Muslim porters helping Hindu pilgrims to Vaishno Devi
by Tahir Nadeem Khan
Katra:
Muslim porters at the revered cave shrine of Mata
Vaishno Devi in Kashmir have been earning the gratitude
of Hindu devotees for many years. Carrying luggage and
children on their shoulder, porters popularly known as
'pitthu', say their work is one form of worship when they
trek with the pilgrims along a eleven-km hilly tract to
the Vaishno Devi temple. "We offer namaz first and then
go about our business. We carry the baggage of the pilgrims
and they pay us something more than our fees," said Shamas
Din, a Muslim porter. The Hindu pilgrims said religious
boundaries disappear when the porters enthusiastically
chant hymns along with them on way to the shrine. "We
realise that being Muslim they are very cooperating. They
have equal reverence for the goddess and they also chant
hymns with us. It doesn't seem that there is any religious
disparity among us," said Dinesh Baba, a Hindu pilgrim.
Perched
atop Trikuta hills at a height of 1,700 metres above sea
level, Vaishno Devi shrine is held in high esteem by Hindus
all over the country. It attracts more than three million
pilgrims every year, particularly during summers, and
is the main source of livelihood for thousands of residents.
-Feb
3, 2009
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