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Century-old Durga temple survives Taliban rule
Taliban or no Taliban we have nothing to fear in Afghanistan. Nobody can touch the temple of goddess Durga, says 60-year-old Uttam Chand, a pujari in the Asmal Watt temple built a century ago by the Hindu community on the outskirts of the capital city.
Taliban or no Taliban we have nothing to fear in Afghanistan. Nobody can touch the temple of goddess Durga, says 60-year-old Uttam Chand, a pujari in the Asmal Watt temple built a century ago by the Hindu community on the outskirts of the capital city.
Though he calls himself a pujari, he could be mistaken for an Afghan by anyone from India. He wears salwar-kamiz, sports a beard and wears a Muslim 'topi.' but he proudly shows his sacred thread and the additional identification, the kada, which the Taliban made all the Hindus to wear.
Contrary to earlier reports that Hindus were being made to wear yellow badge, none of the Hindus said that they were ever forced to sport the piece of cloth supposed to identify them as non-Muslims.
Did they ever earn the wrath of the Taliban ? Just ask another pujari, 35-year-old Ranjit Lal who shifted from the temple from Khost to Asmal Watt two years ago. “The Taliban were bad people as they tried to force their ideology on us,” he said.
“We are born here and consider ourselves to be Afghans. The only objection of the Taliban was that we were professing another religion,” he said but added, “Be it Taliban or anyone else in power in Afghanistan, we would not be cowered into accepting another religion.”
Bureau Report
Though he calls himself a pujari, he could be mistaken for an Afghan by anyone from India. He wears salwar-kamiz, sports a beard and wears a Muslim 'topi.' but he proudly shows his sacred thread and the additional identification, the kada, which the Taliban made all the Hindus to wear.
Contrary to earlier reports that Hindus were being made to wear yellow badge, none of the Hindus said that they were ever forced to sport the piece of cloth supposed to identify them as non-Muslims.
Did they ever earn the wrath of the Taliban ? Just ask another pujari, 35-year-old Ranjit Lal who shifted from the temple from Khost to Asmal Watt two years ago. “The Taliban were bad people as they tried to force their ideology on us,” he said.
“We are born here and consider ourselves to be Afghans. The only objection of the Taliban was that we were professing another religion,” he said but added, “Be it Taliban or anyone else in power in Afghanistan, we would not be cowered into accepting another religion.”
Bureau Report