In a rare display of communal harmony across Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, members of the Hindu and Muslim communities came together to support each other. In two separate gestures, residents in local villages donated their private land for the other community’s place of worship.
Hindu family donates Rs 8 lakh worth land for mosque
In Punjab’s Sangrur district, a Hindu family from Punawal village donated their five-biswa plot (approximately 6,750 sq ft) worth approximately Rs 8 lakh to the Muslim community to build a mosque.
The Punawal village has 18 Muslim families but no mosque. These families had to travel to Kanjhla village, about four kilometres, to offer namaz.
Ashwini Kumar decided to help his brothers and donated the land, owned since his grandfather’s time for the construction of the mosque.
His friend, Mustaq and others had earlier approached the family expressing their desire to purchase land. The community had promised to repay after they collected enough funds.
But Ashwini said, “We will give you the land. You use the money you have collected to build the mosque.”
The land was subsequently donated on September 2, 2023 and officially inaugurated on February 8.
“Now we do not need to travel to the neighbouring village to offer prayers,” said a local Muslim man.
Sarpanch Gobinder Khangura also praised the family, saying it was an example from the Sangrur district.
UP Muslim resident donates land for Durgah temple
In a similar gesture of religious harmony, Syed Ehsan Ali, a Muslim resident of Vallipur village in Uttar Pradesh‘s Sultanpur, donated his 2,000 sq ft of land to the Durga Devi Temple.
He had initially bought the land ten years ago, and a temple had been built on a small portion of it.
Speaking to PTI, Ali said, “Since 900 sq ft of the land was left for us, we said let’s hand it over to them (temple), because we are milne jhulne waale log hai (live in harmony).”
“Because there was communal harmony and co-existence between the residents, we gave the entire land to the temple,” Ali said.
Locals also claimed that Ali’s actions further strengthened mutual respect for their respective religions in the village.
Gyaan Singh, a resident of Vallipur, said Ali’s actions were like an example for the rest of the villagers, and that they are very grateful to him for selflessly giving the land.
