Setting Example Of Unity, Famous Gujarat Temple Invites Muslims To Break Ramzan Fast
The temple organised iftar (fast breaking) and then offering of Maghrib namaz at the 1200-year-old temple premises. The temple is also said to hold special significance for the people of the village.
In a remarkable show of communal harmony, a historic Hindu temple invited Muslims to break Ramzan fast in the temple premises on Friday evening. Brotherhood and harmony blossomed in Dalvana, an arid village of Banaskantha in Gujarat, as Varanda Vir Maharaj temple opened its gates for at least 100 Muslim rozedaars to break their fast.
Iftar oraginsed by temple priest
The temple organised iftar (fast breaking) and then offering of Maghrib namaz at the 1200-year-old temple premises. The temple is also said to hold special significance for the people of the village.
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Pankaj Thakar, the temple priest said that this is the first time that the doors of the temple were opened for Muslims, The Indian Express report read.
"This year, the temple trust and gram panchayat decided to invite the Muslim rozedaars to our temple premises to break their fast. We arranged for five to six types of fruits, dates and sherbet for over 100 Muslim rozedaars of our village. I personally welcomed the Maulana sahib of our local mosque," The Indian Express quoted priest Thakar as saying.
Village known for communal euphony
Wasim Khan, a local Muslim businessman, said people in the village live in harmony and work closely to celebrate their festivals. According to Wasim, the village panchayat contacted both Hindus and Muslims and gave them a proposal suggesting that Muslims should break fast at the temple on Friday.
The month of Ramzan is considered holy by Muslims. They fast from dawn to dusk and then break the fast at the time of Iftar.
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According to the 2011 Census, Dalvana has a population of 2,500, mainly comprising Rajput, Patel, Prajapati, Devipujak and Muslim communities. The population consists of around 50 Muslim families usually engaged in farming and business.
Similar show of harmony in Kerala
Similarly n Kerala, a temple festival has an age-old tradition of communal harmony. Ceremonial firing at the annual festival of Parappadam Devi temple in Kottayam is done by a Muslim family.
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The tradition, a fascinating testament to the syncretic culture that this village has embraced since the Thekkumkoor era, remains unscathed even in the time of raging intolerance.
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