Muslims help Hindus construct Shiva temple in Bihar

Patna, Nov 17: Muslim residents of a village in

's Sitamarhi district have been aiding the efforts of their Hindu brethren to build a Shiva temple.

According to the Shiva Temple Construction Committee president Rajkishore Raut, the Muslims have donated money for the cause. "They are also actively involved in ensuring that the temple should come up soon," he said.

Hailing the coordination between the Hindus and the Muslims, Raut who teaches in the local school described the construction of the Shiva temple as an example of communal harmony.

A villager Mohammad Sadre Alam Khan cited the contributions by several Muslims for the temple construction and noted: "This is a positive development for the village as a whole."

Lalbabu Sah, another resident of the village, pointed out that the majority and minority communities were trying to complete the construction work ahead of the Chhath festival. He averred that the joint effort will strengthen the bonds between Hindus and Muslims.

Incidentally, this is not the first time both communities have joined hands to build a temple in Bihar. Muslims and Hindus had effectively collaborated in the construction of a temple, dedicated to Goddess Durga, in Gaya district some months ago.

Earlier, a temple of Lord Shiva was built in Bachwara after a person named Mohammad Fakhrool Islam donated his land for it. The noteworthy aspect is that most of Mohammad Fakhrool's fellow villagers are Muslims.

During Ramadan, Muslim residents of Bhagalpur helped construct a Jain temple in the town. One Mohammad Janeshar Akhtar went to the extent of demolishing a portion of his home while other Muslims widened the street so that a massive granite-laden truck could reach the construction site. The idol was then made from blocks of granite.

If only the outfits responsible for the inflamed passions in Hyderabad could emulate such exemplary collaboration instead of clashing with each other.

OneIndia News