It was village head Nizam Ansari who initiated the unique programme. The Muslim devotees donned saffron clothes and joined the yatra on their own expense.
(Getty Images)
Presenting an example of communal harmony, some Muslims became Kanwariyas to undertake the Kanwar Yatra, an annual pilgrimage taken out by for the ardent devotees of Lord Shiva.
A group of 70 kanwariyas, including 15 Muslims, from Kushahari village in Deoria district of Uttar Pradesh began their journey for Baba Dham in Jharkhand’s Deoghar district.
The devotees from Kushahari village will reach Sultanganj in Bihar, from where they would collect water from the Ganga river and walk around 104 km to Baba Dham, to offer the water to the deity at Baidyanath Jyotirlinga temple.
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It was village head Nizam Ansari who initiated the unique programme. The Muslim devotees also donned saffron clothes and joined the yatra on their own expense.
According to PTI, Ansari said, “I want all the people of my village to participate in functions related to all religions… this will provide us more opportunities to come closer and serve the society. I want blessings of people and development of my village.”
Flagging off the yatra on Friday, Sanjiv Shukla, a leading social worker of the area, said, “This is the real example of Ganga-Jamuni culture of India. We should all take lesson from it and give preference to love and peace over hatred.”
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