Mumbai: Former Cabinet Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party member, Dr Subramanian Swamy, has asked the Maharashtra government to reconsider the Pandharpur Mandir Corridor Plan and to drop the proposal to demolish ancient maths, temples, and other structures around the shrine of Vitthal-Rukmini, known locally as Vitthal- Rakhumai.
In a letter to the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis, Swamy stated that the government’s plans appear to have been inspired by the corridors at Varanasi and Ujjain.
Swamy noted that residents of Pandharpur, Vitthal-Rukmini devotees, and followers of the Varkari Sampraday have objected to the proposed corridor.
He explained that the pilgrimage centre has a history dating back to the Puranic ages, having been chosen as an abode by Lord Vitthala, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, and is considered Bhuvaikunth.
Over the centuries, particularly during the mediaeval period, the temple was vandalised. It rose again during the Maratha Confederacy period, when Pandharpur began to regain its glory. During this time, the present temple complex came into existence, and a small locality developed around the temple, surrounded by the Pradakshina Path. This area is now considered the old Pandharpur City, said Swamy.
Swamy said that in the nineteenth century, after the Pandharpur Municipal Council was established in 1855, land around the shrine was purchased to create a planned locality with open spaces for pilgrims. After Independence, Pandharpur developed from a town into a city; however, various open spaces and grounds reserved for Varkaris were unfortunately encroached upon by slums. Now, only an area of 65 acres remains available for the accommodation of pilgrims, Swamy said.
With the development of Pandharpur City and the increasing number of visitors, Town Planning Schemes No. 1 and 2 were implemented. Approach roads to the temple and the road surrounding it were widened to 40 feet. The Pradakshina Road was also widened to 40 feet. Likewise, certain areas to the north and south of the temple were acquired for parking facilities, Swamy’s letter noted.
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The letter further clarified that the current sanctioned Pandharpur Development Plan 2014 and the proposed revised Pandharpur Development Plan 2025 make no provision for the Pandharpur Corridor.
Swamy argued that the plan threatens the custom of providing accommodation and food to devotees in houses around the temple. This system operates similarly to a paying guest system known as ‘Yajman Krutya’. He pointed out that while places reserved for pilgrims for the last 150 years are now encroached upon by slums—including the only graveyard for Sanyasis in Western Maharashtra—the government has failed to take measures to remove these unauthorised encroachments.
Stating that the project would be a waste of public money, the letter suggested developing infrastructure throughout the city and its approach roads to ensure the all-round development of the Pandharpur region, rather than focusing solely on the temple precinct.
