The Bombay High Court has permitted animal sacrifice during Bakrid and Urs inside the 1000-year-old Vishalgad Fort — a historic monument closely associated with the valour and legacy of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The fort, a symbol of Maratha pride and Hindu resistance, is now caught in a maelstrom of religious encroachments and judicial sanction of rituals that many say undermine its heritage sanctity.
The ruling was passed on June 3, 2025 by a bench comprising Justice Dr. Neela Gokhale and Justice Firdos Pooniwala. The court reaffirmed its 2024 order allowing the sacrifice of animals and birds in what it described as a “closed and private area” near a disputed dargah located within the fort premises — strictly barring such activity in any open or public part of the monument.
The dargah in question belongs to the Hazrat Peer Malik Rehan Meera Saheb Dargah Trust, which had earlier filed a petition challenging the Maharashtra state government’s ban on such practices under the Maharashtra Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1960. Government departments including the Directorate of Archaeology, the Kolhapur Superintendent of Police, and the Zilla Parishad CEO had jointly opposed the animal sacrifice, citing the monument’s protected status and heritage laws.
Despite these concerns, the court has allowed the continuation of the practice from June 7 (Bakrid) to June 12 (Urs), drawing attention to the growing religious tensions and heritage encroachments in the region.
Official records reveal that over 156 illegal constructions exist within Vishalgad Fort more than 100 of them attributed to the Muslim community. These include structures built using tin and iron sheets, some under the guise of religious sites and others with permanent features. In stark contrast, over 20 ancient Hindu Mandirs inside the fort lie in ruins, neglected and abandoned, bearing witness to the systematic erosion of native cultural landmarks.
Vishalgad, historically known as Khelna, is revered as the site where Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj executed one of his boldest escapes from Adilshahi forces in 1660. It later served as a strategic fortification during the expansion of the Hindavi Swarajya. Heritage activists argue that the fort’s symbolic importance is being undermined by illegal occupation, appeasement policies, and failure of authorities to protect its integrity.
While the dargah trust insists that the site of the sacrifice lies 1.4 km away from the main dargah complex and is on “private land,” multiple Hindu organisations have pointed out that any activity within the boundaries of a protected monument — especially involving ritual slaughter — violates both the spirit and the letter of archaeological conservation laws.
Local residents and cultural activists have repeatedly petitioned for action against the encroachments and for the restoration of desecrated Mandirs. However, successive governments and administrative agencies have failed to act decisively, citing communal sensitivities.
The latest High Court verdict raises serious concerns about the preservation of Hindu civilisational heritage in India. Critics say that the ruling reflects a growing judicial tendency to sideline historical and cultural sensitivities in favour of short-term religious accommodations — even on sacred or protected heritage sites. “Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj fought to protect Hindu dharma and Bharat’s sovereignty. Allowing animal slaughter in his fort is nothing short of a travesty,” said one activist based in Kolhapur.
With Bakrid approaching on June 7 and Urs scheduled from June 8 to 12, the administrative machinery has been placed on alert.
