On 11th December, 45 families comprising 150 individuals, including women and children, embraced Hinduism through a ceremonial Ganga ritual in the district of Hapur, Uttar Pradesh. The families conducted the cremation of an elderly member according to Hindu rites and immersed the ashes in the Ganga River. Speaking to the media, they revealed that their ancestors were originally Hindus who converted to Islam under Mughal oppression. They called their return to Hinduism a fulfilment of their ancestral legacy.
Resistance and perseverance
The families originally hail from Islamabad, Pakistan. They came to Delhi in 1947 following Partition. Four years ago, they decided to embrace Hinduism. However, they faced significant opposition from their community, which led to delays. The recent death of an elderly family member inspired them to proceed with the decision to embrace Hinduism, and they performed the required ceremonies at Brijghat.
New beginnings with new names
Sansar Singh, who was previously Salman Khan, led the prayers of all the families. They performed the required rituals, prayed to Bhagwan Shiv and Mata Parvati, and adopted the Gaurishankar Gotra. Several individuals embraced traditional Hindu names, including Sanju, Satish, Balwan, Rajesh, Sanjay, and Shashi. They all pledged to celebrate Hindu festivals and observe rituals and fasting according to tradition in the future.
Sansar Singh said in a statement that embracing Hinduism was like a dream come true and felt like returning to their roots. The families have also decided to register their lineage with a local priest at Brijghat, which will further solidify their ties to Sanatan Dharma.
