A splendid example of social brotherhood has been seen in Amreli district of Gujarat where three Muslim brothers cremated their Brahmin uncle according to Hindu rituals.
According to the Times Of India reports, the deceased Bhanushankar Pandya was a dear friend of Bhiku Qureshi, the father of three brothers.
Deeply Religious
These three brothers, Abu, Naseer and Zuber Qureshi, are daily wage labourers.
The three brothers, who are deeply religious-never missed their daily namaz and never skipped a Ramzan fast took full care of Hindu culture in performing the last rites of their uncle.
They donned Dhoti and Janeu (sacred thread Hindu’s wear) to attended the funeral of their uncle.
“When Bhanushankar uncle was on his death bed, we procured Ganga jal for him from a Hindu family. When he passed away, we told our neighbours that we wanted to perform his last rites in accordance with rituals followed by Brahmin families. We were told that the janeu was a must to lift the bier. We readily agreed to it,” Zuber told the Times Of India.
Gesture Was Heartfelt
Arman, son of middle brother Naseer, lit Panday’s pyre.
“We are also going to have Arman’s head tonsured on the 12th day because that is the custom Hindus follow,” Naseer told TOI.
‘Part Of A Family’
Pandya of Savarkundla town of Amreli and the father of the three brothers were good friends for the last 40 years.
After the death of Qureshi three years ago, Pandya was left heartbroken.
“Uncle would wholeheartedly celebrate Eid. Bhanushankar uncle did not have a family, so when he fractured his leg many years ago, our father asked him to move in with us. He became part of our family,” Abu told TOI.
Nasir told that their children used to call him ‘Dada’ and their wives touched his feet to seeks his blessings.
“Uncle would wholeheartedly participate in Eid festivities, never forgetting to buy gifts for the kids,” his brother Naseer added.