Muslim mason sculpts Lord Ram’s statue in Kerala

Thrissur : A Muslim mason in Thrissur district of Kerala has designed and sculpted an idol of Lord Rama for the local Hindu temple.

Through his artistic and creative traits, Abdul Rasheed of Triprayar village has projected communal amity in a novel way.

Rasheed and his wife have spent all their savings to sculpt and install this idol.

‘Being an Indian every one of us should protect India as our own country. Let an individual be from any religion – Muslim, Hindu or Christian or belong to any caste, it is our duty to save our country. So I sculptured the idol of Lord Ram to spread awareness about communal amity to those people who kill one another in the name of religion,’ said Abdul Rasheed.

Hindus have applauded and welcomed his move and said that the idol will be duly placed on a pedestal at the Triprayar Rama Temple after obtaining permission from the state’s governing body of temples.

‘Abdul Rasheed informed the head priest about it and took his blessings before sculpting the idol of Lord Ram, which can be viewed near the compound wall of the temple. After making all the prior arrangements and availing permission by the Cochin Devasom Board, the idol will be installed in the temple premises soon,’ said M S Kashi Vishwanathan, a priest of Rama Temple at Triprayar.

The six feet high idol is entirely made-up of concrete.

Apart from heralding communal concord among the Hindus and Muslims, Rasheed has another feather in his cap.

He has formed a small group of like-minded people in the village.

Members of this forum in their free time interact with the villagers as a part of their crusade against the evils of alcohol and tobacco.

The have plans to extend this campaign to other nearby villages and even visit the schools.

Responses