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MUMBAI, INDIA, November 11, 2003: When Bhagwanji Raiyani read in a newspaper that there were more than 800 illegal shrines in Mumbai he decided to do something about it. In 2002, he asked the Mumbai High Court for their demolition. One year later, the high court ordered that all illegal shrines — temples, mosques or churches — should be demolished. “Apart from causing inconvenience to people, these illegal shrines create unhygienic conditions around that area,” says Bhagwanji, an avowed atheist. His next crusade will be to try to put an end to the immersion of icons in the sea during the Ganesh festival. “Nowhere is it written in our religious texts that people should immerse icons in the sea,” he claims. “So why should we follow this ritual and dirty the waters?” Bhagwanji’s wife, four daughters and their husbands, all oppose his moves. “I don’t believe in God and interestingly my name is Bhagwanji,” he admits. So far, 478 illegal shrines have been demolished. “They are doing 25 to 50 demolitions per day. In my petition I said that they should demolish in it in four months, but I think they will complete the job much before that,” adds Bhagwanji. He and others were quite surprised that the petition was granted by the court. Demolition of the small shrines has been carried out late at night to avoid public opposition. A handful of Christian and Muslims shrines have been demolished.

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