TV
Presenting a pleasantly unique sight of harmony, hundreds of believers from both Hindu and Muslim communities thronged the shrine of Hazrat Sayed Jamal Saha Baba at Patara in Balasore on Tuesday to mark the occasion of Makar Sankranti.
The shrine has reportedly been hosting an annual Makar Mela for the last 350 years and stands as a symbol of unity between the Hindu and Muslim communities.
Sources reported that the shrine will now be full of devotees for the next three days until the Makar Mela’s culmination on January 16. Further, as part of the celebrations, believers were seen offering chadar to Baba in the hope of having their wishes fulfilled.
“It is widely believed that Baba grants the heartfelt desires of all people and from all communities regardless of their faith. Hence, people come here with devotion,” said an elderly man responsible for the upkeep of the shrine.
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Incidentally, the Makar Mela also happens to coincide with the annual Urs of the shrine this year. As such, members from both the Hindu and Muslim communities participate wholeheartedly in organising the puja and Urs festivities, said sources.
“Members from both communities have been preparing for the past one-and-a-half months to organise the mela. The atmosphere here is very cordial and harmonious,” said a devotee at the shrine.
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The annual Makar Mela spreads a spirit of brotherhood, and organisers as well as local residents of this region believe that this cordiality sends a powerful message of communal harmony to society.
(Reported by Chandrakant Jena)
