HMG Basha, a resident of Kadugodi in Bengaluru, decided to give up some of his land for refurbishment of the Anjaneya Swamy temple on the Bengaluru-Hoskote highway. A small temple existed near his plot and the trust of the shrine wanted to renovate and rebuild it. Locals see this as an act of communal harmony amid sporadic incidents of religious discord in parts of the country.
“I used to see many women struggling when they would take the rounds of the temple for prayers. Six months ago when the villagers decided to renovate the temple, I decided that I would give up a small portion of my land as that would make it easier for them to pray,” said 65-year-old Basha.
Basha, who is in the cargo business, had purchased three acres of land back in 1992 as it is located very strategically just off national highway 75. Today, the market value of that land could be anywhere between Rs 30 to 80 lakh, locals say. “Whether to build a mandir or masjid, it doesn’t matter. At the end of the day, we all pray to the same god. We are all citizens of the same country and that’s why all my family members too agreed that we should donate the land,” Basha added.
The temple trust has already laid the foundation stone for the new structure. “It was very generous of Mr Basha and his family to give up the land, that too for free. The villagers and the trust wanted to publicly thank him and hence they put up a poster,” said Byregowda MD, president of the Anjaneya Swamy temple trust.
Photographs of the poster have now gone viral. It reads: “Sayeba Thannimunisa and HMG Basha have given land for free for the temple construction. Devotees are also requested to donate towards works of the temple.”
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