Hindu-Muslim amity's example was set by Nawab

PALANPUR: Contrary to the popular perception of Navratri being a purely Hindu festival, Palanpur has had a past that marked the festival as an occasion to promote Hindu Muslim unity. The Nawab of Palanpur Talley Mohammad Khan is known to have performed Nav Chandi yagna on the eve of Pran Pratishta at Ambaji temple 72 years ago in 1942 in Palanpur. The ritual that marks installation ceremony at a temple amid Vedic rites.
Dinesh Hathi(75), a retired bank employee points to the records available with the temple trust. "The priests and scholars headed by Pandit Gyaneshwar were specially invited for performing sacred rituals for Pran Pratishtha of the idol of the deity. The priest pointed that no yagna could yield expected results until the ruler of the land himself gave Ahuti and participated in the yagna actively." The trustees faced the dilemma of asking a Muslim ruler to participate in the yagna.
Former president of local civic body and president of Banaskantha Kelvani Mandal Shirish Modi disclosed, "When the Nawab came to know about the Trustee Mandal he came forward and said that since a ruler is the father of his subjects, religion is no bar for him."
"He along with his courtiers and family members including his Hindu begum Sukhbai, a Rajaput princess, participated in the yagna," said Hathi.
President of George V Club Shailesh Mehta asserts, that a Muslim ruler of a nondescript town had set a shining example of how to sink differences.
"His act makes us all proud."
"The Nawab not only performed the Hindu ritual but also presented a gold coin (guinea) besides paying Rs 181 every month for the maintenance of the temple, a tradition that continued until 1981," said honorary secretary of Palanpur Hindu Samaj Dr Umakant Pandya.