Ashtami celebrations with ‘Har Har Mahadev’ chants near Hyderabad’s Charminar spark debate

A Hindu community’s Ashtami celebrations at the foot of a pillar near Hyderabad’s iconic Charminar have sparked a heated debate on social media, with questions raised over religious activities in the vicinity of a protected monument.

Organised by Mitraangan Dhol Tasha Pathak, a Maharashtrian cultural group based in Hyderabad, the event took place early on Sunday, October 18, when devotees gathered near the Shri Bhagyalakshmi Mata Temple and chanted “Har Har Mahadev”, “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and “Jai Bhavani”.

The group, which has more than 2,000 followers on Instagram, shared an invitation calling devotees to attend the Ashtami gathering, held during the ten-day Dussehra festival, which concluded on Tuesday, October 20.

A pinned photograph on its social media page features its founder, Ambarish Lahankar, alongside Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Hyderabad for the 2024 Lok Sabha election campaign.

A video of the celebrations has since gone viral, showing saffron-clad devotees assembling around the historic monument, while the gathering has drawn both criticism and support online.

Critics have questioned how such a large religious event was permitted near Charminar, and some users have tagged Hyderabad City Police Commissioner V. C. Sajjanar and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi, seeking their response. Others have defended the gathering, with some claiming that Charminar was built on the remains of a Hindu temple.

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), however, has classified the Bhagyalakshmi temple as an unauthorised construction under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act. The law prohibits construction or structural extensions within 100 metres of a protected monument without prior permission, raising questions about the regulation of activities around the historic site.