Sanatan Prabhat > Post Type > News > National News > Encroachments on forts will be demolished using bulldozers : Employment Guarantee and Horticulture Minister Bharatsheth Gogawale

Encroachments on forts will be demolished using bulldozers : Employment Guarantee and Horticulture Minister Bharatsheth Gogawale

  • ‘Fourth Maharashtra Temple Trust Conference’ held in Satara in the presence of over 1,100 temple representatives

  • Government will take action against those trying to grab temple land
While lighting the lamp (from left) Shri. Girish Shah, Shri. Sunil Ghanwat, Mahant Mawajinath Maharaj, Yogi Niranjan Nath Maharaj, Minister Shri. Bharatsheth Gogawale, Sadguru Swati Khadye, Advocate Pu. Suresh Kulkarni

Satara, Maharashtra – Maharashtra is the holy land of Saints and temples. This government will not remain silent on those who are trying to grab temple lands or have tried to encroach on them. Just as the then Chief Minister Eknath Shinde showed courage and razed the encroachments around the tomb of Afzal Khan at the foot of Pratapgad, our government will also bulldoze the encroachments on the lands of forts and temples with the same courage, said Maharashtra Minister for Employment Guarantee and Horticulture Shri. Bharatsheth Gogawale here.

He was speaking at the ‘Fourth Maharashtra Temple Trust Conference’ organized on behalf of the ‘Maharashtra Temple Federation’ at the Swaraj Cultural Bhavan in the historical land of Satara on March 22nd. On this occasion, he expressed his views as a representative of Deputy Chief Minister Shri. Eknath Shinde and as a devout Hindu.

Temple lands to be used only for religious purpose

On the podium (from left) Shri. Shivajirao Tupe, Yogi Niranjan Nath Maharaj, Shri. Sunil Ghanwat, Shri. Bharatsheth Gogawale, Sadguru Swati Khadye, Sadguru Satyavan Kadam

Representatives of more than 1,100 temples gathered for the conference in the holy land of Satara, where Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj killed Afzal Khan by tearing his stomach. For us, protecting temples is not a matter of politics, but a matter of our Dharma and faith. Respected Hinduhridaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray has taught us to never compromise on our Deities and country. The Revenue Department has been instructed that temple lands should be used only for religious purposes. In the budget for 2026-27, a large provision has been made for religious tourism. In this, a separate fund and coordinator have been appointed for the development of 5 Jyotirlingas in the State, and funds have been approved from the ‘Regional Tourism Development Scheme’ for the modernization of 50 selected religious places, said Shri. Gogawale. On this occasion, he also informed about the important decisions taken by the government for the development of temples in the State of Maharashtra.
Trustees of various temple committees submitted a request to Maharashtra Cabinet Minister for Employment Guarantee and Horticulture Shri. Bharatsheth Gogawale regarding the waiver of stamp duty on land transfer transactions

Will resolve pending issues of temples in a special meeting with the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister

The budget session is ongoing in Mumbai. I will inform the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister about this conference when I get the opportunity. The temple federation does not hold meetings only for personal gain. These meetings are only for Hindutva and temples. There is no intention to interfere in the management of the temple. I assure you that there will be no external interference in the tradition. It is commendable that the temple federation is working to create awareness to protect Hindutva. All pending issues will be resolved within the framework of the law by scheduling a special meeting of the temple federation representatives with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, said Shri. Gogawale.

Will resolve pending issues of temples in a special meeting with the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister

The budget session is ongoing in Mumbai. I will inform the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister about this conference when I get the opportunity. The temple federation does not hold meetings only for personal gain. These meetings are only for Hindutva and temples. There is no intention to interfere in the management of the temple. I assure you that there will be no external interference in the tradition. It is commendable that the temple federation is working to create awareness to protect Hindutva. All pending issues will be resolved within the framework of the law by scheduling a special meeting of the temple federation representatives with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, said Shri. Gogawale.

Only if the temples are safe, God, country and Dharma will be safe : Yogi Niranjan Nath, Chief Trustee, Alandi Devasthan

We are the representatives of the mighty legacy of the land where Saint Dnyaneshwar wrote ‘Dnyaneshwari’ at the age of 16 and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj took the oath of ‘Hindavi Swarajya’ at the age of 16. Today, all the trustees coming together to save the temples is the real lifeline of this ‘Maharashtra Temple Trust Conference’. Only if the temples remain safe, our God, country and Dharma will remain safe.

