The members of a temple trust in Bengaluru Rural district thanked the gesture of a Muslim man who donated 1.5 guntas of land for revamping a Hanuman Temple. The Sri Veeranjaneyaswami Devalaya Seva Trust in Valagerepura in Hosakote taluk of Bengaluru Rural district approached HMG Basha, who runs a transport business for cargo in lorries, for one gunta land close to their temple.
The request came after the members of the trust found out that the temple will have to be rebuilt due to the expansion of National Highway 75 (Old Madras Road) which runs alongside it.
"We received intimation from the government officials that we should remove the Hanuman temple and rebuild it elsewhere. We met HMG Basha requesting him to give 1 gunta of his family land which is nearby to rebuild the temple. We knew him because he would often be a part of temple festivities since his land is close to the temple," says MD Byregowda, the president of the temple trust.
HMG Basha
And to their surprise, HMG Basha offered to donate 1.5 guntas of land for rebuilding the temple. "We were surprised by his gesture but he was keen that there should be space for devotees to go around the temple while worshipping," says Byregowda.
A poster erected outside the temple now thanks HMG Basha for his gesture and an image of it has been shared widely on social media. It also sparked interest in the media with news articles written on it.
Speaking to TNM, Basha is amused by the interest it has sparked. He says that it was a straightforward decision for him.
"At a time when there is a lot written about Hindu-Muslim tensions, Basha's decision to support our temple is welcome. It has brought joy to those working to preserve this temple," says Byregowda. "It is a reminder for others to consider Hindus and Muslims as brothers and sisters," he adds.
The foundation for the new temple has now been laid and the construction of the temple at a cost of Rs 1 crore will begin in January.