THOOTHUKUDI: The whole nation is eagerly awaiting the Ayodhya verdict on Friday and the public and the government are gripped by the fear that riots on a largescale may break out across the length and breadth of the country.
But at Sawyerpuram in Thoothukudi people are cool and life seems to be lovely like any other normal day. The towering aspect of this locality is that this place too has a similar style of shrines, one of the Hindus and the other belonging to Muslims, like the one in Ayodhya. But both the community here do not clash. Instead, celebrate each other’s festivals together on a grand scale setting an example on how to foster Hindu-Muslim harmony.
A dargah and a temple located together on a same complex near Sawyerpuram in the district is a tremendous testimony to the Hindu-Muslim unity.
What’s more interesting is that Sawyerpuram, which hosts the Hindu and Muslim shrines, is a Christian settlement found by an East India Company employee Sawyer in 1814. It may be noted that Sawyerpuram was also synonymous with its most famous Christian missionary and scholar Dr G U Pope. The Imam Kazali dargah and the Perumpadai Sastha temple at Iruvappapuram here dates back to the Chola period.
According to residents, the Imam Kazali dargah was installed in memory of two Sufi saints who were also the ardent devotees of the Hindu deity.
Subramanian, a resident, said that apart from peaceful coexistence of both religious shrines, Muslims offering prayers at Perumpadai Sastha temple and Hindus offering prayers at Imam Kazali dargah was a common phenomenon here. “We consider the deities as Vavar and Lord Ayyappa at Sabaramila which teach mutual and peaceful coexistence between Hindus and Muslims.”
This different kind of ‘Ayodhya’ in Thoothukudi district is also among the itinerary of local Lord Ayyappa devotees during their pilgrimage to Sabarimala.