AMRITSAR: Amidst security threat from fundamentalists and incidents of kidnapping and forcible conversion of Hindu girls, the Hindu community of Sindh province of Pakistan celebrated Ramapir Mela that concluded on Sunday night.
The mela was organized by Pakistan Hindu Marwadi Panchayat and Pakistan Hindu Welfare Sewa Trust (PHWST) at Sri Ram Dev Pir Mandir, Karachi, trust’s president Sanjesh Dhanja said while talking to TOI on Monday.
He informed that Ramdev Maharaj was a Tanwar Rajput, who was regarded by Hindus as an incarnation of Lord Krishna. Myth has it that five pirs (saints) from Mecca came to test Ramadev’s miraculous powers and after being convinced, they paid homage to him. “Since then, he has been venerated by Muslims as Ramshahpir or Ramapir,” said Dhanja. President of the panchayat, Piyare Lal Khokar said they wanted the younger generation to carry forward their age-old religious traditions. “We believe this is the way to success in life,” he said.
Kishor Ganga Ram, vice-president of the panchayat, informed that they had been organizing the festival for more than four decades and it was the second biggest festival celebrated in Pakistan after Tando-Allah-yaar. “We, the Hindus, fast for one month and at the end of month, we celebrate bhandara on ‘poonam ki raat’ (full moon night),” he said.
Saad Rabbani, a local Muslim who shared the celebrations with Hindus, told TOI, “I enjoyed the event like a child who goes to a festival for the first time in his life.” He said everyone should respect traditions and religious practices of others.