Ahmedabad Hospital redevelopment stalled amid Temple Relocation Dispute - Video

Days after a video showing Ahmedabad Civil Hospital’s superintendent taking part in a temple ritual to seek divine approval for relocating a shrine went viral, the hospital’s Rs 588-crore redevelopment project remains stalled, caught in a standoff between infrastructure development and religious sentiments.

The video, which went viral, showed Dr. Rakesh Joshi performing a puja at the Khodiyar Mata temple inside the hospital campus, sparking widespread debate both on social media and in the public sphere.

In response, Dr. Joshi clarified that his visit was a diplomatic gesture aimed at engaging with temple representatives and working toward a mutually agreeable solution regarding the proposed relocation.

At the centre of the controversy is a small shrine dedicated to Khodiyar Mata, located within the sprawling 108-acre Medicity campus in Ahmedabad. The temple stands on land marked for demolition under a redevelopment plan launched on May 27 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The project aims to build a modern 1,800-bed hospital block with expanded ICU and OPD capacity.