Hindu devotees, Muslim shrine

Kurbantala, dedicated to Kurbanbaba pir, is a shrine representing perfect communal harmony in our small town of Bishnupur in Bankura district of West Bengal. Despite being a mazar, the shrine or dargah is predominantly visited by Hindu devotees, especially on Thursdays.

The prasadam comprises ‘patigurd’ (thin hard sweet slabs made of boiled molasses) and ‘mondas’ (white circular sweets made of pure sugar and cottage cheese) that is still prepared in a simple hut called “Patigurd Niketan” owned by a Brahmin family. Devotees can offer sweets, fruits etc. but ‘patigurd’ remains an indispensable item.

Most Hindu devotees pray at the mazar according to their own religious customs and rituals. The dervish at the dargah also blesses them by touching their head like Hindu worshippers.

The holy person, who is in charge of at the dargah, is quite familiar with Hindu religious practices. As a child when I would visit the shrine with my mother, she would tell our ‘gotra’ (patrilineal clan) and names of every family member to seek blessings from Kurbanbaba just as she used to do while visiting any temple. The Muslim worshipper would listen to her attentively and murmur something which we could not understand. Later, I came to know from him that he was saying prayers and blessings in Arabic, an Islamic practice.

Despite the divisive times, the shrine remains a place of harmony irrespective of different religions of its devotees.

As a child I had once asked my mother why there were no idols any god or goddess there except embellished chadars on a rectangular structure. My mother’s words still ring in my ears. She had touched her forehead with folded hands and said, “The shrine is the common abode of all gods and goddesses.”

Buddhadev Nandi, Bishnupur (West Bengal)