MLA seeks road and tourist status for Wagheshwari temple inside SGNP

Wagheshwari temple in Ambapada sits about two kilometres inside Sanjay Gandhi National Park from the Malad boundary. Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Sunil Prabhu has sought a tarred approach road, visitor facilities and tourist-spot status for the site.

Prabhu met forest minister Ganesh Naik on Wednesday with the temple priest, who controls its trust. Prabhu said the site includes the samadhi of Guru Bhaskar Das, that Vageshwari Devi is the gram devi of Kurar village, and that the temple runs a goshala with 100 cows.

Naik said officers had been instructed to take necessary steps for the temple’s renovation, surrounding-area beautification, road black-topping and devotee facilities, in compliance with forest department rules.

Park officials said they would oppose a road or legal protection for the temple, citing a 1997 Bombay High Court order directing the removal of encroachments in SGNP. Environmentalist D Stalin of Vanashakti said the forest minister could not sanction a road inside the park and warned that heavier visitor movement would disrupt wildlife. Prabhu said he had earlier made a similar request to then tourism minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha.