State finance minister Sunil Tatkare has announced an aid of Rs1 crore for the renovation of Chhatrapati Shivaji’s temple situated at the Sindhudurg fort. DNA on June 23 had reported that the 344-year-old Shivarajeshwar temple was on the verge of collapse due to rain water leakage and lack of maintenance.
“The government will seek a report from the public works department over the expected expenditure for renovating the Shivrajeshwar temple and approve Rs1 crore for the work. If needed, we will make the money available from the chief minister’s fund,” Tatkare announced in the legislative council on Wednesday.
Shiv Sena MLC from Sindhudurg Parshuram Uparkar had raised the issue in the legislative council through a calling attention motion. “It is the only temple of Shivaji Maharaj. If renovated, it can attract tourists from all over the world,” he said.
Uparkar said that the Sena executive chief Uddhav Thackeray had ordered him to follow the issue after DNA threw light on the temple’s dilapidated condition.
The trust was trying hard to pursue their demand for renovation of the temple, which falls under the jurisdiction of public works department. The department, on one hand, has sanctioned Rs300 crore for erecting the Maratha warrior’s memorial in the Arabian Sea, and on the other, it grants just Rs5,029 per year for the temple. The amount is meant to cover maintenance costs and salaries of the trust staff.
The trust had demanded Rs40 lakh per year for renovating the temple. A trustee, Pradeep Vengurlekar, had suggested to collect at least Re1 from each tourist visiting the Sindhudurg fort. The trust record shows that around four lakh tourists visited the fort in 2008.
The temple, built by Peshwa Rajaram, has interfaith significance. Among the occupants of the fort — all descended from the 12 families who, as the legend goes, were asked by Shivaji to never leave it — is the family of Sadik Sheikh, a Muslim. Sheikh’s forefathers used to play the nagaras. “Maharaj (Shivaji) had ordered our forefathers to not leave the fort till the sun and moon were there. That is why we continue staying here,” he said.
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