Bhavnagar: In recent times we have heard a lot about communal violence taking place in various parts of the country. The Hijab Row and Azaan Controversy are spreading throughout the nation. Social media is full of hate speech. Amid such ongoing communal crisis, Gujarat’s Temple has chosen brotherhood and love.
To celebrate the holy month of Ramzan, in Gujarat’s Dalvana village, a historic Hindu temple opened its gates and arms for fasting Muslim also called rozedaars so that they can break their fast on Fridays (Jumma)
As many as 100 Muslim residents of the village were invited to offer Namaz and break their fast during the Ramzan month around 7 pm on the premises of Varanda Vir Maharaj Mandir, a 1,200-year-old temple holding great social and religious significance for the people of Dalvana.
Speaking with Indian Express the priest of temple, Pankaj Thakar said that they believe in co-existence and brotherhood. “The Varanda Vir Maharaj temple is a historic site in our village. Several tourists visit it throughout the year. We have always believed in co-existence and brotherhood. Many times, the dates of Hindu and Muslim festivals clash, and we ensure that the villagers help in each of them. This year, the temple trust and gram panchayat decided to invite the Muslim rozedars to our temple premises to break their fast. We arranged for five to six types of fruits, dates and sherbet for over 100 Muslim rozedars of our village. I personally welcomed the Maulana sahib of our local mosque today,” said Thakar.
Speaking to The Indian Express, 35-year-old Wasim Khan, a businessman from Dalvana, said, “Our village is known for brotherhood among communities. We have also worked shoulder to shoulder with our Hindu brothers in their festivals. This time, the gram panchayat approached both Hindu and Muslim community leaders and gave them a proposal that we should break our fast this Friday in the temple. It was an emotional moment for us.”
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