Lucknow: On social media, a video of a Muslim woman praying at a Shiva temple in Kanpur’s Avanti Puram for her sick family member is gaining widespread attention.
Captured at the small shrine near BMC Hospital on GT Road in Kalyanpur on Wednesday morning, the footage has people raving over her faith. A woman, a native of Mandhana, offered prayers to Lord Shiva at the temple on Wednesday morning after visiting the hospital where one of her family members is admitted in a critical condition.
“We took him to hospital, as he was severely unwell. The doctors there told us there was not much left for us to do here,” the woman said. She then went to a Shiva temple near her house, where she offered prayers to the deity and took a vow for the well-being of her family member, as reported by The New Indian Express. The patient started responding to the treatment and is out of danger now. The woman then went to the same Shiva temple on Thursday morning to “fulfil her vow” by performing a puja there.
A local passerby captured the video, which shows the woman, dressed in a burqa, praying at the temple and performing rituals. She circumambulates the temple premises a few times before bowing her head in prayer in front of the idols of Shiva-Parvati, Ganesha-Lakshmi, and a Shivling that is said to be about 250 years old. On social media platforms, particularly X, the video has caught people’s attention, with users describing the gesture of the woman as one of devotion.
A local shopkeeper at the temple said, “God is for all, Hindu or Muslim. She must have seen no improvement in her family member’s condition, and so she prayed to Lord Shiva, who alleviates all miseries and sins,” he said. “That is why her wish was fulfilled and her family member got well,” he added.
One of the hospital staff, who did not wish to be named, told The New Indian Express that the woman’s family member was in a serious condition but is on the road to recovery now. “She was losing hope here (in the hospital), and we advised her to go back home. She came to the temple when there was hardly any chance left for her family member to live,” he said. The woman’s family member is now recovering at home, he added.
According to some people in the area, the temple is at least a hundred years old, and most local residents of Kalyanpur used to worship there. “Our forefathers built this temple. It is an old temple, around 100 years old. People from around the area used to come and worship,” one of the people, who also offered prayers at the temple, said. Responding to the woman’s act, he added, “God is God, and He does not differentiate between a Hindu or a Muslim. Whoever prays to Him with a clean heart, He listens to them.”
Various media outlets also reported on the incident. As the video was shared on X, several users tagged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and posted comments hailing the act of the woman and calling the video “beautiful” and a “lesson of religious harmony”. One of the users wrote, “Muhammad khatam nubuwwat…Karega bandh Shiva puram jhuth me Dekha…The song of our lives…HAMARA BHARAT MATRAM…This is Faith.”
“A lot of Mosques and shrines were visited by her in search of a cure for her brother. After she visited the Shiva temple, her brother recovered. The video effectively captures the love and affection a sister has for her brother. This video is a message of humanity,” another user wrote.
One user shared the story with a caption saying, “A heart-touching moment when a Muslim woman in Kanpur prayed at a Shiva temple for her family member’s well-being,” which was followed by a message saying, “GOD is there for everyone no matter what religion one belongs to.”