what is now the territory of the Republic of Croatia. There were two methods of mosque establishment: from the ground up, or by repurposing an older building, generally of Christian origin. With cessation of Ottoman rule these objects decayed and became less interesting for reutilization for Christian religious purposes. Many such converted objects perished in spite of their new utilization. The site analysis revealed the continuity of these sacred places in spite of religious conversion of the sacral site. Conclusion: The introduction of Ottoman architectural and urbanistic features was the defining feature of urban development in Croatia during the Ottoman era. In the settlements, the Ottomans built both sacral and utilitarian profane buildings, but Ottoman religious buildings were the most prominent. In the territory of present day Croatia, only three such Ottoman places of worship remain in existence as structures, albeit reconverted into Catholic churches. Today, due to the conversion and renovation works, they represent a fusion of several stylistic periods.

An ethnobotanical study of plants used in socio-religious activities in Bhutan

Abstract. Jigme, Yangchen K. 2022. An ethnobotanical study of plants used in socio-religious activities in Bhutan. Asian J Ethnobiol 5: 44-51. Ethnobotany encompasses all elements of plants’ natural and direct interaction with humans. Plants have been linked to human civilization since antiquity. Like Hindu people, Buddhists worship plants or use their components in different ways to perform various socio-religious ceremonies. However, this indigenous knowledge is diminishing rapidly due to the disinterest shown by the younger generation. Therefore, there need to document this indigenous knowledge regarding the usage of religious plants. The present study was conducted in Kanglung Gewog under Trashigang Dzongkhag, Bhutan, to document the plant species used for religious purposes. The ethnobotanical data were collected through semi-structured telephone interviews. A total of 24 plant species belonging to 16 families and 22 genera used in religious practices were documented. Among the 16 families, the most utilized species belong to the family Poaceae (4 species), followed by the family Ericaceae and Cupressaceae (3 species each) and Pinaceae (2 species). Out of these, trees account for 58 percent of all plants reported, followed by herbs (25%), shrubs (13%), and climbers (4%). The tree's trunk's most utilized parts, followed by the leaves, whole plant, seeds, and fruits. The majority of the plants recorded (58%) are used for religious ceremonies, and 42 percent of the plants are used for making religious items. The people of Kanglung have extensive indigenous knowledge on using plants in socio-religious activities. Still, rapid socio-economic development and the disinterest of the younger generation have become a major threat to preserving this indigenous knowledge. Therefore, it is necessary to preserve this indigenous knowledge on using plants in socio-religious activities by proper documentation and identification of plant species used to save these plants from further loss and sustainable utilization.

Beauty, Gods, and Early Greek Art: The Dedications of Mantiklos and Nikandre Revisited

Did beauty matter for art in ancient Greece? Detailed analysis of two famous votive statues—the dedications of Mantiklos (ca. 700–675 BCE) and Nikandre (ca. 660–630 BCE)—spotlights beauty’s significance in early Greek art. Examining contemporary Greek texts alongside these statues reveals that notions of beauty were instrumental to both the objects’ manufacture and their social and religious purposes. The ambiguity over whether these statues represent gods or humans—like the many votive kouroi and korai made in Archaic Greece—is integral to their meaning and function as votives: the aspiration to solidarity between human and divine.

Terrestrial laser scanning for 3D archaeological documentation. The prehistoric Cave of Sa Miniera de Santu Josi (Sardinia, Italy)

Abstract Caves have a great archaeological importance: they were used as a dwelling, as a shelter of animals, as an occasional refuge both for funerary and religious purposes. A cave survey is the first step towards their exploration. This study describes the San Giorgio cave’s survey that is the object of an archaeological research that concerns both the area above it and the underground environments. The cave, located in the north-west of Sardinia, has an extension of about 140 meters and has a maximum depth (surveyed) of -15 meters. Sixty-two TLS scans were carried out producing 1.5 milliard points. The Poisson surface reconstruction algorithm [3] is used to produce the 3D Model. A 3D model in low resolution can be adopted for aims of public archaeology; however archaeologists should take advantage of all the information available in the original point cloud.

Demystifying Psychedelic Treatments in Psychiatry: Is Ego Dissolution the Solution?

Demystifying Psychedelic Treatments in Psychiatry: Is Ego Dissolution the Solution?

