Gaddeajijpur : When Hindus visit a temple in Gaddeajijpur village of Uttar Pradesh, they also make it a point to pray at the adjacent mausoleum. It is no different for Muslims. For, the villagers believe their prayers will not be answered otherwise.

The village, located on the outskirts of Hardoi district, some 110 kilometres from state capital Lucknow, sees Hindus and Muslims pray together at the Hanuman Temple and the adjacent Jind Peer Baba Mazar.

"You can term it a speciality of this place...Whosoever comes here pays equal obeisance ... In fact, it has become a ritual for this place," said Kanta Pushpak, 59, who runs a grocery shop in the village.

Locals say both the temple and the mausoleum were built nearly 80 years ago. "Around 1930, Muslim devotees built the mazar to pay homage to Jind Peer Baba, who cured the chronic and dreaded diseases of several thousands of people," Ahmad Mobeen, 61, who owns a garment shop in Hardoi's Pali town, said.

Due to his spiritual powers, the Baba not only became popular among Muslims but was also revered among Hindus, who also later started visiting him to seek a cure for various ailments, according to villagers.

"Gradually, Hindus started worshipping Baba by making his idols. However, when Baba came to know about it, he asked Hindus not to worship his idols and pray only before the idols of their deities," Mobeen said. "He even asked Muslims to take a pledge to help Hindus in their prayers and other rituals. Keeping their promise, after the death of Baba, Muslims invited Hindus to build a temple just near the mazar," he added.

Though the temple and the mausoleum remain abuzz with activities all seven days a week, devotees turn up in huge numbers on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

"Special prayers are offered on these two days and it is believed that those paying obeisance on the two days get instant blessing from the almighty," said Satya Brat Kumar, an ayurveda medical practitioner in the village.

Locals are proud about the religious amity in their village and say it should be a lesson for those who make every effort to widen the rift between Hindus and Muslims for vested interests.

"The temple and the mazar should be known to all, particularly the politicians of our country, who don't hesitate in raking up issues which amount to animosity between members of the two communities," said Ijaz Waris, 37, who runs a battery shop in the village.

"We feel privileged to be part of a village which projects the unique Hindu-Muslim bonding and brotherhood," he added.