KOZHIKODE: The small village of Muthuvallur in Kerala’s Muslim-majority district of Malappuram has scripted a heart-warming story of communal concord over the renovation of a 400-year-old Durga temple, reaffirming on this Ramzan season a centuries-long custom of Hindu-Muslim generosity centred on locations of worship.Muthuvallur Sree Durga Bhagavathy Temple, close to Kondotty, stands out as an exemplary image of the syncretism, with the primary section of its renovation full and the idol-installation ceremony set for Could.The non secular camaraderie has been evident by the temple renovation since 2015 wherein Muslims contributed generously. Persevering with with the custom, the shrine authorities have once more sought the assistance of individuals throughout non secular divides for subsequent month’s set up of the brand new idol to switch one which was damaged a long time in the past. A temple brochure is a testomony to communal amity.Muslims aided in temple dome’s copper-plating A brochure introduced out by temple authorities on Could 7-9 idol set up is testomony to communal amity. It prominently options images of Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) chief Panakkad Sadikkali Shihab Thangal (the qazi of a whole lot of mosques in state and past), and temple thantri (vedic head) Thekkiniyedathu Tharananellur Padmanabhan Unni Namboodiripad. The temple, which comes underneath state-run Malabar Devaswom Board, is positioned in a predominantly Muslim neighbourhood. Muslims’ involvement in its conservation included copper-plating of the dome some years again.“As thantri, I reached out to the Muslim community and its leaders, including Thangal. Cooperation and goodwill cutting across religious lines is required for the temple. We received them in plenty,” mentioned Namboodiripad, who’s thantri of a number of temples throughout Malabar.Thangal advised TOI that in a group the place individuals dwell in concord, it was pure to assist one another, even in issues regarding religion and locations of worship. Thangal even visited the temple at an occasion organised in 2023 to boost funds for renovation. There, a state Haj committee member, KP Sulaiman Haji, donated Rs 1 lakh.A “message of love” from the thantri addressed to IUML chief PK Kunhalikutty learn out at a temple operate on March 30 recounted its historical past steeped in non secular camaraderie.In keeping with the message, individuals of Kondotty as soon as needed to stroll a protracted approach to Tirurangadi for Friday prayers, with many typically lacking it as they may not attain in time. They determined then that it is going to be higher to construct a mosque and approached household of Thalayur Moosad, who owned the temple. The temple homeowners readily handed over land for the present Pazhayangadi mosque, which was constructed within the 18th century.In keeping with temple committee president Chandran P, Muslims have contributed a serious chunk of the Rs 38 lakh spent on the temple’s renovation in previous few years, in addition to offering building materials and different help. “When we approach them for anything connected to the temple, they extended full cooperation,” Chandran mentioned. Muslims have additionally been offering greens for temple festivals. Vinaya Raj, a member of the Thalayur household, held up division-free Muthuvallur as a mannequin for the nation.
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