This temple in Suryapet has Muslims serving devotees

Two Muslim men from the village are voluntarily working as members of a Hindu temple development committee, with one of them deciding to donate one acre of land for the temple.

Suryapet: In times when religion is being used to create rifts among people,

Yerravaram village of Kodad mandal is setting an example for communal harmony. Two Muslim men from the village are voluntarily working as members of a Hindu temple development committee, with one of them deciding to donate one acre of land for the temple.

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It was not long ago that the people of Yerravaram found an idol of Bala Narsimha Swamy on a rock atop of a hillock in the village. Irrespective of religion and caste, the villagers took an oath to construct a black stone temple there.

Out of 18 members of the temple development committee, two are Muslims, Syed Masthan and Syed Latheef, who in fact devote their Fridays to serve devotees at the temple. They distribute prasadam and regulate the flow of devotees in the queues.

That is not all. Masthan has decided to donate one acre of land to the temple. The committee had requested a farmer, whose land is located beside the hillock, to donate his land for development of facilities for devotees. When the farmer refused, Masthan convinced him by assuring him that he would give him one acre of his land, which costs Rs.35 lakh, to compensate his loss.

Speaking to Telangana Today, Latheef said there were initially apprehensions over him becoming a committee member. But he believed in Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy and also went to the masjid for namaz every Friday, thus convincing the villagers that his intentions were well meant and for the good of the village.

Yerravaram village, about 15 kilometres from Kodad town and with a population of just 1,200, has most of the villagers depending on agriculture due to fertile lands and irrigation facilities.

With 6,000 to 7,000 devotees from surrounding villages coming to the temple on Friday for darshan, youngsters from the village now take a break from the agricultural fields and extend their services at the temple.

The Temple Development Committee has more interesting members. The chairman of the committee was an atheist, N Jagannadham, but has now become a hardcore devotee.

Jagannadham said a design for the temple was almost all completed with plans afoot to complete the temple structure at a cost of Rs.20 crore. Members of around 50 Muslim families in the village also visit the temple on Friday without fail, he said.