Khammam: Muslim sarpanch builds Rama temple

Khammam: "It was the dream of building a Lord Rama temple in the village that has come true, said 62-year-old Shaik Meera Saheb, the sarpanch of Budidampadu village in Raghunadapalam mandal in Khammam district.

He says, "we are the people living together there is no castes and religious all are same all the god is one." This is what exactly the communities should be like, helping each other and living a peaceful life together and in such one example, a Muslim sarpanch erected a Lord Rama temple for Rs 50 lakh in the village. Shaik Meera Saheb raised Rs 25 lakh in donations and contributed Rs 25 lakh from his own pocket for the temple's construction. The temple was constructed at a cost of Rs 50 lakh in total. After several bigwigs failed to build the Ramalayam, Shaik Meera decided to take the initiative. K Bicha, Nanda, and Konya, three tribal brothers, gave 1,000 square yards of land for the temple's building.

Speaking to the Hans India, Meera said, "I go to temple and churches to offer prayers. We can't take anything with us when we die," he continued, "but our work will be remembered forever."

"Muslims erected many temples around the State. Nizam, for example, erected the Bhadrachalam Ramalayam. During the British rule, a Muslim built a church in Dornakal, Mahaboobabad district, for Rs 20 crore," he added.

Telangana MAUD Minister K T Rama Rao praised Shaik Meera's gesture in bringing the communities together. "This is Telangana!" the Minister wrote in a tweet. These are the tales we should be telling! Shaikh Meera Saheb, the Sarpanch of Boodidampaadu village in Telangana, built the Lord Ram temple with his own funds."