Source

MIDNAPORE, INDIA, March 27, 2005: About thirty-four terracotta temples of the 18th century at Pathra in Midnapore district of West Bengal have an unlikely saviour–a Muslim clerk who fought against communal tension, apathy and negligence to ensure that they survive for posterity, says this article. For Yasin Pathan, the temples have been a point of attraction since childhood days. His curiosity was again aroused when an archaeologist, Tarapada Santra, helped him collect material on their history. When he realized that these temples built by Hindu landlords were centuries old, he came forward to look after them. The Muslim school clerk says that for him it was not a question of being a Hindu or a Muslim, but a matter of loving and respecting the history of the country.



“Everyone asks why I am involved in looking after a temple, although I am a Muslim. But for me it has been a history-related venture. Be it a temple, a mosque or a church–if it’s over 100 years old, it should be considered a national heritage monument and protected by all Indians. I did not think of caste or religion but formed a committee in relation to the historical significance of the temples and the need to protect them,” says Pathan. Yasin Pathan’s commitment to the temples saw the formation of the Pathra Puratatwa Sangrakshan Committee in 1991 jointly by the Muslims, Hindus and Tribals in the area to save this National Heritage. He managed to persuade one and all irrespective of caste, creed or religion that these temples needed to be saved as a matter of national cultural importance. After years of struggle Pathan has managed to bring the temples under the purview of the Archaeological Survey of India, which has now taken up their repair, maintenance and upkeep.



Post Views: 593