Dashnam Goswami Community’s crematorium allegedly occupied by local Muslims in Vadodara

Vadodara: The local Muslims have allegedly encroached upon the crematorium land of the Hindu Dashnam Goswami community near Fatepura Sarasiya Lake, in front of Magar Swami Ashram in Vadodara, as claimed by the Dashnam Goswami community.

Previously, the site was used by the Goswami community to perform the last rites and Samadhi ceremonies for their deceased members. However, according to the Dashnam Goswami community, local Muslims have unlawfully constructed factories, houses, and shops on the premises over the years. As a result, the community is now forced to either lay the bodies of their deceased in the Chanod Narmada River or conduct cremations against their religious customs, as their crematorium has been occupied, claimed the leaders of the Goswami community.

The land, originally allotted to the Goswami Gayatri Panch Trust under city survey number 299, lies in front of Magar Swami Ashram Sarasiya Talav. Over time, the Muslim population in the vicinity of Sarasiya Talav has gradually increased, with the current Hindu population comprising only 15 per cent. Some temples within the crematorium’s proximity have been damaged, while others have been filled with debris. Leaders of the Dashnam Goswami community have stated that they are prevented from performing Samadhi rituals when they visit the site to pay their respects to the deceased. They have been demanding the return of the crematorium for the past six years. DeshGujarat