Allah Tero naam ...Ishwar tere naam

Last week, I visited a very old and beautiful temple in Lepakshi, a tiny village in Andhra Pradesh about 120 Km from Bangalore.  There are so many wonderful things about the temple, which I will put in my travel blog http://luluimyeye.blogspot.in/ .  But let me share beautiful thing I notice in the village and temple. The temple is in a village which is inhibited per-dominantly by Muslim population and they are really taking good care of  Temple. 

One more thing I notice there a mosque just adjacent to the temple.

There were lots of Monkeys like all other temples of India. They were in  all shape and sizes.   The next big thing I saw was a big tamarind tree with lots of fruits in it ….  Naturally very tempted I wanted to check if I get some “Imali”.

When I went near the tree, I met an old and her husband sitting in shade of tree. There was no “Imali” falling from the tree. The husband told the lady to give me some from a bag.  She did so..

I thought it’s a great idea to speak to them and know more about the temple, their village and their life..

I asked “what they do?”

The lady replied they sit under the tree the whole day to safe guard it from the monkeys. The man and the lady scare away monkeys and kids and prevent them from spoiling the tamarind (Imali), by know I knew that they sell the fruits in the market. The man told me that he had taken the tree for lease for a period of one Year for Rs 3000. They would take care of the fruits and the tree for one year ,  if everything goes well by “Allah’s grace” they will get Rs 10,000 as returns.

I asked “ what time in morning they come here?”

She told me “jab shubah Allāhu akbar hota hai”.  After the Morning Adhan (or Azan)

I asked “ How long you stay here?”

She told me “ jab sham Allāhu akbar hota hai”. Till the evening Adhan (or Azan)

Many places, still the Azan tells you the time of the day, Interesting isn’t it.

This is also mentioned in the Khuswant singh’s Train to Pakistan ..

……..well we  Indian’s specially from a small town or village  makes friends very easily  and  share so many things.. The lady told me about his sons, daughter-in-laws, grandchildren, about the village, about the temple……………………

At the end of the conversation, I asked the lady that I wanted to take her photograph, she happily agreed.

 When I was about to leave she said “Kya amma baata bhi kia foto bhi liya aur merko kuch nahi diya”.  Gave her Rs 20 and left  for a new place.