Hindu, Muslim KSRTC staff come together to build Ganesha temple in Karnataka's Chitradurga

In a show of unity, Hindu and Muslim KSRTC employees have come together to construct a Ganesha temple on the Chitradurga depot premises.
‘Raksha Ganesha’ temple, painted in saffron and green, was inaugurated on August 20 on the eve of Gowri-Ganesha festival. Devotees from both communities in Chitradurga are visiting the temple to offer pujas.
Over 400 depot employees, including retired employees, and over 30 Muslims contributed funds to build the Rs 8-lakh temple.The temple design reflects influence of both Hindu and Muslim architecture. The entire structure is built in Hindu style and the tower resembles a gumbaz.
“I am a staunch devotee of Ganesha and Anjaneya and I treat them on par with Allah. We have been wanting a separate temple for long as it’s a tradition to offer puja to Ganesha before drivers hit the road,” Rahim Saab, a retired KSRTC driver, told TOI.
“We are all brothers and live like a family once we enter the depot. There is no religious or caste-based discrimination here,” said driver Mallikarjunappa.
“Construction started in December 2019. Former depot controller Prasannakumar K Balanayak granted approvals in 2018 and had contributed financially too,” said another retired driver Rudrappa HG.