The temple, situated beside the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)-protected monument, has attracted long queues for its annual Khazana programme. The crowds have prompted traffic restrictions and objections from activists who want authorities to clarify whether arrangements around the shrine comply with existing court orders.
Devotees began receiving silver coins on Sunday evening, November 8, following special prayers. Temple organisers scheduled distribution through November 11, keeping the premises open around the clock and establishing four queues to accommodate visitors. By Monday, queues extended towards Gulzar Houz, several hundred metres from Charminar.
The coins, distributed as religious offerings, depict Goddess Lakshmi on one side and Charminar on the other. Worshippers associate them with prosperity and good fortune. The silver is collected through donations made by devotees, while the distribution forms part of the temple’s annual Diwali observances.
Temple trustee Shashikala described the turnout as unexpected. Visitors travelled from Hyderabad, Secunderabad and surrounding districts, adding to congestion in the densely populated Old City. The scale of the gatherings has also intensified scrutiny of the arrangements used to manage crowds beside a protected historical structure. Organisers said the separate queues were intended to maintain orderly movement and reduce difficulties for families waiting to enter the shrine.
Hyderabad Traffic Police advised motorists to avoid roads approaching Charminar between November 6 and 11. Its advisory identified the Madina–Charminar, Murgi Chowk–Charminar and Shah Ali Banda approaches as potential congestion points. Police designated parking locations and asked visitors to follow traffic instructions.
Political visits have added another dimension to the dispute. Union Home Minister Amit Shah offered prayers at the shrine on November 2. Telangana Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla and his wife, Janaki Shukla, visited during Diwali, while Bharatiya Janata Party leaders and representatives of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi also attended.
Among those who visited were Telangana BJP president N Ramchander Rao, Rajya Sabha member K Laxman, BRS legislators D Sudheer Reddy and Talasani Srinivas Yadav, and former Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya. Their appearances have drawn attention because the temple’s physical relationship with Charminar has been disputed for years.
Rao welcomed the enthusiasm surrounding the festival, while Laxman praised the growing number of worshippers. Their statements emphasised the religious significance of the celebrations. Critics, however, have questioned whether the prominence given to the shrine is accompanied by adequate safeguards for the monument.
Journalist Mubashir Khurram publicly asked who was ensuring Charminar’s protection and called on the ASI to clarify the legal status of structures adjoining it. All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen leader Mohammed Mubashir alleged that political parties had enabled structures at the site despite restrictions imposed by the courts. Those allegations have not been established by a fresh judicial finding.
The dispute centres partly on a November 2012 order of the then Andhra Pradesh High Court directing that the temple’s position remain unchanged from October 30 that year. The court also prohibited construction touching Charminar. The temple committee assured the court that the shrine would not be expanded.
The restrictions were subsequently maintained, but the court did not direct removal of the temple. Questions about temporary installations, decorations and alleged expansion have surfaced at different times. In 2022, ASI officials disputed allegations of expansion, saying the changes then observed were temporary.
The present crowds do not, by themselves, establish that construction has occurred or that a court order has been breached. Distinguishing temporary festival arrangements from permanent alterations remains important to assessing the complaints. No new court ruling or official finding of structural damage has been established in connection with this Diwali gathering.
Charminar, completed in 1591, is among Hyderabad’s best-known monuments and stands at the centre of a busy commercial district. Its proximity to the shrine makes crowd management and access particularly sensitive during major festivals, when worshippers, shoppers and other visitors converge on the surrounding streets.
Police also identified slow traffic on November 9 around Salar Jung Museum, Madina, High Court Road and the Afzalgunj–Nayapul corridor. Designated parking areas included Sardar Mahal Road, Charminar Bus Terminal and Government City College, with commuters directed to follow signs and officers stationed along affected routes and nearby junctions.
