Punjab villagers restore mosques, reconnecting communities divided by partition
Sikh and Hindu villagers in Punjab are helping restore or build mosques, giving local Muslim communities places to worship and bringing neighbours together. The efforts also carry added meaning in a region still marked by the displacement and sectarian violence of the 1947 partition.
In Jakhiwal, 77-year-old Sikh villager Rajinder Kaur persuaded her grandson to donate family land for a mosque serving 18 Muslim families; 87-year-old Gajju Khan hopes to hear the call to prayer there again. In Punawal, Hindu priest’s son Jaspal Sharma donated land for a mosque and villagers contributed building materials and money. The article says such projects have taken place quietly across rural Punjab over the past decade.
In short
- Sikh and Hindu villagers are helping restore mosques in Punjab.
- The projects give local Muslims places to pray.
- Shared efforts are helping neighbours connect across faiths.
Explained simply
Punjab is a region shared by India and Pakistan, divided when British rule ended in 1947. The partition displaced millions of people and was accompanied by widespread violence between religious communities, leaving lasting effects on families and villages.
Punjab is home to Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims, whose places of worship are part of community life. In some rural areas, Muslims have had limited access to mosques, while old religious sites and memories connect neighbours across generations.
The village projects described here involve Sikhs and Hindus giving land, money or materials to help Muslim neighbours worship locally. They take place against the background of partition and continuing ties between communities in the region.
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Originally published by The Guardian as “How rebuilding old mosques is bringing Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims together in Punjab”.