БАТЫС ҚАЗАҚСТАНДАҒЫ КЕЙІНГІ САРМАТ МӘДЕНИЕТІНЕ ТӘН ЖЕРЛЕУ ҒҰРПЫ

The article presents statistical materials on the funeral rite of the nomadic population living on the territory of modern Western Kazakhstan in the second half of the 2nd –4 th centuries AD, which are united into a single Late Sarmatian culture. In total, more than two hundred objects were taken into account in the sample. According to external features, regional features are distinguished for the Late Sarmatian monuments of the Jaiyk and Mugaljar river basins. In particular, according to the location in the burial complexes of peculiar and at the same time unique “П”-shaped and “dumbbell-shaped” structures and some elements of the funeral rite. At the same time, the Late Sarmatian monuments of both local regions retain their common diagnostic signs, manifested in the form of a grave pit, the orientation of the backbone to the northern sector, the deformation of the cranial vault and a stable set of funeral equipment. These objects were used as a specific burial rite, religious-ritual burial, or only for religious purposes.

Antisemitism in History and Politics

Antisemitism in History and Politics Omer Bartov (bio) The highly politicized current debate over defining antisemitism suffers from a profound lack of historical perspective. Indeed, like many previous debates about antisemitism, it reflects the politics of the moment much more than the historical record. Not for the first time, the feuding camps are divided by their irreconcilable positions: those who see the world through an antisemitic prism, for whom everything that has gone wrong with the world, or with their personal lives, is the fault of the Jews; and those who see the world through an anti-antisemitic prism, for whom every critical observation of Jews as individuals or as a community, or, most crucially, of the state of Israel, is inherently antisemitic. But what do we mean when we speak of antisemitism? Because of its long and complex history, antisemitism can only be understood by tracing its deep roots as well as its modern transformation since the late nineteenth century. And because antisemitic arguments have always been answered by counterarguments, anti-antisemitism has a similarly extended and multifaceted history. For that reason, over time both have meant different things to different people, and both have been mobilized for political ends time and time again. Indeed, in an obvious if at times peculiar way, these two discourses have become dependent on one another. Historically, long before the [End Page 100] term antisemitism was coined, anti-Jewish animus played a role not only in how Jews were perceived by others, but also in how Jews interacted with the world and, especially in the modern era, in how they perceived themselves. Conversely, anti-antisemitic rhetoric gains public importance and visibility whenever it succeeds in persuading the public that antisemitism is a real and present danger. What has been called "the longest hatred" has a long and complex history.1 For centuries, the vast majority of world Jewry lived in the midst of Christian communities. By the eighteenth century, some 80 percent of all Jews in the world resided in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, where they had their own governing institutions, legal apparatus, special rights from the king, and, in the vast stretches of the kingdom's eastern borderlands were offered far-reaching privileges by Polish magnates.2 To be sure, the fact that Polish monarchs and lords enticed Jews to their lands and estates by providing them with numerous privileges aroused much resentment among peasants and townsmen. If the former disliked being controlled by Jews as leasers of noble estates, the latter saw Jews as competitors in the same socioeconomic niche. Yet, the Jews were needed as estate managers, artisans, manufacturers, merchants, and go-betweens linking remote villages to local marketplaces. This meant in turn that there was constant interaction between Jews and their Christian neighbors. The notion of the shtetl as existing in splendid (or wretched) isolation was always more of a myth and a figment of the literary imagination than a social reality.3 But it is also true that Jews and Christians lived both together and apart.4 What set them apart was religious loathing and socioeconomic resentment on the part of Christians, on the one hand, and the clear and rigid boundaries that Jewish communities drew between themselves and their neighbors, on the other. Without such boundaries, the Jews might have ended up like the Armenians who fulfilled a similar socioeconomic role but, being Christian, ended up assimilating into the Polish population. The Jews were thus both kept apart and chose to keep themselves apart. Suspicion and loathing were as mutual as interaction was common. [End Page 101] To be sure, this was not a symmetrical relationship as the Jews were a minority living in a Christian universe and Christianity was in large part based on a theological disdain for Judaism and Jews. The Church kept them in its midst as witnesses "to the truth of Christianity," numerous expulsions notwithstanding. Anti-Jewish imagery, which became increasingly prevalent beginning in the twelfth century, associated Jews with the devil and with everything unclean, threatening, and unnatural, including the charge of using Christian blood for religious purposes. This combination of socioeconomic resentment and religious disparagement combined with demonic imagery was the...

Web-Based Digital Marketing Application for Selling Qurban Animals in Qurban Cages in Sidoarjo Regency

Technological advances in various fields of technology encourage the emergence of various new innovations that have a very positive impact on the world of trade. With the number of internet users increasing day by day, it opens up opportunities for entrepreneurs to develop their business through mobile phones. Like cattle and goats, which are in great demand by the public for religious purposes or for consumption, the demand for these animals increases at the time of Eid al-Adha. In 2019, beef consumption was 18,913,246 tons while goat meat was 8,608,121 tons. However, in buying and selling activities, cattle farmers still use simple information media so that they are not optimal. Therefore, to support the sales process, a web-based information system is needed. Customers will find it easier to access the information they need at any time regarding prices, conditions, and maintenance. This application is made using the waterfall method starting from analysis, design, coding, testing, to maintenance. With these problems, the authors examine the existing problems, namely "Digital Marketing Applications in Increasing Web-Based Livestock Sales in Qurban Cages in Ganggang Panjang Village, Sidoarjo.

