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Decades-Long Dispute Over Durgadi Fort Resolved

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After nearly five decades of legal proceedings, a civil court dismissed the Muslim community’s claim over the disputed site at Durgadi Fort in Kalyan, Maharashtra, ending a prolonged conflict between local Hindu and Muslim communities.

History and Origins of Durgadi Fort:

• Durgadi Fort, built in the 16th century under the Adil Shahi Sultanate, is located in Kalyan, Maharashtra.
• Initially, the fort housed a Muslim tomb, mosque, and prayer area, as documented in the Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency (1892).
• The Marathas captured the fort in 1760, modifying it by building a temple dedicated to Goddess Durga and renaming the fort Durgadi Killa.
• The British took control in 1818, and the temple ceased functioning as a worship site after the deity’s image was stolen in

Communal Disputes Since the 1960s

• The controversy began in the 1960s when local Kokni Muslims claimed to have offered Eid prayers at the site for centuries.
• Hindus countered, demanding the right to pray and asserting that the mosque was once a temple.
• In 1966, the Maharashtra government declared ownership of the land and planned to convert it into a park. However, protests led to the reversal of this decision, granting Muslims limited rights to offer prayers.
• In 1968, tensions flared when Hindus allegedly installed a red stone in the mosque and initiated Navaratri celebrations. Shiv Sena leader Bal Thackeray pledged to install an idol of Goddess Durga, marking a major step in Hindu revivalism.

Legal Battle and Verdict

• The Maharashtra government handed over the land to the Kalyan Municipal Corporation in 1974, leading to a legal challenge by the Muslim community in 1976.
• Over decades, both communities performed rituals with court permissions.
• This week, a civil court rejected the Muslim community’s claim, marking the culmination of a five-decade-long dispute.

Sources Referred:

PIB, The Hindu, Indian Express, Hindustan Times