Muslim family makes dresses for kanwariyas in Gorakhpur

GORAKHPUR: A Muslim family in Gorakhpur is making dresses and bags for Kanwariyas for the last 13 years. They earn good profit in the business, but they also see some spiritual connection behind it. Now, many other Muslim families have joined them in this task.
Every year, thousands of kanwariyas move ahead from Gorakhpur to Sultanganj in Bihar to collect holy water from the Ganga in vessels placed in decorated 'kanwars'.They wear special saffron apparels and also carry saffron cloth bags with them.
It all started 13 years ago when a poor Kanwariya approached Mohammad Kaleem, a tailor at Zafar Colony in Tiwaripur. Kaleem said, "I was sitting in outer room of my house which I use for work. A poor Kawanriya came to me with a saffron cloth and asked me to make a dress and bag for him. I called him next morning. When I asked for money, he asked me to give him some work as he had no money. I knew he won't be able to make payment so I gave him the dress without any money. To my surprise, the next day he came to me with a dozen kanwariyas and they all paid me for their dresses. From that day, I make dresses for kanwariyas throughout Shrawan."
Kaleem feels spiritual connection with the work. "I think this work is a gift for me from Allah as I earn heavy profit in making dresses for kanwariyas and now I'm in a better financial position. I feel very satisfied when I make dresses for kanwariyas and I ask the pilgrims to pray for me so that I could also go for Haj."
Now more than a dozen Muslim families have joined hands with Kaleem and they all sew dresses for kanwariyas. "Over the years people have started recognizing my house for getting well-fitted dresses and accessories," Kaleem said.