Hindu temple in Pakistan draws on age-old tradition to help flood-hit people
India Today
As Pakistan reels under unprecedented floods in decades, a Hindu temple in Balochistan is providing relief to people affected by floods.
As millions across Pakistan marooned and displaced by the catastrophic floods desperately await assistance, a Hindu temple in a tiny village of Balochistan has shone a light in the darkness by providing food and shelter to about 200 to 300 flood-hit people, mostly Muslims.
Perched on high ground, the Baba Madhodas Mandir in Jalal Khan village in the Kachhi district has remained relatively safe from the floodwaters and serves as a sanctuary to the flood-affected people in their bleakest hours.
The village was cut off from the rest of the province due to inundation in the Nari, Bolan, and Lehri rivers, leaving the residents of the remote area to fend for themselves. The local Hindu community opened the doors of the Baba Madhodas Mandir to the flood-hit people and their livestock, the Dawn newspaper reported.
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According to locals, Baba Madhodas was a pre-partition Hindu saint equally cherished by Muslims and Hindus of the area.
“He used to travel on a camel,” says Iltaf Buzdar, a frequent visitor to the village from Bhag Nari tehsil.
Buzdar says as per the stories narrated by his parents, the saint transcended religious boundaries.
