Sanjay Austa: Mosque, Temple and Gurudwara Under One Roof
... I consider all religions absolute humbugs and a major bane of mankind. But it is possible even for non believers like me to appreciate the rare flashes of coexistence, harmony and respect some of the faithfuls have for one another. On assignments across India, I see heartening examples of such mutual reverence displayed by difference faiths. Symbolic gestures of respect are paid to each other even by the hardliners. However talk about sharing places of worship and even the sane lose no time in jumping at each others throats.
But in Farrukhnagar- a dusty , mofussil town barely 20 kilometers from Gurgaon, lies an unique structure that is a mosque, a temple and a gurudwara all at once. It was a mosque built by the Mughal Nawab here in the 18th century. After the Partition majority of the Muslims migrated to Pakistan and the town was occupied by Hindu settlers. One would have thought, a mosque with its distinct three- tomb roof in the heart of the town would be a sore thumb for the Hindus and be razed down immediately. But the migrants adopted it and it remains till today a major place of worship for the residents.
A priest who lives with his family in the compound here told me that few Muslims who remain in Farrukhnagar also come to worship here. But its not just a place of piety for the Hindus and the Muslims – it’s also a place of worship for the Sikhs. A Guru Grantsahib lies in one of the main chambers of the structure and a granthi comes regularly to conduct the akhand path for the Sikhs here.
A Hindu Shrine in a Muslim’s Courtyard.
Few years ago on an aimless walk in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, I discovered a Muslim household that had a shrine of sorts in his front yard. Hindus would come at all times of the day and worship in front of the small sacred stone there. The Muslim family greeted the Hindus and exchanged the days gossip as the latter went about their rituals.
India has many such heartwarming examples. But unfortunately religion remains the most effective way of dividing people. The clergy and the politicians know this very well and have been manipulating the believers since millennia.
