Kolkata: In a heartwarming incident of communal harmony in Kolkata, people from Hindu, Muslim, and Buddhist communities in the city came together to raise funds for the renovation of a 54-year-old Shiva Temple in the Tala Park area of the city.
The locals belonging to various religions pitched in and raised Rs 25 lakh for renovating the temple which was in a dilapidated condition. Interestingly, the members of Shiv Shakti Samiti, the organisation which looks after the temple, are also from various religions. BK Pathak, assistant secretary of the temple committee, said that it becomes difficult to raise Rs 1,000 or Rs 2,000 from the households in the locality for temple programmes.
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"But surprisingly when we reached out to the people of the locality seeking funds for renovating the temple, everyone pitched in and we were able to complete the task," he added. The funds have been raised by Aftab Khan, Firoz, Amrit Limb and Binoy Pathak. Locals said that the temple has always been a spot of communal harmony in the area where people from different communities gather after work in the evening to chat and exchange views.
The scene was not different on Monday evening. Aftab Khan, BK Pathak and Amrit Limb were in a huddle on the temple premises and calculating the final cost of renovation. After a while, they started distributing "prasad" (devotional offering) among the visitors."
