A Hindu Temple and Muslim Dargah In One

[Guest guest]

Shamli (UP), INDIA (March 14, 2007): One look at this institution of

faith in Shamli in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar District, and one

might dismiss it as just another place of worship.

 

But a closer look will leave you amazed. People belonging to

different faiths pay obeisance at this building, which houses a

temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and a dargah of a Muslim saint.

Devotees congregate here in the hope that their wishes will be

fulfilled.

 

" The images of Lord Shiva and the tomb of a Muslim saint can be seen

here. Both Hindus and Muslims visit this place in the strong belief

that all their wishes will be fulfilled here, " claimed Sunita, a

Hindu devotee who lives nearby.

 

No one knows who built this place of worship. Some claim it has been

here since time immemorial, while others believe that Pir Majeed

Khan, whose dargah is an integral part of this building of religious

amity, was a staunch believer of Lord Shiva, and as per his last

wish he was buried near his beloved deity's temple.

 

Confusion might exist about the religious entity's origin, but there

is no dispute over the oneness of God.

 

What's more, devotees believe that the presence of Lord Shiva and

Pir Majeed Khan at one place is reason enough for avoiding communal

scuffles.

 

" Both Hindus and Muslims come here with love and, no scuffle has

happened here between Hindu and Muslims till date, " asserted Hafiz

Mohammad Yakub, a Muslim devotee from Kanpur.

 

Yakub Ali, who claims to be a descendant of the Pir, looks after the

temple, while Hari Giri Maharaj, a Hindu, looks after the Dargah.

 

" Both Hindus and Muslims visit this place with regularity, and they

come from places like Uttaranchal, Bihar and Haryana, " said Harigiri

Maharaj, the Hindu caretaker of the dargah.

 

" I have been to many places but this is the first place when I have

come across such a place where both a temple and a Masjid can be

witnessed. I am coming here since my childhood. Even my ancestors

used to come here. Both Hindus and Muslims come here. It is believed

that whosoever comes here, all the wishes are fulfilled, " added

Shanawaz Ali, another Muslim devotee.

 

This religious establishment in Muzzaffarnagar is an example of how

people can transcend the boundaries of faith to strengthen communal

bonds and serve as a unifying force.

 

SOURCE: Dailyindia.com/ANI.

URL: http://www.dailyindia.com/show/124829.php/A-building-that-

houses-both-a-dargah-and-a-temple

TINY URL: http://tinyurl.com/2md6uf