Archive · 12 Sep 2026
Ujjain Temple Relocation Put On Hold Amid Opposition
Officials in Ujjain wanted to move the Khade Hanuman Temple so a road could be widened.
They have now paused that plan because many people objected.
The priest said he had agreed only if several conditions were met.
He said most of those conditions, including help for shops connected to his family, were not settled.
An inspection by an IIT team has also been postponed.
BJP MLA Chintamani Malviya said the temple should stay where it is.
Hindu groups and devotees held a rally and asked the government to protect it.
Officials had planned to rebuild the temple elsewhere, but there is now no immediate relocation.
The decision could also affect plans to remove other religious structures for road projects.
Ujjain municipal officials halted plans to relocate Khade Hanuman Temple for road widening.
A proposed IIT inspection was postponed along with the relocation plan.
Priest Mahesh Bairagi said his consent was conditional and cited unresolved shop compensation.
BJP MLA Chintamani Malviya backed retaining the temple at its current site.
Hindu groups and devotees held a rally and demanded preservation of the temple.
- Who
- The Ujjain Municipal Corporation, temple priest Mahesh Bairagi, BJP MLA Chintamani Malviya, Hindu groups, and devotees are involved.
- What
- The proposed relocation of Khade Hanuman Temple and an IIT inspection were put on hold.
- When
- The relocation issue had remained in the spotlight for eight days; opposition intensified after demolition work began the previous Thursday.
- Where
- Khade Hanuman Temple on Gopal Mandir Road in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh; officials had proposed relocating it to Tanki Chowk.
- Why
- The relocation was planned to widen the Kanthal Chauraha-Chhatri Chowk road, but opposition grew over the temple’s preservation and unresolved conditions and compensation.
Support Relocation for Development
Retain Temple at Existing Site
Road widening
Support Relocation for Development
The administration and municipal corporation planned to remove and re-establish the temple to support road-widening work.
Retain Temple at Existing Site
Supporters said the road had already been widened sufficiently and that the temple should not be moved.
Consent and conditions
Support Relocation for Development
Officials said the temple was to be removed with the consent of all concerned and rebuilt in the Tanki Chowk area.
Retain Temple at Existing Site
Priest Mahesh Bairagi said his consent was conditional, with seven of eight conditions still unmet, including an unresolved issue over shop compensation.
Public interest
Support Relocation for Development
The project was linked to road development and the planned removal of other religious structures.
Retain Temple at Existing Site
The MLA, Hindu organisations, and devotees cited public sentiment and the temple’s religious importance in demanding preservation.
- Temple
- Khade Hanuman Temple
- Current location
- Gopal Mandir Road, Ujjain
- Proposed relocation
- Tanki Chowk area
- Road project
- Widening of the Kanthal Chauraha-Chhatri Chowk road
- Inspection
- A proposed inspection by an IIT team was postponed
- Priest’s conditions
- Bairagi said he agreed to relocation subject to eight conditions; he said only one had been fulfilled
- Political position
- BJP MLA Chintamani Malviya advocated retaining the temple at its existing location