Mahagun Maple in Sector 50 has been split into two groups for the past two months: There are people who strongly support building a temple in the society’s shared area and people who strongly oppose it.
In the middle of the fight is the open courtyard next to the society park. Once upon a time, it was the heart of the neighbourhood. Kids played there until dark, adults got together to talk in the evenings, and small parties took place outside. The neighbourhood and the RWA are now split by a temple.
More and more RWAs are setting up a new, sensitive front of conflict in the Delhi NCR areas of Noida, Gurugram, and Ghaziabad. Should there be a park or a temple? A big or a small temple? Is it okay for there to be other shrines? Should there be a temple group and a way to raise money?
An image of Radha and Krishna is now sitting in the garden of Mahagun Maple. It is decorated with flowers and gifts. This makeshift site will now be turned into a bigger, more permanent temple, which is what some locals wanted in February.
Talks between RWA members quickly turned into fights. The local government also stepped in, which led Naib Tehsildar Pragya Sharma to visit.
A new trend is to build temples in every housing complex
All of a sudden, people are so holy that they want temples to be built in their communities. But extreme groups acting in the name of religion and, of course, with government support have pushed for this, said a 60 year old member of the Sector 50 society who did not want to be named.
According to the Haryana Development and Regulations of Urban Areas Act, 1975, people in several societies in Gurugram’s Sector 50 and 51 were given show cause warnings in 2024 for allegedly encroaching on green spaces to build temples. One of these societies was Sheetal Enclave (Mayfield Garden). But strict action is almost never seen.
This is to let you know that you have crossed the line by building a temple in Sheetal Enclave (Mayfield Garden), Gurugram, which is not allowed. This is what the letter from the District Town Planner, Enforcement, Gurugram says. One of the temples at the club is still there.
This newspaper has a copy of the warning
In many countries, people are split into two main groups: those who want to build temples and those who don’t mind religion but don’t like the idea of unapproved buildings taking up public or leisure areas.
Amit Kumar Singh, who lives in Noida’s Mahagun Maple, said, “We are not against any religion or temple. But it can’t be built in a common area or park where kids can play, often the only open space they have.”
In terms of the law, the situation is clear. The Uttar Pradesh Apartment (Promotion of Construction, Ownership, and Maintenance) Act 2010 says that the shared places “shall not be changed without the written consent of all the apartment owners and the approval of the competent authority.”
In some home developments, temples are built into the original plans. The RWA isn’t interested in this case, and the people who live there don’t have a say. In others, though, especially when there isn’t an AOA or one isn’t working, small groups of people will sometimes start building on their own.
An advocate from Mayfield Garden in Gurugram asked, “Why do we need so many temples? Is it because it’s close to our house?” “If you don’t want to go far, why not build one in your own home?”
Read also: Sabarimala Chief Priest Taken Into Custody in Temple Gold Theft Case
Split by temple
Soon, the argument inside Mahagun Maple got worse and spread to the District Magistrate’s office. In March, official reports were sent there. People from the Bajrang Dal and the Vishva Hindu Parishad also showed up, which made an already dangerous situation even worse.
A neighbour of Mahagun Maple said, “They can build a temple, but only in a place that everyone agrees on. They can’t just put an idol somewhere and call it a temple later.” What would happen if people of other faiths built mosques or temples in public places?
There are two other possible sites, but no one can agree on either one
It was said that they wanted the temple to be in the backyard, which was something that the residents did not want. “Now, people from Bajrang Dal and other political groups come here often.” It seems like we are living under a lot of stress. We can’t even say what we think in public anymore.
Read also: Karnataka’s Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple Reports Over ₹50 Lakh
Getting into public areas
A similar fight happened earlier this year in Noida’s Sector 15, where people were protesting against the Noida Authority’s plan to sell off a neighbourhood park. A lot of people were afraid that the long time green haven would be turned into a temple one day.
In February, a sign at the door read “proposed site for religious use,” and the area it covered was about 301 square meters.
A lot of people from Sector 15A got together to protest. They wore T-shirts that said “Let the Parks Be” and held signs that said, “Dear Trees, Thank You for Not Billing Me for Oxygen.”
I am a versatile content writer from the MP region, covering politics, business, crime, current affairs, entertainment, video games, and sports with clear insights, engaging analysis, and timely, reader-focused updates.
