Bizman donates Hanuman idols to help set up new temples, break caste barriers | Bhubaneswar News
Rourkela: A 51-year-old businessman of Sundargarh district has donated more than 175 idols of Lord Hanuman to villages across three districts over the past decade, helping establish new temples and breaking down caste barriers in the process.
Daulat Agarwal, who runs a cloth business in Rajgangpur, began his mission 10 years ago when he donated a 6-ft Hanuman idol to Chotoghati hamlet in Sonakhan village. The initiative, inspired by resident Chaitanya Mohanty, quickly gained momentum when villagers from other areas approached Agarwal with similar requests.
“I am a devotee of Lord Hanuman, and whatever I am doing is through his blessings,” said Agarwal, whose donations have reached villages across Sundargarh, Jharsuguda and Sambalpur districts, and even extended to neighbouring Jharkhand.
The businessman’s efforts have particularly impacted communities facing caste discrimination. “Some villagers told me they were barred from entering Hanuman temples due to caste prejudice. This motivated me to help them establish their own places of worship,” Agarwal said.
The impact of his initiative is evident in villages like Keshramal, where resident Jagabandhu Ratha expressed gratitude. “When we approached Daulat bhai for an idol, he immediately agreed. Now our village has its own temple where we perform regular pujas,” he said.
Each donated idol has become a centre of community worship, with villagers maintaining the temples and conducting regular religious ceremonies. The initiative has not only provided places of worship but has also helped foster social harmony in the rural communities.
Daulat Agarwal, who runs a cloth business in Rajgangpur, began his mission 10 years ago when he donated a 6-ft Hanuman idol to Chotoghati hamlet in Sonakhan village. The initiative, inspired by resident Chaitanya Mohanty, quickly gained momentum when villagers from other areas approached Agarwal with similar requests.
“I am a devotee of Lord Hanuman, and whatever I am doing is through his blessings,” said Agarwal, whose donations have reached villages across Sundargarh, Jharsuguda and Sambalpur districts, and even extended to neighbouring Jharkhand.
The businessman’s efforts have particularly impacted communities facing caste discrimination. “Some villagers told me they were barred from entering Hanuman temples due to caste prejudice. This motivated me to help them establish their own places of worship,” Agarwal said.
The impact of his initiative is evident in villages like Keshramal, where resident Jagabandhu Ratha expressed gratitude. “When we approached Daulat bhai for an idol, he immediately agreed. Now our village has its own temple where we perform regular pujas,” he said.
Each donated idol has become a centre of community worship, with villagers maintaining the temples and conducting regular religious ceremonies. The initiative has not only provided places of worship but has also helped foster social harmony in the rural communities.
