Shiv Sena leader Anand Dighe wanted to build a magnificent temple of ‘Bhavani Mata’ (Goddess Durga) in Thane but today even after 20 years to his death, his wish cannot be fulfilled. The place where Anand Dighe wanted to create this temple, the Goddess ‘Bhavani Mata’ of Tembhi naka is established here every year in Navaratri. The residents of this area had also got agreed to vacant this place for temple when Anand Dighe was alive but after his sudden death, his wish to build this temple is remained incomplete. In the last 20 years, nothing has been done in order to build a temple here. Shiv Sena’s current leaders have also forgotten the dream of one of their most prominent leader.
The magnificent decoration of Tembhi Naka’s Navaratri festival is one of the centers of attraction in the city. It was inspired from the ‘Dagadusheth Halwai’ Ganapati of Pune. Dighe had decided to make a huge temple here at Tembhi Naka’s Navaratri Pandal’s area and like Dagdusheth Halwali’s Ganesh Festival where they put the same idol of the temple in the Pandal and it is not immersed, he decided to established a Goddess ‘’Bhavani Mata’ in the temple and only during the Navaratri festival the Goddess idol will be brought at the Pandal. But with his sudden death his dream remained incomplete.
Vasanta Purshottam Thakkar, owner of the place where Dighe wanted to build a temple, he donated the place to Dighe’s organization in memory of his son. Dighe had then imitated the construction, his supporters also started working on it but after Dighe’s death in the accident, the plan of building the temple remained on the paper only. Many prominent Shiv Sena leaders in Thane have started their own Navaratri festival celebration and so they seem to have completely forgotten the dram of Anand Dighe.
Shri Jai Ambe Ma Public charitable trust was formed to build this temple that time. But now the construction of this temple is now impossible from Dighe’s Trust as there are very few members left from the committee that was formed to build this temple.
Uttamchand Solanki, Treasurer, Shri Jai Ambe Ma Public charitable trust
Two years before the death of Anand Dighe, all the trustees had come together and finalized the plan to build this temple but unfortunately Dighe Ji left us and the plan of temple remained on paper only. But now we are discussing this matter with the Guardian Minister Eknath Shinde and MP Rajan Vichare for the construction of the temple. We are trying to get the premise of the dilapidated building and the municipal school for this temple where we can build Thane’s most magnificent temple, which was dreamed by late Anand Dighe.
Bhalchandra Kashinath Ghule, Vice President, Shri Jai Ambe Ma Public charitable trust
The construction of the temple will now have to be prepared by town planning. It is also a matter of whether the administration will allow building the temple at such a huge place. Apart from this, there is also a question of the tenants in this place. For the last several years, they are doing their business here. They have demanded to not to move them from here. So we are trying to get the solution to all these obstacles and we hope things will fall positively and we can build a temple that was dreamed by Dighe Ji.
