Muslim man who saves Hindu temples

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Muslim man who saves Hindu temples

 

Krittivas Mukherjee (IANS)

Pathra (West Bengal)

 

At first glance Yeasin Pathan appears to be one among the hundreds

of forgettable faces in this dusty West Bengal village in eastern

India.

 

 

Frail, unassuming and a trifle rustic, his looks offer no insight

into the man. It is only when one is told of the half-educated,

impoverished Muslim villager's exploits that one begins to

appreciate him for his single-minded devotion to preserve an

archaeological treasure.

 

 

Pathan has made it his life's mission to save the crumbling

archaeological marvels of Pathra, some 120 km from West Bengal

capital Kolkata, and many more in the neighbouring villages.

 

 

Pathan's romance with a cluster of 34 Hindu temples in this village

began as a child when he used to spend hours among the dilapidated

structures. As he grew up, his fascination with the temples

gradually turned into an obsession and a steadfast resolve to save

them.

 

 

But there was little help from the villagers. "Not many understood

or cared for preservation of this heritage. They had little time

after toiling the whole day for their livelihoods," said 50-year-old

Pathan, a school assistant.

The Pathra temples date back to the early 18th century and are

believed to have been built by Hindu landlords of what was then

known as Ratanchak Pargana.

 

 

Though faced with great odds, Pathan did not give up his

crusade. "Some of the villagers even questioned the motive of my

endeavour. While Muslim villagers branded me an infidel, the Hindus

wondered why I was interested in preserving temples of their faith.

There was much cynicism," he told IANS.

 

 

At home, too, he faced opposition from his wife and brothers for

his "foolhardiness". But he did not give up and continued to write

about the Pathra temples in a monthly magazine that he brought out

with his own money.

But it was after he formed the Pathra Archaeological Preservation

Committee (PAPC) that he began to draw the attention of the

Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). In 1992-93 he was granted Rs.2

million by the Indian government for preservation of the temples.

 

 

After decades of striving, the ASI has now recommended that the

whole of Pathra be declared a heritage village. The local

authorities, too, now have turned their attention to developing

Pathra's infrastructure and putting the village on the state's

tourist map.

 

 

As a result, Pathra has begun to receive a steady flow of tourists.

This has helped the village's economy and several villagers now earn

livelihoods from the limited tourism.

 

 

Official recognition for Pathan came in 1994 when he was presented

the Kabir Award for communal harmony by the country's then president

Shankar Dayal Sharma.

 

 

The economic benefits for the village and the official recognition

for his work gradually convinced the sceptical villagers that Pathan

stood as a symbol of Hindu-Muslim amity.

 

 

Encouraged by the all-round response, Pathan has begun turning his

conservation efforts towards other historical relics and monuments

in West Bengal. PAPC has now listed 913 such structures that are

more than 100 years old and require conservation.

 

 

"There are so many forts, palaces, temples and mosques that need to

be preserved for the posterity. I wish we can care for each and

every one of them," said Pathan, who remains the village simpleton

that he was before coming to the limelight.