Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 06:40am on 28 Sep 2025,Sunday Spiritual
Kohinoor Islam, a 76-year-old Muslim man from Tentuldinga village in Odisha, has been organizing Sarbajanina Durga Puja for 39 years, creating remarkable communal harmony. Starting in 1986 to help local women avoid traveling to Baripada town for puja rituals, Kohinoor founded the celebration with 24 supporters. The committee has grown from 25 to 550 members from both Hindu and Muslim communities. Kohinoor credits "Allah and Goddess Durga" for the puja's success, while his daughters contribute financially despite living elsewhere. Priest Paritosh Nanda, serving 25 years, praises Kohinoor's devotion. The celebration distributes bhoga to all communities, with committee member Deepak Mishra calling it a festival where "Muslims too are important." (PC: The New Indian Express)
