A prominent leader from the Dhangar community on Saturday demanded that Churchgate railway station be renamed in honour of Ahilyabai Holkar, the revered queen of the Maratha-ruled Malwa kingdom.
Speaking to reporters on the occasion of the 300th birth anniversary of Holkar, Dhangar leader Prakash Shendage said, “There is neither any church nor any gate here, so why retain the name Churchgate? An intersection close to it has already been named after Ahilyabai Holkar. Now it is time the station also carries her legacy,” he said.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said it is a matter of pride that the legendary queen was a daughter of Maharashtra. He added that the Maharashtra government draws inspiration from her life and legacy as a compassionate and visionary ruler, and remains committed to the welfare of society’s underprivileged sections.
“Ahilyabai blended nationalism and spiritualism. She spent her entire life preserving 'desh' (country) and 'dharm' (religion). Despite suffering personal losses, she considered her subjects her family and dedicated her life to the restoration of temples and ghats across the country,” Fadnavis said.
