BHOPAL, INDIA, July 6, 2011 (hindustan times): Dating back to 1845, the Hindu Shyam Kaka Krishna temple complex near Narsinghgarh, about 62 miles from Bhopal, has a panel depicting Muslim men offering the namaz (prayers). The temple and its story remind us that there are numerous places in India where warring religious factions once stood in solidarity.
Legend has it that it was built by Bhagali Devi, queen of Shyam Dev Khinchi, a Rajput ruler of the Khinchi clan. When the temple was under construction, six Arabs had come visiting. They got into an argument with the head priest, Amara Singh Gurjar, and stressed the superiority of their faith — according to Saajan Singh Gurjar, the present priest and a descendant of Amara Singh Gurjar.
“The visitors insisted that Mecca and Medina were the holiest places on earth. In response, Amara Singh offered to take them to the two holy cities without moving a step away. Incredulous, the Arab visitors challenged the priest to do so,” adds Gurjar.
What followed, according to legend, was a divine revelation of Mecca and Medina: the Arab men had a vision of their holy cities right there in the temple. And that was when the awestruck Arabs offered prayers at the spot. “The panel showing the six Arab men was installed as a tribute to this incident,” says Gurjar. The unique panel depicts six men dressed in long robes and traditional headgear, in various stages of offering the namaz.