TOUR OF TOGETHERNESS

URI WEST INDIA MUMBAI

A Report

URI West India CC Beyond Sarhad and CC Sanmitra Trust jointly organized TOUR OF TOGETHERNESS to mark the World Interfaith Harmony Week. The RC floated the idea of organizing Women’s interfaith tour and the group of women was selected by us. The purpose of the women interfaith tour was not only to promote interfaith experience but also to embrace those who are less fortunate. Who needs our love, compassion and care. All these women are HIV Positive and have been out casted by their community or family. They are not invited for any pious occasion or festival and they themselves hesitate to enter their worship places. These sisters were Hindus, Muslims, Christians and Dalits.

The RC believes that URI West India has attained success and its goal in this interfaith tour. Their testimonies after the visit were overwhelming. All of them said that they have stopped going to the temples, dargahs and vihars due to stigma of being sinners. Though they are provided regular counseling and medical assistance but they live life in isolation. Some of them said they didn’t even step out of their house for the last 4 years. They never moved around in the city due to ill health and fear except going to hospitals and NGO.  RC on a personal level contributes to provide monthly nutrition to these patients. CC Sanmitra helps connect us to them.  

The interfaith tour experience for them was a real blessing. With tears in their eyes they thanked God. and us for not only taking them to their own worship places but to other pious places. The Priest in the Sikh Temple Gurudwara warmly welcomed all of them and made them seated on the first row for Ardaas Sikh prayer. Followed by Bhajan the devotional Song. He made special prayer for URI and its people all over the world working to promote humanity. The priest said Guru Nanak will be showering his blessings in every step of URI work.  The delegates were full of appreciation for the Sikh Priest who was very warm and caring and he arranged for Langar i.e Temple food. From Gurudwara the CC took the delegates to Dargah Maqdoom Shah a famous Sufi Shrine in Mumbai. Luckily the time of their arrival in Dargah was so blessed that all the women were allowed to go into the inner shrine room for prayer. They were given briefing about the Sufism and how this saint came in this city to preach love and compassion. The next visit was St. Michael’s Church a renowned church which holds Novena every Wednesday and it is been said that 60,000 people visit in this single day. The Priest in Charge was such a kind hearted person that he blessed all the women and he recited a special prayer and seeks blessings of Mother Mary. Father gave prayer books on Mother Mary in English and Hindi. The Church also arranged for lunch and beverage for the delegates. Father along with his team blessed URI for its all initiative and efforts for a better society. They are looking forward for more engagements with URI West India. The last stop was MahaLaxmi temple build in 1831 and it is called Tridevi mean Three Goddesses MahaKali, MahaLakshmi and MahaSaraswati. The delegates offered flowers, coconut and sweets. The delegates who were Muslim for them it was their first experience to make offering to the Goddesses. They felt very happy that they all participated in different rituals.

The feedback was to organize more such interfaith tours to get first hand interfaith experience. They want to become part of interfaith work. They will share their experience with others too. They said they didn’t feel nervous or any hesitation. All of them felt the inner peace and said everything in their mind was offloaded. After visiting all places to came to URI West India office and had heartfelt interaction with the RC. They thanked URI to value them and make them feel that they are important to the world.

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