Structure on Durgadi Fort in Kalyan (Dist. Thane) is indeed a temple : Kalyan Court

Important judgement of Kalyan District and Sessions Court

Thane (Maharashtra) – After 64 years of pending legal proceedings, the Kalyan District and Sessions Court has delivered an important judgement regarding the temple at Durgadi Fort in Kalyan. The Court ruled that the structure on the Durgadi Fort is not a mosque but a temple. This ruling has been welcomed by all devout Hindus and fort enthusiasts. Following the ruling, the devout Hindus expressed their gratitude by visiting Shri Durgadevi Temple at Durgadi Fort and performing the Aarti.

District Collector had also ruled in favour of Hindus

In 1960, Muslims claimed that the structure on Durgadi Fort was a mosque. In 1973, a legal dispute regarding whether the structure was a mosque or a temple was brought before the Thane District Collector. During the proceedings, Hindus presented evidence proving that the structure was a temple. The District Collector ruled in favour of the temple, saying that it was the temple of Shri Durgadevi, and that worship had been carried out there for generations.

🏯 Victory for Hindus: Durgadi Fort Structure Ruled a Temple!

In a landmark verdict, the Kalyan District and Sessions Court has confirmed that the structure at Durgadi Fort in Kalyan, Thane district, is indeed a temple! 🏛️

This ruling is a significant win for Hindus who have… pic.twitter.com/wDxbXllqng

— Sanatan Prabhat (@SanatanPrabhat) December 10, 2024

Court directs that Government permission is required before conducting any religious activity on the Fort

Muslims had challenged the District Collector’s ruling in the Kalyan District and Sessions Court. The Court, in its ruling, mentioned that since Durgadi Fort is Government property, any religious activity conducted there would require permission from the Government.

Advocates Bhikaji Salvi and Suresh Patwardhan represented Hindus in Court

On behalf of the Maharashtra Government and the Hindu community, advocates Bhikaji Salvi and Suresh Patwardhan presented their case in Court, asserting that the structure was a temple. After the claim by Muslims, the Hindu community named seven individuals as defendants, six of whom have passed away. The Hindu community later added 22 more names as defendants, which the Court accepted.

Claim of the Waqf Board over the Durgadi Fort

In 2004, the Waqf Board claimed that Durgadi Fort was its property. In 2016, the Waqf Board requested that the case regarding the structure at Durgadi Fort be transferred to them, but in 2022, the Court rejected the Waqf Board’s plea.

Warriors dedicated to the protection of the religious site

Temple at Durgadi Fort

Several individuals have been fighting for years in Court to protect the temple at Durgadi Fort. Prominent among them are Dinesh Deshmukh, Surendra Bhalekar, and Parag Teli. These individuals have been tirelessly fighting for the preservation of the temple for years. Dinesh Deshmukh has also been involved in a legal battle to protect the Samadhi of Shri Machhindranath at Malanggad. The Charity Commissioner had renamed the Samadhi in official documents as ‘Shri Peer Haji Malangbaba’, but Dinesh Deshmukh has filed a petition in the Thane District Court to change the name to ‘Shri Malang Machhindranath Samadhi’.

Protecting cultural heritage is the duty of Hindus : Dinesh Deshmukh, President of Hindu Manch

Dinesh Deshmukh, President of Hindu Manch

Dinesh Deshmukh, the President of Hindu Manch, said, ‘It is our duty to protect the cultural heritage passed down by our ancestors. This is our glorious history. We have taken an oath to protect the Shri Durgadevi temple at Durgadi Fort. Every Hindu must contribute to the protection of our culture, as it is the need of the hour’.

Dispute over the alleged Eidgah still remains

(Eidgah is a place for offering Namaz)

Muslims have also claimed that a wall on Durgadi Fort marks the site of an Eidgah. In 1973, while the District Collector ruled that the structure was a temple, he did not pass ruling on the issue of the wall. At that time, the Hindu community filed a separate petition to assert that the wall and the surrounding area were not an Eidgah, but the District Collector did not accept it. Since then, Muslims have used the space on Eid days for prayer, considering it an Eidgah.

Editorial Perspective

Congratulations to all those fighting to free Durgadi Fort from encroachment ! Now, the people in Maharashtra expect the State Government to launch a large-scale campaign to remove such encroachments by Muslims on forts across the State and restore them to their rightful status.