A nearly 65-year-old dilapidated structure located opposite the Mahakal Temple in Ujjain was demolished late Wednesday night after the temple's Shayan Aarti. The municipal corporation carried out the demolition around 11 pm, completing the operation in nearly 60 minutes in compliance with a High Court order.

The building, known as Parchure Bhawan, was considered structurally unsafe. The authorities had earlier obtained a technical assessment from a team of the Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology (MANIT), Bhopal, to determine the condition of the structure.

Building Found Structurally Unsafe

Ujjain Municipal Corporation Superintendent Engineer Pramod Malviya said the building was approximately 60 to 65 years old and was not built as an RCC structure. It stood on an open foundation and its structural condition had deteriorated significantly over the years.

The building was evacuated before demolition. Municipal teams then used heavy machinery, including JCB equipment, to bring down the structure.

The demolition was conducted at night after the Shayan Aarti to avoid disruption to devotees and manage the operation amid security arrangements in the busy Mahakal Temple area.

MANIT Report Flagged Risks

The MANIT technical assessment reportedly identified several structural deficiencies in the building.

These included outward tilting of load-bearing masonry walls, extensive cracks in the walls, corrosion in supporting steel girders, deterioration of the traditional roofing system, dampness at several locations and damage to the staircase.

The assessment considered the continued use of the building during periods of heavy crowd movement to be risky.

Crowd Pressure Raised Safety Concerns

According to municipal officials, the location becomes particularly crowded during religious events and the Mahakal Sawari, when large numbers of devotees gather in the area.

Officials said there was a possibility of people accessing the roof or upper floor of the old structure during such occasions. This could have placed additional load on the already weakened building and increased the risk of a structural accident.

The authorities therefore decided to remove the building as a safety measure.

G+1 Structure Demolished

The Parchure Bhawan occupied an area of approximately 1,200 to 1,500 square feet and was a G+1 structure.

The demolition operation was carried out under tight security arrangements. Officials ensured that the premises were vacated before machinery was deployed.

The entire structure was brought down in about an hour.

Linked to Mahakal Expansion

The demolition is also linked to the second phase of the Mahakal Temple expansion project.

The Mahakal Temple area has undergone extensive redevelopment in recent years, with authorities working on infrastructure and facilities to manage the increasing number of pilgrims visiting the temple.

Officials said the removal of structurally unsafe buildings in the temple's surrounding area is also important from the perspective of crowd management and public safety.

The demolition of the Parchure Bhawan marks another step in the ongoing changes around the Mahakal Temple precinct, while the immediate focus remains on ensuring that old and unsafe structures do not pose a risk to devotees.