India: Shirdi Temple authorities deny reports of shutdown, say 'aartis, religious traditions will continue'

Reports claimed that Shirdi Temple, a famous shrine located in India’s western state of Maharashtra and a premier religious tourism destination, will be shut down indefinitely starting May 1. As per reports, the shutdown has been called by the Sai Baba Temple’s trust as a protest against the Indian Central government’s decision to deploy the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) for the security of the shrine.

However, theShri Saibaba Sansthan Trust (SSST) in a statement on its website had denied the media reports and said: "All the Aartis [prayers] and all the religious traditions will continue on Monday 1st May 2023 and thereafter all the facilities from Sansthan such as Shri Sai Prasadalaya, all Bhakt Niwas locations and Hospitals etc would be functioning regularly as always. This information was provided by Mr.Rahul Jadhav, I/C Chief Executive Officer of the Sansthan."

Reports claimed that the supposed shutdown isthe administration protesting against the deployment of the CISF, a force that primarily protects industrial installations, metro stations, and airports.

They alleged that the trust believed that CRPFis not equipped to handle the security of the temple.

The temple, located in a small town in Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, attracts millions of visitors every year.

People of all ages and all religions visit the most important temple dedicated to Sai Baba, a legendary Indian spiritual guru.

As per a Free Press Journal report, the administration’s alleged decision for a “bandh,” or infinite shutdown, hadthe support of the local community.

If it happened, the shutdown would have had a significant impact on the local community, which is heavily dependent on tourists visiting the temple. Hotels and shops may have been forced to close, and the livelihood of thousands would have been impacted.

Moreover, the millions of believers who schedule their visit to the renowned shrine ahead of time would have beenimpacted.

(With inputs from agencies)

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