PANJIM: In a remarkable display of religious harmony, a Muslim family from Korgao has adopted the practice of worshipping Lord Ganesha. This is the fifth consecutive year they are worshipping the elephant headed God.
Makbool Malgemani, a resident of Korgao and a journalist by profession, said his forefathers used to perform Ganesh pooja every year in their native village in Hubli-Karnataka. Though his father passed away in 2012, Makbool Malgemani has kept up the tradition of worshipping Ganesha.
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Initially, his grandfather was working in Old Goa and then in Panjim. From Panjim the family shifted to Nerul, Tuem and then to Korgao. In Korgao, they decided to worship Lord Ganesha during Chaturthi, but Makbool says he father told him that they had to have their own house to worship the God of knowledge and wealth.
It was Parshuram Gawde, who was his father’s employer who helped Makbool to acquire land and build a house. From that year itself, I began to worship Lord Ganesha. So for five years, now we are worshiping Lord Ganesha here in Korgao. Though we used to worship Ganesha in our native place, the practice stopped after the joint family broke up. So now I have restarted the practice of worshipping the Lord of Vignaharta.
“I worship all the deities. There are so many festivals in our country, there is no problem in celebrating all these festivals. I believe there is only religion and therefore I worship Lord Ganesha. Many people including the Gawde family has supported me,” Makbool said.
