Khalid Ahmed is busy sewing lion's cloth for Lord Hanuman
Story by ATV | Posted by Aasha Khosa | Date 25-03-2026
Khalid Ahmed showing a lion's cloth for Lord hanumana
Rajiv Ranjan/Bhagalpur (Bihar)
In Bihar, Lord Ram is regarded as a 'Pahun' (son-in-law), as Bihar is his in-laws' place, considering that Janakpur, borthplace of Sita, Ram's wife, is connected with ther MIthila region of Bihar through culture and language..
This is precisely why, on the occasion of Ram Navami, the worship of Lord Hanuman, his most ardent follower, holds ignificance across the state.
In the temples, alongside the tradition of replacing Lord Ram's ceremonial flag, an age-old custom of changing the lanngot (loincloth) of the mace-wielding Bajrangbali, Lord Hanuman, is also followed.
This makes Mohammad Khalid Ahmed, 56 of Bhagalpur, a very busy man in the run up to Ramnavmi.. He has been working round the clock to complete his orders of stitching the lion's cloth for Hanuman statues which will be changed on the festival..
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Khalid, a tailor, has been running his small shop for 38 years.
After completing his intermediate education, he began his apprenticeship with his father, Mohammad Yusuf.
The Khunjarpur area is a mixed locality with both Hindu and Muslim populations. It is home to mosques as well as large temples dedicated to Goddess Durga and Kali.
At various squares and intersections across the city, there are numerous temples—both small and large—dedicated to Bajrangbali, where his stitched cloth will be used on the day to adorn the statue of the Lord.
Mohammad Khalid says that in the days leading up to Ram Navami, he faces an overwhelming workload.
For the past seven days, he has been stitching langot and saffron flags for Lord Hanuman.
These items are also supplied to the surrounding areas. He spoke with Awaz amid last minute rush to despatch the consignment of lionscloth and f;ag to the devotees on time.
For past several week, he worked till late hours.
Most notably, Khalid does not demand a fixed price or seek exorbitant profits for this work; he happily accepts whatever the customers offer out of their own devotion.
Khalid Ahmed asserts that, for him, this is not merely a means of livelihood; it is a vehicle for fostering social harmony.
This is not the time to make profits but to uphold peace and brotherhood within society.
Once upon a time, Bhagalpur was notorious for communal riots. Yet today, individuals like Mohammed Khalid are stitching threads of love over the very memories of that era of hatred.
The control over riots during festivals is atytributed to the Nitish Kumar government's conscious efforts in changing this trend.
Prior to every major festival, meetings of the 'Peace Committee' are convened. While the administration certainly ensures security through CCTV surveillance and police patrols.
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