LAHORE: In a humanitarian gesture that the Indian subcontinent is well-known for, the minorities in Pakistan – the Hindus – have opened their temple for the flood affected Muslim families.
The small Hindu community residing at Jalal village in Kachhi district in Balochistan province of Pakistan has opened their temple for their neighbouring Muslim families that have been adversely affected by the floods.
Notably, Pakistan has been ravaged by the worst ever floods leaving a trail of destruction across 80 districts of the country.
Jalal village in Kachhi district of Balochistan has been cut off from the rest of the province due to rising water-levels of the Nari, Bolan and Lehri rivers.
Residents of this village have been left to fend for themselves.
During these testing times, the local Hindu community opened the doors of the Baba Madhodas Mandir to the flood-hit people and their livestock, Dawn reported.
According to locals, Baba Madhodas was a pre-partition Hindu dervish (saint) equally cherished by Muslims and Hindus of the area. “He used to travel on camel,” says Iltaf Buzdar, a frequent visitor to the village from Bhag Nari tehsil.
Buzdar says as per the stories narrated by his parents, the saint transcended religious boundaries. “He would think of people through the prism of humanity instead of their caste and creed,” he quotes his parents, Dawn reported.
The temple it is located on high ground, thus remaining relatively safe from the floodwaters and serve as a sanctuary to the flood-hit people in their bleakest hour.