Although the Jagannathpuri Yatra is considered as the biggest yatra today, ‘Ashadhi Wari’ is the best yatra in the world in terms of management, planning and devotion. India has given the world the gift of management, so the world does not need to teach us management. Destroy the plans of those who have their eyes on the wealth of temples. Unfortunately, some of our own people have grabbed the lands of temples. Every trustee should be vigilant so that not even an inch of temple land is lost. Some people say ‘build schools and hospitals in place of temples’; but it cannot be forgotten that these same temples saved crores of people by donating food during crises like the COVID-19 pandemic. The services of Shri Swami Samarth Kendra of Jaysingpur and Dagdusheth Halwai Ganapati Temple in Pune are examples of such service.

Indrayani’s Maha Aarti and waking of devotion

Yogi Niranjan Nath said that more than 10 thousand devotees attend the ‘Indrayani Maha Aarti’ which is performed in Alandi. The participants in Ashadhi Wari will double in the next 5 years and if the worship of the Deities is done in a prescribed manner, God will help us in all difficulties. The fact that we have come together today on the occasion of this conference as representatives of the Deities is a great success of the Hindu organization.

Temples are not just centres of worship, but the soul of Indian economy and culture : Sandeep Singh, a staunch Hindutva scholar

Many big cities of the world were built on factories and as soon as the factories closed, they were destroyed; but cities like Ayodhya, Kashi, Ujjain and Tirupati have survived for thousands of years only because of temples. Temples are not just places of prayer, but they are the pillars of our economy. Shri. Sandeep Singh presented his thoughts on the topic ‘Importance of Temple Economy in Society’.

Shri. Sandeep Singh further said that if the temples are not protected, our culture will be destroyed. Temples in Tamil Nadu are in trouble due to their disconnection from the society. We should not let that mistake happen in Maharashtra. Every Hindu should become a temple worker and protect Dharma.

Every Hindu should visit the temple every day

Shri. Sandeep Singh further said that instead of cutting a cake in the Western way, celebrate your birthday in a temple and connect with Dharma. Temples should provide a place for Ayurvedic doctors in the temple premises, so that they can serve the society. I write ‘Visit temples’ on my T-shirt. My friend-circle has grown due to this. We should be proud that we are Hindus and that we visit temples.

Saints and dignitaries present at the temple conference

Shri Suresh Kaudre, President of Shri Jyotirlinga Bhimashankar Devasthan, H.B.P. Babanrao Sapte, H.B.P. Vitthal Swami Vadgaonkar, Pu. Uday Shekde of ‘Swami Samarth Ramdas Swami Sansthan’, H.B.P. Purushottam Kulkarni; Pu. Jagadish Pisal Maharaj of Datta Mandir, Palashi, Advocate Vidyanand Jog of ‘Patanjali Yoga Samiti’, Ratnagiri, Former Charity Commissioner Shri Dilip Deshmukh, President of Vishwa Hindu Parishad Shri Vijayrao Gadhave, Trustee of Vitthal Mandir, Malkapur (Dist. Kolhapur) Shri Babasaheb Patil, Head of Garibnath Muth, Tulajapur, Mahant Mawjinath Maharaj, Mahant Soham Bharti of ‘Sanjivani Bharati Akhada’, Ahilyanagar, Shri Vilas Pund of ‘Shri Hanuman Mandir Northern Branch’, Shri. Arvind Dethe, Shri. Amal Malgunde of Ishwarpur (Dist. Sangli), Editor of ‘Nathnagari’ and Trustee of Shrinath Devasthan Trust, Kharsundi (Tal. Atpadi, Dist. Sangli) Shri. Bharat Patil, Chairman of ‘Shri Mahadev Mandir Mandev’ in Yavatmal Shri. Ashok Khodkumbhe, Chairman of ‘Shri Nageshwar Mahadev Sansthan Dhamantri’ in Amravati Shri. Kailas Panpalia, Manager of ‘Shri Ramdas Swami Sansthan, Sajjangad’ Shri. Udayji Rokade, Samarth Bhakt Shri. Purushottam Kulkarni, Satara District President of Warkari Sampradaya H.B.P. Babanrao Sapte Maharaj, Pu. Vishal Maharaj of Shri Pateshwar Devasthan in Satara, Chairman of Gavdevi Temple in Nerulgaon Shri. Narayan Patil, Trustee Chairman of Nagoba Temple in Juna Nagpada (Mumbai) Shri. Prakash Rane, Trustee of ‘Murugan and Balaji Temple’ in Vasai (Dist. Palghar) Shri. Radhaswami, Shri. Ravichandram Mootthu, Sadhvi Chanda Das, President of ‘Lakshmi Mata Mahila Mandal’ at Belapur (Navi Mumbai), Shri. Dhodinram Mulik, Trustee of the Shiva Temple at Battis Shirala (Sangli).

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