Two Indian men crossed religious and cultural barriers to help keep one another’s wives alive this month in a rare surgery in Rajasthan.

According to Indian news reports, a Muslim man, Anwar Ahmed, and a Hindu man, Vinod Mehra, each donated their kidneys to one another’s wives for a pair of life-saving operations at a private hospital in Jaipur earlier this month.

Ahmed, 40, who has type B positive blood, was a match with Vinod’s wife, while Vinod’s A-positive blood type was a match with Ahmed’s wife.

The exchange occurred amid rising tension in the country as Hindu nationalist groups have advocated for Hindu-based laws such as the banning of beef.  

Last year, a Muslim man was beaten for transporting beef, and in July, four women were attacked by “cow vigilantes” who accused them of carrying beef in the streets.

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But the generosity of the Muslim and Hindu men also came just ahead of the Islamic festival Eid-ul-Azha.

"I will celebrate this Eid-ul-Azha with more fervour, all thanks to Vinod," Ahmed told Asian News International. "He has given his kidney to my wife. My wife is doing well now and recovering. She will be discharged from the hospital a day before Eid-ul-Azha. I have a respect to Vinod bhai (brother or friend) as he has given his kidney to my wife.”

Mehra said that Ahmed’s donation to his wife was “not less than Diwali” for him, referring to the Hindu festival of lights celebrated in October that celebrates goodness triumphing over darkness.

“It will bring home happiness soon when my wife will be discharged from the hospital,” he said.

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Mehra said that he had never felt biased against Hindu Muslims before, but now, he felt an even more special bond with Ahmed.

Dr. Ashutosh Soni, the surgeon who performed the procedures, told ANI that the circumstances of the kidney swap were extremely rare. Under the Human Organ Transplant Act, only near relatives can actually donate kidneys, but kidney transplant swaps are permitted, he said.

"In the case of these two couples, they were perfect for swap kidney transplant,” he said.

The surgery was completed on September 2.