Source: Religion News Service
KASHMIR, INDIA, September 12, 2001: A Muslim shepherd in northern India who discovered an ancient Hindu temple while searching for lost sheep will receive 10 percent of the cash offerings that tourism officials expect the shrine will collect. Ghulam Qadir stumbled across the 1,500-year-old cave shrine in Chandanwari in central Kashmir, and found a 12-inch icon of the Lord Siva, according to a report published September 11 in the Indian Express. Qadir’s discovery prompted the tourism department of Kashmir and Jammu to announce that starting next year, and continuing through the next four years, they will give the shepherd a percentage of the offerings they expect pilgrims will make at the shrine, Reuters news agency reported. Qadir will also receive a substantial final payment when the five-year period ends. Central Kashmir is already home to the famed Amarnath cave shrine to Siva, likewise discovered by a Muslim shepherd.