Gandhiji, an 'idol' God in Orissa

Sambalpur, Apr 3: Hundreds of people from various religions, communities and castes worship Mahatma Gandhi in a unique way in this tiny village.They worship his idol in a temple everyday by offering flowers to his idol in Bhatra village located on the outskirts of Sambalpur town, about 300 km from here.

The village truly realises the dream of Gandhiji's dream 'Ramarajya' with people from different faith gather to offer prayers to him.

Pramod Kumar, President of the Gandhi temple development committee, said the temple symbolizes communal amity among the people in western Orissa.

''People of all faiths from different parts of Orissa, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand come to Gandhi temple which promotes peace and communal harmony,'' he said.

They not just pray to Gandhiji but they also read the teachings of Bapu after arati in the morning and evening.

The Gandhi Mandir named after the Father of the Nation was built in 1974 by Dalit leader Abhimanyu Kumar and some local residents. It looks like a Hindu temple and is about 11 metres high. It houses a 1.7 metre high bronze idol of the Mahatma.

OneIndia News