Bhakti Chalak
Around midnight, panic struck at Mumbra's Dabholkar Naka. A massive trolley carrying a grand, nearly 20-foot-tall Ganesha idol tilted to one side right in the middle of the road. The possibility of the idol crashing down and shattering was averted with the help of Muslim youth.
This incident became an example of Maharashtra's social harmony.
A breathtaking, approximately 20-foot-tall Ganesha idol had been crafted by the Markandeya Seva Sanstha Ganeshotsav Mandal, located in the Shankar Mandir area of Mumbra. The process of transporting this grand Ganesha idol towards the Ganeshotsav pandal in the Padmanagar area of Bhiwandi was underway.
Around midnight on Sunday, this trolley reached near the Dabholkar Naka in Mumbra. Suddenly, a wheel of the trolley broke, and utter chaos ensued. As the trolley tilted to one side, fears arose that the 20-foot Ganesha idol might crash to the ground.
This situation was noticed by youths named Arif Syed, Basit Shaikh, and Shahu, who were present there. Without a second thought, these boys dashed straight towards the trolley to help. Without wasting a single moment, these youths called out to all their other Muslim friends in the vicinity. In no time, numerous youths gathered there.
Balancing a 20-foot idol was no easy task. The youth, using the support of their own hands and bodies, held the trolley steady. For a grueling four hours, from 12 midnight to 4 AM, all these youths stood their ground on the road, oblivious to fatigue, to keep the Ganesha idol safe.
Subsequently, a crane was summoned. With the help of the crane, the grand Ganesha idol was very carefully lowered from the broken trolley. In the meantime, arrangements for another new trolley were made. Using the crane again, the idol was placed very securely onto the new trolley. The promptness and discipline displayed by these youths during this entire ordeal were highly commendable.
By 4 AM, the Ganesha idol was safely mounted on the new trolley. But the truly emotional moment happened after this. Before the Ganesha idol could depart safely towards Bhiwandi, the very same Muslim youths who had toiled all night, along with a local Maulana, respectfully offered a coconut (Shriphal) at the feet of Lord Ganesha.
Having removed the obstacle of the 'Vighnaharta' (the remover of obstacles) and sending Him off towards Bhiwandi, a profound sense of satisfaction overflowed on the faces of these youths. A video of this incident is currently going viral on social media, and these youths are garnering praise from all quarters. The Markandeya Seva Sanstha Ganeshotsav Mandal wholeheartedly thanked these Muslim youths and their entire team, who rushed to the aid of both God and man in a time of crisis without a thought about religion or sect.
Speaking on this unprecedented incident, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) leader and Mumbra Assembly constituency MLA Dr. Jitendra Awhad expressed his feelings. He said, "The wheel of the vehicle had broken, but could the idol of our Bappa have fallen down? Not at all. All the youths present there, especially the Muslim youths, held that grand Ganesha idol firmly for a solid four hours."
"Everyone came together, called a crane, cleared the road, and made all the arrangements. After that, Hindu and Muslim brethren came together, lifted the idol, placed it safely on the new vehicle, and offered a coconut at His feet to bid Bappa a highly respectful farewell." He further added, "This is the true identity of our Mumbra."
"To those who play politics in the name of Mumbra Devi, I want to tell them that this incident happened right in front of the Goddess's temple. And the one who offered the coconut at Bappa's feet and bid Him farewell was one of our Maulana Sahebs." MLA Awhad continued, "In Mumbra, we never give any place to such discrimination."
"If you look at the history of the last 40-50 years, there have never been any riots or disturbances of any kind in the name of Hindus and Muslims here. This is the true face of Mumbra and Bhiwandi, and here, only and only unity prevails."
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In the past few years, there have been many attempts to vitiate the religious atmosphere on the platforms of social media and politics. But the Muslim youths of Mumbra have delivered a stinging slap to all of this through their actions. Muslim-majority Mumbra, which teaches the true meaning of unity, has once again proven to be a great example of social harmony.
