Pulwama, Nov 08: An aged resident from the Muslim community has been serving a historic Gurdwara in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district from past two decades with full devotion.
It has been a routine for octogenarian Abdul Rehman Zargar to leave his house in Kalampora village of Pulwama to reach Gurduwara Chatti Padshahi in neighbouring Shadimarg village on every Sunday.
He begins his routine after touching the pillars of the Gurduwara with his hands and smears them over his face.
“He has been serving this historic Gurduwara with devotion,” Diyal Singh, a Granthi(preacher) at Gurdwara Chatti Padshahi Shadimarg said about Rehman.
He informed Rising Kashmir that Rehman approached them years ago and expressed his will to serve the Gurduwara.
His wish was fulfilled and he was allowed to clean the premises of the Gurdwara.
“I have been sweeping the Gurdwara premises for last two decades,” Rehman told, adding that it takes him one hour to finish the cleaning job.
Belonging to a family with humble background Rehman is a bachelor and stays with his brother who has three kids.
The old age factor has many times stopped Rehman from going there but the love and affection by the Gurdwara committeemakes Rehman to defy all odds.
“I am now used to this place and also the Gurdwara committee didn’t let me to go,” he said.
Pupinder Singh, a resident of Shadimarg, said that their 6th Guru, Shri Har Govind Ji visited this place during 17th century along with Mughal emperor Jahangir and stayed here for 26 days.
The Sikh residents also associate origin of a spring (now a sarovar) with the visit of their 6th Guru.
They name the spring as Chasma Har Govind Sahib and is around 5 kilometers from the Gurdwara in Yarwan forests.