Mumbai: Setting an example of communal harmony, Hindus and Muslims of Mumbai came together to organise a seva camp for the urs of Hajipir Baba in Kutch. The Hajipir Baba Seva Samiti Camp Mulund has been organising the camp for 23 years to serve the devotees walking to the shrine of Hajipir baba in Kutch for which around 98 per cent of the donations are made by Hindus.
Every year, during the Hindu month of Chaitra, a grand urs is celebrated at Hajipir dargah located in one of the last villages near the India-Pakistan international border in Kutch. Hindus as well as Muslims from different parts of Gujarat walk to the dargah to seek blessings and with the belief that their wish comes true.
Camps organised across Kutch
To provide these devotees with food, water and medicines, a lot of seva camps are organised in different parts of Kutch. A group of Muslims and Hindus from Mumbai also organise a camp during the urs and provide food, water, medical and resting facility to the devotees on their way of pilgrimage. This year, the Hajipir Baba Seva Samiti Ekta Camp organised a four-day camp for the pilgrims walking their pilgrimage in the scorching heat.
In 2001, Hasam Langha from Mulund, a dholi by profession, and five of his Hindu Muslim friends decided to start a seva camp to serve the pilgrims. It has been 23 years since the initiative was started and today Hindu groups like Jay Mataji Group Mulund and Maa Ashapura Mitra Mandal Dadar are the main supporters of this camp. The major donation for this camp is made by Hindu organisations and individuals.
Free Press Journal speaks to volunteers
Talking to The Free Press Journal, Langha said, “Around eight thousand pilgrims walking to Hajipir visited our camp and we served them with food, juices, medical services as well as utilities to rest. Hajipir Dargah is an example of Hindu Muslim unity and that is the reason, even being a Muslim saint, he is worshipped by all religions and 98 percent of the donations for our camp comes from Hindus.”
Hajipir dargah is the supreme example of Kutch’s communal harmony. The shrine is dedicated to the Muslim saint Hajipir, who gave up his life to save cows from dacoits in the 15th century. Since then Hindus and Muslims in Kutch worship him without any barrier of religion or community.
Shankar Parmar, a member of Jay Mataji Group Mulund, said, "Every year, the members of our group donate different cooking ingredients for Hajipeer Baba seva camp and similarly the Muslim members donate for our seva camp during Navratri. Such camps display the harmony between people from both the religions when they work together to serve other people."
Rafique Mistry from Ashapura Mitra Mandal, Dadar, which organises cycle rally to the Hindu pilgrim place Mata No Madh in Kutch said, "A Hindu chemist living in Mumbra donates medicines for the camp every year and we make sure that all the pilgrims without any discrimination receive any kind of first aid at our camp. This camp shows us the way to how all the communities can live with peace and love while serving others."
