School dropout Muslim mechanic fits mammoth 3700 kg bell at MP temple
BHOPAL: A Class III dropout Muslim mechanic Naru Khan Mev has fitted a 3700-kg heavy Maha Ghanta (mammoth metallic bell) inside the premises of the Pashupatinath Temple in Mandsaur district of Madhya Pradesh.
Khan, who runs a small factory in his native Mandsaur, completed the difficult task of installing the mammoth bell (free of cost) in the temple within 10-15 days.
Importantly, the mammoth bell that was manufactured in Ahmedabad out of metal pieces donated by families across Mandsaur district and neighbouring areas was waiting to be installed for around two years.
While acknowledging the efforts of Naru Khan in getting the Maha Ghanta installed in the temple premises in a short time, the Mandsaur district collector Gautam Singh said, "The Maha Ghanta has been manufactured in Gujarat out of the metal donated from across Mandsaur. But for the last two years, its installation was pending. Now, with efforts by Naru Bhai, the mammoth bell has been solidly fixed at the most suitable place within the temple premises. The Maha Ghanta will be dedicated to devotees in the coming days by the CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan."
According to Dinesh Nagar, the head of the Pashupatinath Temple Maha Ghanta Mandali, "the Maha Ghanta was manufactured out of brass and copper pieces and utensils donated by families across Mandsaur district. It was Naru Bhai, who along with his men, completed the onerous task of lifting the bell to the temple and then installing the Maha Ghanta at a solid foundation, which is worthy of bearing three times more weight than the 3700-kg heavy Maha Ghanta."
But the 66-year-old Naru Khan's association with Mandsaur's Pashupatinath Temple, which houses possibly the world's only eight-faced Shiva Linga isn't new. It dates back to the COVID-19 lockdowns.
In the first lockdown, Naru Bhai, got a sanitization machine installed at the same temple, while in the second lockdown, he installed a bell fitted with a sensor, which would start ringing without touch by devotees.
In an identical manner, similar sensor-driven bells were installed free of cost by Naru Bhai at other famous temples in MP, including the Khajrana Ganesh Temple in Indore and the world-famous Mahakal Temple in Ujjain.
"Working free for all causes at Pashupatinath Temple and other temples in MP has been done by me on God's will. I've also worked free of cost for religious purposes in mosques also. Using my expertise to resolve issues in temples and other places of worship, all free of cost, is a divine duty for me," said Naru Khan, who operates a small factory in Nayapura area of Mandsaur. His factory manufactures garlic grading machines and also repairs all machinery from across India.
Naru Khan's free services, however, weren't just confined to temples during COVID-19 lockdowns, but also covered the Mandsaur district hospitals and poor families. He used earnings from his factory to supply over 120 oxygen cylinders to Mandsaur District Hospital and other needy patients during the killer second COVID wave and served 2000 free food packets daily to poor families in Mandsaur town for two months during both COVID lockdowns.