The South African Hindu Dharma Sabha (SAHDS) has called on the Hindu community and all people of goodwill in Durban to support its efforts to protect a sacred Puttu worship site in Shallcross. The appeal follows concerns that the eThekwini Municipality’s Parks Department had instructed worshippers to remove sacred sarees from the site by 5 September.
SAHDS President Ram Maharaj approached DA eThekwini mayoral candidate Haniff Hoosen on Wednesday, 2 September, after receiving the instruction. Hoosen subsequently met with members of the community, alongside DA Ward 63 Councillor Chris van den Berg and DA Member of Parliament Mergan Chetty.
About 100 people, including Hindus, Christians and Muslims, attended an emergency meeting on Sunday, 6 September, despite the rain. The meeting unanimously agreed that the Puttu worship centre should remain in place, with a protective covering of about 20 square metres.
Hoosen said the DA would support the community and engage with the municipality to ensure the sacred site was protected.
“The South African Hindu Dharma Sabha reached out to me after the eThekwini Municipality’s Parks Department threatened to break down the Puttu, which is a sacred religious site for the Hindu community. This particular Puttu is situated at Buffelsbosch Park and has been a place of worship for many years. We met with the community and gave them the assurance that the DA would stand with them and support them. We will make sure that the municipality does not simply break down the structure that is already there without properly engaging with the community and respecting their religious rights,” said Hoosen.
According to Hoosen, a covering or shelter had previously been erected over the Puttu, but the Parks Department ordered its removal because it regarded the structure as illegal.
“We asked the community to put the protective structure back while we engage with the eThekwini Municipality to make sure they are not forced or intimidated into removing it,” he said.
Maharaj said the SAHDS welcomed the DA’s swift intervention, saying it demonstrated a commitment to protecting the religious rights of all communities.
The SAHDS has been involved in a long-running effort to retain the Puttu as a place of worship and is urging the Hindu community to remain united, peaceful and actively involved in the campaign.
The Puttu appeared naturally at Buffelsbosch Park about 10 years ago. Hindus believe it is a gift from God at a space chosen by Him and regard it as a sanctified place of worship. Natural flowers, religious powders and sarees are placed around the Puttu as part of Hindu religious rituals.
The SAHDS says the sarees form an integral part of the worship space. They are placed after the chanting of holy mantras and are prayed over as part of religious ceremonies. The organisation says removing the sarees would amount to desecration of a sacred place of worship and would cause significant distress to members of the Hindu community.
The dispute over the site has been ongoing for several months. On 15 June, Maharaj met with Ward 63 Councillor Chris van den Berg, where an understanding was reached that illegal structures surrounding the Puttu would be removed.
Two days later, Parks officials met with representatives of the SAHDS and Districts Hindu Dharma Sabha, the Buffelsbosch Hindu Dharma Sabha and the Buffelsbosch Shri Mariamman Gramadevi Temple. It was agreed that illegal structures would be removed within a month.
During the meeting, community leader Sachin Lalla produced documents showing that 275 registered members of the Buffelsbosch Hindu Dharma Sabha wanted the Puttu worship centre retained.
Lalla, chairperson of the Buffelsbosch Hindu Dharma Sabha and the Shallcross and Districts Hindu Dharma Sabha, has since been appointed to head a task team to monitor progress and ensure accountability.
Chetty said the immediate priority was to provide a protective cover over the Puttu and allow religious ceremonies and prayers to continue without interference. He also called for the grass around the site to be cut.
Van den Berg also addressed the gathering and expressed his support for finding a solution that would respect both municipal requirements and the religious significance of the site.
The SAHDS said it would work with the DA and other stakeholders towards developing a national policy to protect Puttu worship sites and ensure that Hindus across the country can practise their religion peacefully.
The organisation has also pointed to Section 31(1) of the Constitution, which states that people belonging to a cultural, religious or linguistic community may not be denied the right to enjoy their culture and practise their religion with other members of that community.
Hoosen said the issue was ultimately about protecting religious freedom and treating communities with dignity.
“South Africa is a constitutional democracy built on diversity. Every South African, regardless of religion, race or background, has the right to practise their faith freely and with dignity. We cannot build a united South Africa if communities feel that their sacred places and religious practices can simply be removed or ignored.
The DA believes government must respect all communities, protect constitutional rights and treat people with dignity. We will continue engaging with the municipality to find a practical solution that protects the Puttu and allows the Hindu community to worship in peace,” added Hoosen.
The SAHDS has called on South Africans to uphold unity in diversity, interfaith respect, peaceful co-existence, social cohesion and nation-building.
