Uttar Pradesh: 24x20ft cot, becomes a symbol of communal harmony
The villagers of Kaliyanpur Khera who took the initiative to build it, consider this cot as a symbol of communal harmony as all people, irrespective of their religion, caste and class, spend considerable time on this cot and share their happiness and grief here.
A cot kept at Terahmani Ashram in Atrauli has become a centre of attraction these days. This mammoth cot that is 20 feet wide and 24 feet long, has the capacity to accommodate 75 people at a time.
The villagers of Kaliyanpur Khera who took the initiative to build it, consider this cot as a symbol of communal harmony as all people, irrespective of their religion, caste and class, spend considerable time on this cot and share their happiness and grief here. The ashram also has a Shiva temple where a large number of villagers visit daily for worship.
Upbeat about their achievement, the villagers are now gearing up to approach the Limca Book of Records and Guinness Book of World Records so that their efforts are highlighted far and wide.
The cot weighs 6 quintals and it has been made with eucalyptus wood. The construction work started in May and it took 12 days for 11 villagers to make it and at least 10 people are needed to lift it. The villagers also shared the entire expenditure of Rs 27,000 among themselves. Around 13 kilograms of rope has been used in weaving its lower part and 12 kilograms has been used in the upper part.
The villagers got the idea of making the cot from Amritsar in Punjab. Villagers Khacheru Singh and Ramveer Singh among many others who regularly visit Amritsar as labourers, saw such a cot there and when they came back, they shared the idea with other villagers who immediately agreed to construct it here.
A villager Rashid Ali said, “This cot is an example of communal harmony in our village.”
Gram pradhan Manpal Singh Yadav said, “The cot is a platform for villagers to show their unity. There is no caste or religious restriction here. I am sending its details to the officials of Limca Book of Records and Guinness Book for World records so that our feat doesn’t go unnoticed.”
The villagers who toiled hard to make it are Vijay Nath Baba, Dev Ram Singh, Khacheru Singh, Sukh Ram Singh, Hariyana Singh, Dilshad, Teg Singh, Sunil Fauji, Girraj, Kali Charan and Kishan Pal.