Temple and dargah in Rajkot standing as symbol of Hindu-Muslim unity for centuries

Apr 29, 2019

Rajkot (Gujarat), Apr 29 (ANI): Being home to more than 1.24 billion denizens who belong to different castes and communities; India displays an amazing characteristic of mutual tolerance and peaceful coexistence. Examples defining this unique identity of the country are to be found at its every nook and corner. So, today we take you to Rajkot, a city of Gujarat to witness one such exemplary of religious harmony that narrates centuries-old bond of two different faiths. ‘Religion does not teach us to bear ill-will among ourselves; we all are Indians and our homeland is Hindustan’. Explaining the true meaning of these lyrics is the Vanpari village of Rajkot, where a temple of Hindu Lord Hanuman and Shrine of Saint Adil Shah stand in close proximity to each other and are visited by both Hindus and Muslims. There is not even a wall separating both the places of worship and it is believed that if a person visits one site then he has to pay his obeisance at the other site as well, otherwise his prayers will not be worth it. Interestingly, there is just one priest taking care of both the temple and the dargah . His name is Sahamgar Mohammad Shah and he is serving the holy sites for the last many years. He first performs the daily rituals at the temple and after distributing the holy sacrament among the devotees, he proceeds towards Dargah to perform the prayers. Striking a balance between the two, he visits both the sites to help devotees perform their respective rituals in perfect harmony. Thus the way these holy sites of two different faiths have brought people closer to each other and have kept them united for centuries, does make it a symbol of peace and brotherhood.