KHAMMAM: The story of a Muslim man building a Lord Rama temple by spending Rs 25 lakh at his village is winning hearts. Shaik Meera Saheb, the sarpanch of Budidampadu village in Raghunadapalam mandal of Khammam district, managed to collect Rs 25 lakh from donations and he himself contributed Rs 25 lakh towards the temple construction. The total cost of the temple was reportedly Rs 50 lakh.
Shaik Meera decided to take the initiative to construct the Ramalayam after failed attempts by several bigwigs. Three tribal brothers K Bicha, Nanda and Konya donated 1000 Sq yards of land for the construction of the temple. Speaking to Express, Shaik Meera said that he visits temples and churches to offer prayers. “We can’t take anything with us when we die, but our work will be remembered forever,” he said.
“Many temples in the State were built by Muslims. For instance, the Bhadrachalam Ramalayam was constructed by Nizam. A Muslim had constructed a church spending Rs 20 crore at Dornakal in Mahaboobabad district during the British regime,” he said. Shaik Meera was elected as the sarpanch for the second time.
MAUD Minister K T Rama Rao also appreciated the noble gesture by Shaik Meera to unite the communities. In a tweet, the Minister said, “This is Telangana! The stories we should be sharing! Shaikh Meera Saheb, Sarpanch of Boodidampaadu village in Telangana constructs Lord Ram temple with Rs 25 Lakhs of his own money.”