ABSTRACT
Although the Hindus and Muslims of Kurundwad still celebrate the Ganesh festival and Muharram together, new, exclusively Hindu festivals have emerged in the past two decades. Our interviews suggest many Muslims celebrate the Ganesh festival because they are afraid that if they do not express their devotion to the Hindu deity, the Hindus will target them during a riot. Muslims feel that their symbols have been corrupted and wiped out by the Hindus. With a growing presence of Hindu symbols in public places, Muslims fear they no longer have a distinct cultural–religious identity. Although the Hindus and Muslims of Kurundwad communicate with one another in Marathi, at home, the Muslims speak Musalmani. Younger Muslims associate Marathi with Hinduism. Hence, the linguistic differences between Hindus and Muslims have become synonymous with religious differences. More Muslims wear traditional clothes now than a decade ago. In the past, it was not uncommon for Muslim men to wear trousers while performing namaz. Now, an increasing number of Muslims wear traditional Islamic clothes while visiting mosques. We were informed that the local Tablighi Jamaat volunteers urge the Muslim community to maintain their religious and cultural distinctiveness. The Tablighi Jamaat is dedicated to the revival of Sunni Islam.
