Muslim artisans lend their style to Bhadra temple
Skilled Muslim artisans from Makrana in Rajasthan are working day and night to construct marble facades and colonnades. The renovation work will be completed by December
By Mehul Jani & Yogesh Avasthi
Abdul Mansuri, another artisan, says: “Our work helps us attain spiritual peace. We respect Hinduism as much as we respect Islam. We do not forget to remove the chappals outside the temple. We stay away from non-vegetarian food till work is over. Our habits or behaviour should not hurt somebody else’s sentiments.”
Fellow craftsman Munnabhai says: “We have also worked in Jain temples. For us God is one and we understand He is nobody’s property.”
The temple, believed to be as old as Ahmedabad itself, was renovated twice — in 1895 and 1936.
This year, the temple will receive the most modern facelift, complete with LCD screens beaming live aarti, CCTV cameras and centralised AC.
Work is on in full swing at the temple from 11 am to 5 pm every day to meet the December 31 deadline.To be refashioned at a cost of Rs 2.5 crore, the highlight of the new look will be a gilded sanctum sanctorum (garbha griha). A kalash (a vessel to hold water) made of pure gold will crown the sanctum. The temple follows rituals by priests from Uttar Pradesh who change every six months.
The renovation of the garbha griha is pegged at Rs 65 lakh. The arch separating the garbha griha from the congregation hall will make way for an ornate wall made of Makrana marble. The facade of the temple will also be made of marble.
Trustees Shashikant Tiwari and Shishir Avasthi are all praises for these craftsmen.
“They quietly do their work and take care to follow the rules of the temple. We are very happy with the way work is progressing,” says Avasthi.
Tiwari says: “The pace at which these artisans are working, we are confident the work will be over by December.”
By Mehul Jani & Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Saturday, June 05, 2010 (Pic Dilip Thaker)
No religion has a right on God. It’s God who decides what’s right. That should explain the presence of Muslim craftsmen at Bhadrakali temple, one of the most popular places of worship in the city. Bhadrakali or Amba is also addressed as Allah in Sanskrit.
No religion has a right on God. It’s God who decides what’s right. That should explain the presence of Muslim craftsmen at Bhadrakali temple, one of the most popular places of worship in the city. Bhadrakali or Amba is also addressed as Allah in Sanskrit.
The skilled artisans from Makrana are constructing marble facades and colonnades at the temple, all set for a Rs 2.5-crore facelift in December. While at work, they adhere to the Hindu doctrine promulgated at the temple. That, they say, is out of respect for the Hindu sentiments. So, till the work gets over, they will not even touch meat. The craftsmen are employees of A S Marble Emporium in Makrana. Nearly 90 per cent of the artisans in this small town in Rajasthan are Muslims.
One of them, Anwar Sisodiya, has been working in the temples for the past 20 years. “We feel as though God has chosen us to wipe off the division religions have created. It is temple authorities who call us. They treat us with lot of respect,” he says.Abdul Mansuri, another artisan, says: “Our work helps us attain spiritual peace. We respect Hinduism as much as we respect Islam. We do not forget to remove the chappals outside the temple. We stay away from non-vegetarian food till work is over. Our habits or behaviour should not hurt somebody else’s sentiments.”
Fellow craftsman Munnabhai says: “We have also worked in Jain temples. For us God is one and we understand He is nobody’s property.”
The temple, believed to be as old as Ahmedabad itself, was renovated twice — in 1895 and 1936.
This year, the temple will receive the most modern facelift, complete with LCD screens beaming live aarti, CCTV cameras and centralised AC.
Work is on in full swing at the temple from 11 am to 5 pm every day to meet the December 31 deadline.To be refashioned at a cost of Rs 2.5 crore, the highlight of the new look will be a gilded sanctum sanctorum (garbha griha). A kalash (a vessel to hold water) made of pure gold will crown the sanctum. The temple follows rituals by priests from Uttar Pradesh who change every six months.
The renovation of the garbha griha is pegged at Rs 65 lakh. The arch separating the garbha griha from the congregation hall will make way for an ornate wall made of Makrana marble. The facade of the temple will also be made of marble.
Trustees Shashikant Tiwari and Shishir Avasthi are all praises for these craftsmen.
“They quietly do their work and take care to follow the rules of the temple. We are very happy with the way work is progressing,” says Avasthi.
Tiwari says: “The pace at which these artisans are working, we are confident the work will be over by December.”
