Mumbai Jains Protest 90-Year-Old Temple Demolition
The Jain community in Mumbai held a silent protest march on 19th April against the BMC’s action of demolishing their 90-year-old Digambar temple at Vile Parle.
The demolition of a 90-year-old Shri 1008 Parshwanath Digambar Jain temple in Mumbai’s Vile Parle on 16 April 2025 has created a huge controversy.
Many people from the Jain community are angry with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and have called the action illegal.
BMC officials claimed that the temple was built without proper permission. But members of the Jain community said they have all the correct papers to prove the land was theirs.
For the last few years, the BMC had been sending notices to the temple. To stop the action, the Jain community even went to the Bombay High Court, which gave a stay order till 15 April 2025.
However, on 15 April, BMC again sent a demolition notice and went ahead to demolish the temple on 16 April, without waiting for further orders from the court.
The Jain community said the BMC did not give them proper time and acted wrongly. Women praying inside were forced to leave, and there was no time to safely remove the idols.
On 19 April 2025, more than 20,000 people from the Jain community held a massive silent protest wearing black bands.
After the protest, Assistant Municipal Commissioner Navnath Ghadge, who was responsible for the demolition, was transferred.
Protesters alleged that the nearby Ramkrishna Hotel owners wanted to expand their business and that the BMC helped them by removing the temple. They also said the hotel had built illegal structures which the BMC ignored.
Reports said the hotel owners even wanted to open a bar but could not because of the temple.
The Jain community has written a letter to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis demanding strict action against the officials involved.
Opposition leaders, including Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray, criticised the government, saying that demolishing a religious place without proper notice is wrong and creates disharmony.
There were also claims that religious idols and holy texts were insulted during the demolition.
Despite the damage, the Jain community has kept their idols safely under a shelter so that prayers can continue.
The BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani said that a new temple will be built at the same place.
By the evening of 19 April, BMC workers were still clearing the debris from the area, while the Jain community members promised to continue their legal fight.
