Tree that binds both Hindus and Muslims

Barrackpore, Jan 17: Faith has done what politics failed in Azamchanditala, an epitome of secularism.

At a time when Hindus and Muslims are fighting over their places of worship, Azamchanditala in North 24 Parganas is a welcome exception. Here people of both communities offer prayers at the same place. Three trees, a fig, date and banyan, have grown from a single point and thousands of devotees from both communities have been thronging it for decades to offer prayers to the trees by tying threads with a piece of earth to the branches.

The first day of the Hindu month of 'Magha' (mid-January-mid February), has been observed here as an auspicious day and people celebrate it with an annual fair.

''It is beleived that if one ties threads on these branches then all their desires are fulfiled,'' a devotee said.

''Many believe that the place is the abode of both 'Azam'(Allah) and Goddess Chandi,'' Khardah-based doctor K K Biswas, who had been visiting Azamchanditala temple with his wife for years, said.

According to folklore a Hindu king and a Muslim nawab had halted at this spot while travelling in their mercantile ships along the Sonai river, that flowed through this place a few centuries ago, after goddess Chandi ordered them in their dreams to offer pujas.

Since then the spot was named 'Azamchanditala', a point of assembly for Hindus and Muslims, a local, Letu Thakur said.

''We do puja and say our namaz together. There is no ill feeling.

We are one religion here,'' declared Md Sheikh, who had come from Kolkata for his 'mannat'.

He further added, ''there are no priests here, the devotees perform their pujas themselves by offering water and milk at the base of the trees.'' A saint meditating on the premises said, ''I don't know about the pujas but at least the trees are being fed everyday.'' A fair is also held here each year with people of both the religions participating with full enthusiasm.

''It is the only common fair of both Hindus and Muslims. It binds us together. We are one here,'' said an enthusiastic Abdul Rahim.

''We pray, eat, celebrate, dance and enjoy together,'' Subir Das, a businessman who comes here every year with other traders for a brisk business in the fair, said.

UNI