VARANASI: Amid festivity gripping institutions, temples and vedic pathshalas (schools) in

's Varanasi on the occasion of

on Tuesday, the celebrations at Patalpuri Madh were different.

At this Madh, joining hands with the Hindu disciplines were a large number of

who performed all the religious practices that are followed on the auspicious day. Clad in traditional burqa, while some of them washed and touched the feet of their guru Mahant Balak Das, others greeted him with the traditional ‘Aadab'.

The event was organised at the Vishal Bharat Sansthan (VBS). The Madh is around 500 years old and is said to have been founded by Mahant Ramanad and is very closely associated with saint Kabir.

The women disciples garlanded the mahant before applying tilak on his forehead and gifted their guru a ‘Ramnaami shawl’.

“For us, gurus are above the religion as they make us understand the life and guide us even in the worst of situation,” said national president of the Muslim Mahila Foundation Naznin Ansari. Occasions such as this are the befitting reply to people who try to divide the society on the basis of religion, added an officer-bearer who has done her MA in conflict management from Banaras Hindu University (BHU).

She has also translated the aarti of lord Ram in Urdu along with the text of Hanuman Chalisa.

Speaking on the occasion, Mahant Balak Das said, “This is the place of the god and there is no place for caste or creed and above that efforts of these devotees would send a larger message to the society."

President of VBS Rajiv Srivastava said, “As the disciples do not consider the caste, religion or gotra (sect) of the guru, the guru too never considers the identity of the disciples; for him whosoever has the potential to imbibe his teaching is deemed to become his follower."

“Offering our respect to the guru is the most important thing for us as he is the one who holds our hands and guides us when things go wrong,” says Nazma Praveen.