For almost 40 years, a mentally challenged beggar named Popat has been living around the premises of a Shiva Temple in Bhuj. The ‘Chhatris’ dedicated to the valiant warriors of Kutch has been his home. Over the years, he managed to collect nearly Rs. 1.15 lakhs through alms, all of which he has donated towards building a pigeon tower in the temple.

In villages across Gujarat chabutros or pigeon towers are common and they act as a feeding/ resting place for birds. A temple priest named Mauni Baba of the Biharilal Mahadev temple told reporters, “Popat has been coming to the temple daily since 1973. After the darshan, we offer him tea. Despite being mentally challenged, he never forgets to pay. But I have been maintaining an account of his contribution and it has swelled to Rs 1.15 lakh.”

The authorities have decided to immortalise him by engraving his name on the tower, thereby honouring his selfless gesture.