For Bhagwandas, this Vadodara mosque is life

vadodara: his name is bhagwan and he is the officiating priest of a dargah. bhagwandas haribhai patel (77) is a chaste hindu devoted to a muslim saint, kasim dulha. for 38 years, patel has been functioning as mujavar (priest-cum-caretaker) at kasim dulha’s 250-year-old mazaar near the laxmi vilas palace gate and has protected it by putting his own life at risk.‘‘i came to the dargah as boy of 15 in 1941. i was afflicted with an illness that no medicine could cure. i prayed here and got well. i began spending my evenings at this dargah and in 1964 became the mujavar here,’’ patel says. he has no formal training in islam, has not learnt urdu or arabic but knows the essence of the religion. despite his lack of training in urdu, he rattles off urdu couplets and preaching of sufi saints like an expert. ‘‘maut se koi basar nahi, saman sau baras ka pal ki khabar nahi (one can’t escape death, one can collect belongings for 100 years but don’t know what will happen in the next moment)’’, he says. patel’s philosophy has armed him with the courage to stand between mobs and his place of worship. ‘‘in 1990, some miscreants entered the dargah complex but they were not able to cause much damage. the threat was imminent this time too, but i am ready to lay down my life. i would prefer dying protecting this place. that would be the best form of death for me,’’ he adds. patel is not the exception at kasim dulha’s dargah but rather the rule. for 250 years, this dargah has always had a hindu mujavar. before patel, madhavrao anandrao satham, a maharashtrian hindu, officiated as the mujavar. even today, 95 per cent of the devotees at the dargah are hindus. ‘‘all mujavars till date have been hindus. a majority of devotees are hindus. this is a tradition continuing since the time of maharaja khanderao malharrao gaekwad,’’ patel says. the dargah, which has eight tombs, is covered by a cement concrete complex built with donations, mostly from hindu devotees. ‘‘ishwar and allah are same, so are ram and rahim, mahadev and adam. so why make a fuss? why fight in the name of religion when all lead to one goal?’’ patel asks. patel’s dedication to kasim dulah initially made him a social outcast. ‘‘i had to walk out of my home, face taunts and word was spread that nobody should speak to me or have any relation with me. but none of these stood the test of time because my conscience was clear. today, i am not only accepted but respected in society,’’ patel says. he has passed his values and beliefs to his two sons, deepak and roshan, who help their father at the dargah. many hindus living nearby help maintain the dargah and deter mobs from desecrating it during riots.