On 20th December, a man named Wajid Ali and his family vacated the 250-year-old Ganga Maharani Temple in the Qila Police Station area of Bareilly, which they had been illegally occupying for the past 40 years. According to media reports, Wajid Ali and his family “voluntarily” vacated the premises following an investigation by the district administration, which confirmed Wajid’s claims of “legal occupation” to be baseless. Wajid claimed that he was a watchman of a cooperative society and was posted at the premises to look after the two rooms rented out to the corporation.
The illegal occupation of the Ganga Maharani temple
The temple is located in the Bakarganj area of Bareilly, which falls under Qila Police Station. Wajid and his family occupied the temple premises 40 years ago. He falsely claimed to be a watchman for a cooperative society. Reportedly, he removed the idols and Shivalingam from the temple and placed Islamic flags.
Ganga Maharani Temple, #Bareilly: A 250-year-old temple in Bareilly (Uttar Pradesh) is under the illegal control of a Muslim.
— Sanatan Prabhat (@SanatanPrabhat) December 19, 2024
Local Hindus demand that control of the temple be removed and handed over to Hindus.
Hindus feel that the UP government should now establish a separate… pic.twitter.com/8vz68IpmWg
Several Hindu organisations and the owner of the temple premises, Rakesh Singh, had filed a complaint at the District Magistrate Ravindra Kumar’s office. During the investigation, the administration found that Wajid had no employment history with the said cooperative society. Furthermore, he had no legal rights to occupy the temple premises. The documents for the temple premises were, in fact, registered under the Ganga Maharani Trust since 1905.
Administrative action under DM’s directive
The matter was highlighted by a media report by Dainik Bhaskar, which brought the temple land dispute to light. It prompted District Magistrate Ravindra Kumar to initiate an investigation. SDM Sadar Govind Maurya and cooperative officials inspected the site. They verified the ownership records and confirmed that Rakesh Singh was the original owner, a descendant of the temple’s original trustees. A notice was issued mandating Wajid to vacate the premises within seven days.
Bareilly में 150 साल पुराना गंगा महारानी का मंदिर कब्जा मुक्त, 40 साल से रह रहा था मुस्लिम परिवार #BareillyNews pic.twitter.com/qivTxTiBO8
— News18 India (@News18India) December 21, 2024
Wajid had argued that his father was a watchman for the cooperative society. He requested an extension of eight months to vacate the premises. However, Vikas Sharma, the secretary of the cooperative society, clarified that there were no records of Wajid or his father being official employees.
#FirstOnTNNavbharat: बरेली के 200 साल पुराने श्री गंगा महारानी मंदिर पर एक गैर हिंदू चौकीदार ने कैसे जमाया अपना कब्जा ?@himanshdxt #UttarPradesh #Bareilly #ShriGangaMaharaniTemple #Mandir pic.twitter.com/0abjaDeeIE
— Times Now Navbharat (@TNNavbharat) December 21, 2024
On 20th December, a police team led by Superintendent of Police (SP) City Manish Parikh oversaw the eviction process. Wajid and his family removed their belongings under the supervision of the police and administration, and the whole process was documented to maintain transparency.
Hindu organisations celebrate the eviction
The eviction was celebrated by Hindu organisations, including the Vishva Hindu Parishad and Hindu Jagran Manch. Members of Hindu organisations chanted ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogans and removed the Islamic flags from the premises. They also hoisted saffron flags on the temple premises. Members of the Hindu community announced that they would perform a purification ceremony and recite Sundarkand Path on 21st December, after which worship would restart at the temple.
बरेली में 100 साल पुराना मंदिर कब्जे से मुक्त, इस्लामी झंडा हटाकर भगवा झंडा फहराया
— विश्व संवाद केन्द्र, लखनऊ (VSK Lucknow) (@vskawadh) December 21, 2024
बरेली स्थित एक 100 साल पुराना श्री गंगा महारानी मंदिर अब कब्जे से मुक्त कर लिया गया है। प्रशासन और पुलिस की मौजूदगी में दिर को कब्जा मुक्त कराते ही हिंदू संगठनों ने भारत माता के जयकारे लगाए। pic.twitter.com/bTTbPuTfc0
Historical significance of the temple
The Ganga Maharani Temple is located on 900 square yards of land. It holds historic and spiritual significance for the local Hindu community. The temple originally had idols of Ganga Maharani, a white Shivalingam, and the Shiv family. Rakesh Singh spoke to the media and recounted that the temple was the centre of worship for local Hindus until Wajid illegally occupied it and disrupted the rituals. He accused Wajid of destroying key structures of the temple, including the wells.
