Breaking all the communal stereotypes, Jeet Singh, the granthi of the Mastgarh Sahib Chittian Gurudwara cleans the Mughal-era mosque at Mahadian village twice a day. As per the legend, the mosque located near the historic city of Sirhind in Punjab, is less than a kilometre from the spot where the two sons of Guru Gobind Singh — Zorawar Singh and Fateh Singh — were walled in by the Nawab of Sirhind, Wazir Khan, for refusing to embrace Islam. The event is now observed as Jor Mela, with Sikhs congregating at the spot every year. Singh ensures that Chittian Masjidan, the white mosque lives up to its reputation, periodically giving it a whitewash. “Very few worshippers have turned up, but we have never stopped anyone. Muslim worshippers feel happy that we are taking care of the old mosque,” says Singh, who lives at the Dera with his family including children, wife and father-in-law, as per a report by The Indian Express.
People in the region see the Chittian Masjidan gurdwara as an example of communal harmony and believe that its example should be followed across the country. Professor Rashid Rasheed, who teaches Punjabi at Mata Gujri College in Fatehgarh Sahib, says, “It is an example that should be followed everywhere to keep the social fabric of our country intact.” After repeated coats of whitewash, there is no sign of the glazed tile work, typical of Mughal-era mosques. It is also not known as to how or why it survived the fury of Sikh fighters. The mosque is speculated to date back to the period of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan and was built between 1628-1658.
“We are continuing with the existing name of the mosque to give a message that we do not mean any disrespect to any religion,” says its guardian, Jeet Singh, as per the report.