Lingayats host iftar at temple in rural Gadag

Gadag: In a harmonious gesture, Lingayats hosted iftar, the evening meal for Muslims to break their Ramzan fast at Gogeri village in Gadag district on Friday evening. The event was arranged at the Sharanabasaveshwar temple, where Muslims and Lingayats shared a meal together, presenting an instance of communal harmony and social unity in the village.Husensab Badiger, chairman, Anjuman Islam Committee, Gogeri, said that the iftar by Lingayats started four years ago, as a gesture of communal harmony. "They sponsor a day's iftar during the month of Ramzan, and invite us to Sharanabasaveshwar Temple, and we happily take part in it. Earlier, they sent boxes with dishes to our mosque, and we sent our dishes on the last day of Ramzan," he added.Rajesab I Bagawan, a teacher at Logal Govt Urdu Primary School, noted that Gogeri was a village that has seen communal harmony for centuries. "Apart from mass celebrations, we also take part in family ceremonies mutually. In the past, our elder Moulasab Bagawan played a crucial role in the construction of Halakere Annadaneshwar Shakha Math here," he added.Rajeswab Bagawan, a teacher in Naregal, said that whenever Lingayats sponsor iftar, all Muslim brethren working in the region arrive in the village to accept it with respect.Basavaraj Mulimani, former gram panchayat president, said that Muslim brethren sponsor a day's dasoha (lunch) for all devotees during Sharanabasaveshwar Purana, which takes place in Jan every year. "There is a chapter of ‘Gandha Lepapana' for Sharanabasaveshwar in the Purana, and they bring a garland and portrait of Khaja Bande Nawaz from the mosque through a bhajan procession. When we arrange iftar, people from Maratha, Kuruba and Dalit communities join us in the arrangements," he explained.He added that people in the village called residents of other communities brother, sister, aunt, and uncle.Amaresh Ganiger, president, Gajendragad Taluk Kannada Sahitya Parishat, Basanna Kotigi, president, Gajendragad Taluk Sharana Sahitya Parishat, Prof BA Kencharaddi, a writer, and others said that they witnessed events that reflected communal harmony in the village for decades. "This village is the best instance of communal harmony," they remarked.