- By Surarika Das
- Thu, 28 May 2026 01:57 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
A dispute has erupted in Kalyan's historic Durgadi Fort in Maharashtra on the occasion of Bakri Eid on Thursday. Security was tightened in the Kalyan area after Hindu devotes were stopped from entering the Durga temple. As tensions escalated, police personnel and State Reserve Police Force teams were deployed in large numbers across the fort area to prevent any untoward incident. Barricades were erected and movement around the site was closely monitored.
#WATCH | Kalyan, Maharashtra | Security heightened at Durgadi Fort on Eid al-Adha as prayers are offered at the Idgah inside the fort complex. During this time, the administration temporarily stops Hindu devotees from entering the fort's Durgadevi Temple. Protesting against this,… pic.twitter.com/Nu0qxADfzn
— ANI (@ANI) May 28, 2026
Why Did The Protest Take Place?
Similar agitations have taken place in the Fort in previous years. The Fort has remained sensitive for years for its presence of both the Durga temple atop the fort and an Eidgah at its base. Hindu groups say that it belongs to the Durga temple, while members of the Muslim community claim that the Eidgah holds a religious significance for them.
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Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena members staged a violent protest at the fort on Bakri Eid. The protestors climbed barricades and shouted slogans against the administration’s restrictions. Shiv Sena members also performed aarti on the temple premises as a mark of agitation.
The police have imposed reasonable restrictions on entry to the temple premises on Eid to maintain law and order. Authorities have also asked to restrict Islamic prayers or any religious practice except on officially designated occasions.
The Ghantanad Andolan
The protest also revived the historic 'Ghantanad Andolan' associated with the late Shiv Sena leader Anand Dighe. The agitation, involving symbolic ringing of bells, was first introduced in the early 1980s after Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray opposed restrictions on Hindu devotees visiting the temple during Bakri Eid.
For nearly four decades, the issue has resurfaced every year around Bakri Eid, often requiring tight security arrangements in Kalyan. In recent years, both sections of Shiv Sena have continued the annual protests, while this year BJP leaders and workers also joined the agitation in large numbers.