Elderly Sikh woman donates 5-marla land for mosque in Punjab village

Fatehgarh Sahib, Dec 27 (PTI) An elderly Sikh woman in Punjab's Fatehgarh Sahib district has set an example of communal harmony by donating her land for the construction of a mosque in her village.

Rajinder Kaur (75) donated five marlas of land in Jakhwali village, located on the Sirhind-Patiala road, to help the Muslim community build a mosque, sources said.

Punjab's Shahi Imam, Maulana Usman Ludhianvi, laid the foundation for the mosque on December 7.

Jakhwali has a predominantly Sikh population, along with Hindu and Muslim families. The village already has a gurdwara, a Shiva temple and a dargah, but the Muslim community had been seeking a mosque for nearly three decades.

According to the villagers, the issue came up during the recent panchayat elections.

Rajinder Kaur's grandson Monu Singh, who was elected as a panch, said the Muslim residents had to travel about 2 km to Mullanpur to offer namaz.

Since government land cannot be used for religious construction, the family decided to donate their private land for a mosque, Monu said.

Muslim community members said Sikh and Hindu families have also donated money for the mosque and promised further support.

Monu’s elder brother, Satnam Singh, said the donated land is located near the other religious sites in the village, symbolising unity among different faiths.

Rajinder Kaur said that Sikh teachings emphasise service to humanity, and she felt peace in helping the Muslim community practise their faith within the village.

Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims in Jakhwali have been celebrating festivals together for years, with Muslims participating in langar services during Sikh religious events, she said.

Former sarpanch Ajab Singh Jakhwali said that members of all communities have always supported the construction of religious sites in the village.

Kala Khan, president of the village mosque committee, said there is no religious division in Jakhwali, and the villagers have assured full cooperation to complete the construction of the mosque soon. PTI COR VSD ARI