Kalyan, Maharashtra – Demanding that Hindu devotees be allowed entry into the temple at the historic Durgadi Fort and that the restrictions imposed on them be lifted, Shiv Sena and other devout Hindu organisations staged a Ghantanad (bell-ringing) protest near the fort’s entrance in the Lal Chowki area of Kalyan. A deployment of 200 police personnel was put in place to prevent any untoward incident. Police blocked the Shiv Sainiks heading towards Durgadi using barricades. During the Namaz, the police did not permit any Shiv Sainik to go near the site. The police detained the protesting Shiv Sainiks, took them to the police station for preventive action, and a case was registered against them.
During the protest, Hindus raised slogans such as “Durgadi Fort is ours by right”. Furthermore, all the demonstrators held placards with messages like, “Hindu devotees must get entry into the Shri Durgadevi Temple, it is our right”. The white kurtas and saffron caps created an atmosphere filled with bravery and enthusiasm.
Durgadi Protest : कल्याणच्या दुर्गाडी किल्ल्यावर नमाज? किल्ला परिसरात शिंदेंची शिवसेना आक्रमक#Durgadifort #Shivsena pic.twitter.com/RNHX15V8bz
— ABP माझा (@abpmajhatv) May 28, 2026
What is the issue?
On the day of Bakri Eid, the district administration imposes a ban on visiting the Durgadi Devi Temple. Shiv Sena chief Balasaheb Thackeray had opposed this decision. Following his instructions, the then Shiv Sena District Chief Anand Dighe started the Ghantanad protest here in 1982, which continues to this day. This dispute has been ongoing for over 50 years.
Thane district’s Durgadi Fort becomes another Bhojshala; namaz offered by blocking roads
May 28, 2026
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Namaz held despite the decision on the ‘Eidgah’ at the fort being before the court
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Hindus banned from entering the fort’s Durgadevi Temple during Namaz hours
Mumbai – The decision regarding the alleged ‘Eidgah’ at Durgadi Fort, located in Kalyan within the Thane district, is currently sub-judice. Despite this, thousands of Muslims have been blocking the road outside Durgadi Fort for several years to offer Namaz. The infuriating fact is that during the hours when Namaz is offered, Hindus are barred from entering the Durgadevi Temple inside Durgadi Fort. Similarly, at Bhojshala, Hindus were previously banned from worshipping Mata Saraswati on Fridays during Namaz hours. However, after the Madhya Pradesh High Court ruled that Bhojshala belongs to Hindus, Hindus can now perform Puja-Archana (worship rituals) there daily.
The evidence showing it is not an Eidgah is as follows!
It is a matter of great resentment that Muslims had also claimed the Shri Durgadevi Temple at Durgadi Fort to be a mosque, however, the court has already ruled that the architecture of the fort is purely that of a temple. Alongside this, the matter of the alleged ‘Eidgah’ is currently pending before the Kalyan District Court. Muslims claim that this wall of Durgadi Fort is an ‘Eidgah’. An ‘Eidgah’ features minarets on both sides, but there are no such minarets on this wall. In the centre of an ‘Eidgah’, there is a designated place for Muslim clerics to deliver sermons; no such space exists in the middle of this wall either. Despite this, the administration has for years bowed to Muslim mob rule and provided protection for offering Namaz on the road.
Police must not stop Hindus from visiting the temple! – Shiv Sena
There is a temple of Shri Durgadevi at Durgadi Fort. The police stop Hindus from going to the temple during Namaz hours. Going to the temple is our religious right, and the police must not stop us from doing so. On the contrary, the police should take action against those who illegally block the road to offer Namaz, demanded Shiv Sena District Chief Gopal Landge.
