Shiv Sena seeks demolition of iconic Mumbai’s Dadar Kabootarkhana to ease traffic congestion

Mumbai’s 93-year-old Dadar Kabootarkhana faces demolition as Shiv Sena (UBT) asks BMC to widen roads and clear traffic bottlenecks, despite the structure's rich heritage.

The Dadar Kabutarkhana, located on a traffic island near the busy Dadar railway station junction (File photo).

3 min readMay 27, 2026 03:45 PM IST First published on: May 27, 2026 at 03:45 PM IST

Mumbai’s iconic kabootarkhanas have once again landed at the centre of a political and civic debate, with the Shiv Sena (UBT) demanding the demolition of the nearly century-old Dadar Kabootarkhana to make way for wider roads and ease chronic traffic congestion in central Mumbai.

The proposal comes almost a year after the Maharashtra government directed municipal corporations across the state to shut pigeon-feeding spots citing public health concerns, prompting the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to crack down on pigeon feeding in public spaces with penalties of Rs 500.

ALSO READ | From sacred tradition to shutdown: The history and end of Mumbai’s Kabutarkhanas

The Dadar Kabootarkhana, located on a traffic island near the busy Dadar railway station junction, has now emerged as a key focus of the civic body’s road-widening plans.

On Tuesday, Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA from Mahim, Mahesh Sawant, wrote to Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide urging the BMC to take over the structure and reclaim the space for public use.

MUMBAI CIVIC — URBAN HERITAGE

The Dadar Kabootarkhana: Faith, Pigeons and a Fight for Road Space

A 92-year-old pigeon-feeding enclosure in central Mumbai is now at the centre of a clash between religious tradition, heritage and an urgent push to ease one of the city's worst traffic bottlenecks.

What is it? The demand Why it matters

BACKGROUND

A century-old institution of compassion

Kabootarkhanas are designated pigeon-feeding enclosures typically located at major city junctions. They are closely tied to the Jain principle of jeev daya — compassion towards all living beings — and were established across Mumbai during the colonial era as acts of religious charity. The Dadar Kabootarkhana was built in 1933 and has been managed by a local trust ever since.

1933

Year built — 92 years old

Kabootarkhanas in Mumbai

₹500

BMC penalty for public pigeon feeding

JEEV DAYA

The religious root of the kabootarkhana

In Jainism, feeding birds is an expression of jeev daya — kindness to all living creatures — and is considered a meritorious act. This belief drove the establishment of dedicated feeding enclosures at busy junctions, where devotees could come daily to feed pigeons. Some of Mumbai's 51 kabootarkhanas are now listed as heritage structures.

THE DEMAND

MLA writes to BMC: Raze it, widen the road

Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Mahesh Sawant from Mahim wrote to BMC Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide urging the civic body to take over the Dadar Kabootarkhana and reclaim the space for public use. Sawant called for a feasibility study, arguing that widening the road by even a few metres could significantly ease congestion at this bottleneck near Dadar railway station junction.

"Even widening the road by a few metres could significantly ease congestion at this bottleneck. The structure has remained largely idle since the administration imposed restrictions on pigeon feeding. The space should now be utilised for the larger public good."

— Mahesh Sawant, Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA, Mahim

✎

BMC internal discussions begun

Civic officials confirmed the BMC has initiated internal discussions on the future of the structure and is exploring options to redesign the existing traffic island.

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Option A: Decorative fountain

Convert the existing water dispenser into a decorative fountain while retaining part of the island.

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Option B: Road widening

Use the remaining space from the island for road widening to ease chronic traffic at the Dadar junction.

CIVIC TENSION

Urban pressure vs. religious tradition

The Dadar Kabootarkhana sits at the intersection of two competing urban values: the religious and cultural significance of pigeon feeding under the Jain concept of jeev daya, and the city's growing need to manage traffic at one of its busiest junctions. The structure's near-century of existence gives it symbolic weight that a pure infrastructure argument cannot easily override.

THE CIVIC CASE

Road widening, decongestion, public health

THE CULTURAL CASE

Jain jeev daya, 92-year heritage, community space

WIDER CONTEXT

Part of a statewide crackdown

The Dadar debate follows a Maharashtra government directive asking municipal corporations across the state to shut pigeon-feeding spots over public health concerns. The BMC subsequently imposed a Rs 500 penalty for feeding pigeons in public spaces — leaving structures like the Dadar kabootarkhana largely idle, and opening the door to civic repurposing arguments.

‘Conduct feasibility study’: Shiv Sena UBT

“Our proposal is to conduct a feasibility study and reclaim the kabootarkhana situated on the traffic island. Even widening the road by a few metres could significantly ease congestion at this bottleneck,” Sawant told The Indian Express.

“The structure has remained largely idle since the administration imposed restrictions on pigeon feeding. The space should now be utilised for the larger public good,” he added.

Civic officials confirmed that the BMC has initiated internal discussions on the future of the structure and is exploring options to redesign the existing traffic island.

“We will hold an internal meeting to decide the future course of action. One option under consideration is converting the existing water dispenser into a decorative fountain while retaining part of the island and using the remaining space for road widening,” a senior civic official said.

Kabootarkhanas — designated pigeon-feeding enclosures typically located at major junctions — have long been associated with Mumbai’s social and religious fabric. Feeding pigeons is considered an act of jeev daya (compassion towards living beings) in Jainism, leading to the establishment of several such structures across the city during the colonial era.

Built in 1933 and managed by a local trust, the Dadar Kabootarkhana has historically served as a gathering point for bird feeders and religious communities.

Mumbai currently has 51 kabootarkhanas, some of which are listed as heritage structures.

However, concerns over hygiene and public health have intensified in recent years, with the BMC identifying uncontrolled pigeon feeding in public spaces as a civic nuisance and health hazard.

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