Muslim man wins hearts by laying approach road to temple ahead of Chaiti Chhath in Palamu

Daltonganj: A Muslim man is earning accolades from his community members and from the society at large for laying a kuccha road to a temple in Tarhassi block of the district to facilitate the movement of devotees during the Chaiti Chhath puja this year.

Mumtaz Ahmad Khan, a real estate developer, is laying the road voluntarily and sending out a message of communal harmony.Notably, the Jhalkhandi temple in Majhouli panchayat draws thousands of devotees during the Chaiti Chhath puja. During this time, a fair is also organised near the temple, which draws womenfolk in large numbers. “The fair draws over 25,000 devotees, and around 90% comprise women folk,” said a temple staff.

Khan said work is being done on war footing to finish it on time.“I have pressed in two road tools, one for unloading the soil while the other is road leveller. The approach road will be walkable for the devotees tomorrow,” he said.Khan said the temple managing committee approached him for repairing the approach road. “I readily agreed to do so on my own,” he said. Funds to the tune to around Rs 50,000 is being spent from his personal coffers.

"It's an honour for me to contribute to the society in any way,” he said.Amuk Priyadarshi, chief of the temple managing committee, said, “Mumtaz bhaiya is a part of the family of Jhalkhandi temple management. He often offers selfless services in our festival of Chaiti Mela over the last one and a half decades".He added that the road needed to be made walkable as thousands from more than four dozen villages will come here with religious flags. “From levelling the field to making the road walkable, he is managing everything." Priyadarshi added, citing that in the past, he had arranged water tankers for devotees during the summer months.