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Hindus may be enthusiastic about the month of Srawan, but meet Mohammed Zahir and you would not know the difference. He gets up every morning, cleans the premises of the Shiva temple in Khandwa, Indore (In India) and also takes care of the Dargah. Religion has never been an obstacle in his services. He believes in Allah, God, Bhagwan are the same, but humans perceive differently.

One of the most popular pilgrimage destinations, the Shiva temple witnesses a number of footfalls every year. Zahir not only helps the pilgrims perform the puja but also places the offering at the Lingam.

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According to Dainik Bhaskar, he sweeps, decorates the Shiva Linga and sticks around from dawn to dusk in the temple premises for the past six years. The temple comes under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and they employed him as the caretaker. The 40-year-old man finds the job as a privilege and has been happy to serve the temple.

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The temple does not have a ‘pundit’ to conduct prayers or do rituals and he sometimes commits to help tourists by offering their prayers and performs ‘archana’ to the Shiva Linga. Interestingly, he also serves a Dargah which is just a stone’s throw away from the temple which also comes under ASI.

Zahir believes that his services to both the temple and Dargah will teach equality and harmony to his five children.

He hails from Asirgarh, 20 kilometers away from Burhanpur near ‘Asigarh’ fort in MP. And he has been serving the temple for the past 6 years since the time it came under the wings of the ASI. The Dargah is just 100 meters away, which also comes under ASI. While taking care of both the places, he says that this will teach his five children the quality of equality and harmony.

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Zahir says,”If we come out of our ego and are driven by love, there is nothing to hate, no religion above or below, no God bigger or smaller; there is only one power which runs this universe and for that, all are the same.”