Shirdi to be shut indefinitely from 19 January over birthplace row

The temple town of Shirdi, in Maharashtra, will go on an indefinite strike from 19 January. The call comes after the Maharashtra State Government stated that the birthplace of Saibaba is at Pathri, and allotted 100 crores to develop the site. The Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust officials have countered the government’s move and said that there is no official record of the birthplace of Saibaba as he himself never stated about his place of birth or religion.

Speaking about the Trust’s decision, the officials stated that the temple town will be shut indefinitely, and a decision to reopen will be taken after convening a meeting with the local villagers. The officials also stated that arrangements have been made for pilgrims to be stationed comfortably, despite the town being shut. Hotels in the temple town are going to run smoothly.

It is to be noted though that the temple will remain open for the devotees. Also, all the other facilities in Shirdi, run by the Trust, will remain unaffected. This includes the Sai Prasadalaya, Sai Hospital, Sai Bhaktaniwas, and local medical shops which have all been kept outside the purview of the bandh.

Transport facilities too, will remain unaffected with the Maharashtra State Regional Transport Corporation (MSRTC) buses plying as per usual. However, it is being speculated that public transport vehicles will remain off-road and may pose troubles to pilgrims travelling by rail or air. The closest railway station to the temple town is 2 kilometers away while the airport is 15 km away.