The Importance of the Islamic Economy and Finance in Combating Poverty and Unemployment

This article seeks to examine the role of the Islamic economy and finance in combating the phenomena of poverty and unemployment in Muslim countries. It also proposes mechanisms to address the problem of unemployment through Islamic banks with the aim of achieving economic development and social solidarity, as well as through the alms (Zakat) fund by establishing special funds to finance investment projects needed by the unemployed. Moreover, it studies the crisis of unemployment, as the article shows the role of waqf (which is an Islamic endowment of property to be held in trust and used for a charitable or religious purpose) as an economic institution that can provide jobs for its performers, and provide jobs through projects. The study also shows how the Islamic economy can address the problem of poverty (through zakat and waqf), by giving good loans, to finance small projects, as well as by providing social and economic services to the poor and needy.

Community Pharmacists' Knowledge, Willingness, and Readiness to Prescribe Oral Contraceptives in Saudi Arabia.

Background: The role of community pharmacists (CPs) in various healthcare settings is well documented in the literature including providing safe and easy access to medications. Oral contraceptives (OCPs) are the most frequently used method of terminating unwanted pregnancies worldwide. Objective: This study aims to evaluate the Community pharmacist’s knowledge, willingness, and readiness to prescribe OCPs in Saudi communities in Saudi Arabia. Methods: This is across sectional, self-administered questionnaire-based study conducted between May and November 2021 in the central region of Saudi Arabia. The results were presented as frequencies and percentages. Chi-square tests were used to sort significant association between groups. Results: Out of 368 CPs who got the questionnaire, 347 completed (94.3%). Most of CPs were be-tween the ages of 25 and 35, with 76.9% working in chain pharmacies. Of the surveyed CPs, 45.5% had >24 months of experience in community pharmacies. 41.8% of them prescribed more than six prescriptions for OCPs/week. The patients’ safety (77.2%), physician’s resistance (54.5%), and CPs objection based on religious purposes (36.9%) and lack of time (29.7%) were the most commonly cited barriers among CPs. CPs who worked in chain pharmacies were significantly too busy (p = 0.038) to prescribe OCPs. Also, community pharmacists with experience of more than two years significantly agreed not to prescribe OCPs due to religious convictions (p = 0.009). Conclusion: The current study revealed that most of the CPs were knowledgeable about OCPs. Additionally, most of them were likely to prescribe oral contraceptives. We further suggest overcoming the barriers associated with contraceptives among CPs and providing sufficient training to improve the oral contraceptive prescriptions in CPs is needed.

The social transformation of the historical city centre of Karbala , Iraq

Traditional holy cities, such as Karbala in Iraq, suffer from various challenges, namely socio-demographic transformations. This paper studies three important aspects. First, it investigates land use in the holy city of Karbala for religious, commercial and residential purposes. Secondly, it explores the different methods and materials that can be used to study this. Thirdly, it focuses on the symbolic aspect of the holy city of Karbala, the development of its historic city sectors and its demographic transformation. The paper concludes that the demographic changes are clearly related to political fluctuations in Iraq and the Middle East in general. Relocation and immigration to the city are the outcome of the recent events of violence in the country. This increase in population is directly affecting the standard of services in this city.

Assessment of supplied water quality during mass gatherings in arid environments

Mass gathering events commonly encounter environmental challenges that necessitate assurance of water quality and food security. The current outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) call for maintaining safe drinking water supply and providing assessment tools of drinking water quality to avoid contamination in water sources or distribution networks. Arid environmental conditions also add more stress on supplied water to mass gathering events. Herein, we assess the quality of the water supply (desalinated 95% and groundwater 5%) in Makkah city, Saudi Arabia during a mass gathering event in 2019 (9.6 million people) for religious purposes. Fifty five samples were randomly collected from nine different districts of Makkah city, analyzed for TDS, turbidity, pH, EC, free Cl2, Al, Cd, Pb, Cr, F, major ions, coliform and E.coli bacteria and were finally used to estimate the water quality index (WQI). Major ions, trace elements and heavy metals analyses show values below permissible limits in most of the samples, while a few samples show slightly higher values. No bacterial count found in any sample. WQI values of all fifty-five samples were below 50 and were identified as “excellent water”. The WQI variations could be attributed to the distribution network conditions rather than a direct impact of adding groundwater with uncontrolled chemical composition. The use of WQI to report the quality of water during mass gathering events to governmental authorities has been proved to be beneficial and should be applied for further mass gathering events worldwide.