GAYA: In a rare gesture Swami Raghavacharya, the well-known Hindu priest of the world famous Vishnupad temple offered free hospitality to the Mecca-bound Haj pilgrims of the state at his ashram. Reciprocating the priest’s gesture, Maulana Umar Noorani, chief of the Association of Madrassas of the district announced the opening of madrassa doors for the pilgrims visiting Gaya for the performance of pindadan rituals for final salvation of ancestral souls and also for the ‘Pitradosh Nivaran’ rituals for the rectification of cursed lineage.The offers were made at a special meet convened by the Gaya administration on Tuesday evening for community policing and public-police cooperation during the rare convergence of Haj, Pindadan and Buddhist congregation in Bodh Gaya.Not only did the Swami offered night shelter to the Haj pilgrims he also opened the Ashram kitchen for the pilgrims and those reluctant to take cooked Ashram food would be provided with dry ration, gas stove and cylinder, said Raghavacharya.The community policing idea of the SSSP Nishant Tiwari drew good response as hundreds of activists from different fields including Central Bihar Chamber of Commerce and IMA volunteered their services for pilgrim management and ensuring harmony.Gaya IMA chief Dr Sheo Bachan Singh said that all clinics and nursing homes being run by the Medical body members would provide free medical help to the different group of pilgrims visiting Gaya this season. International Buddhist Council representative Kiran Lama too pledged his organization’s active support to the harmony initiative. Some of the participants at the meet held in the Police Lines cautioned administrative officials against the activities of some middlemen and pimps masquerading as social activists.Giving details of the security arrangements SSP Nishant Tiwari said that a permanent police post has been established in the Vishnupad Temple area for providing security to the shrine as well as visiting pilgrims. Besides the permanent police post at Vishnupad, 44 police camps would function round the clock during the pilgrimage season.Buddhist council leader Kiran Lama advised senior police officials to impart training to cops to be courteous ad cooperative to the visitors. The cops must inspire confidence and not fear among the law abiders, said Kiran Lama. The administrative officials were also advised to reach out to the citizen groups and shun the collectorate-SSP office hangers on.District magistrate Sanjay Agrawal appreciated the response of the civil society and hoped that with its cooperation the district administration will meet the challenges with confidence. He also exhorted the civil society to participate more actively by providing inputs and suggestions and through positive opinion making. The DM also referred to the glorious traditions of the town in respect of communal peace and harmony.