Maharashtra upgrades Saptashrungi temple's pilgrim site status

  • | Sunday | 23rd April, 2017

The long-pending funicular trolley project will also get a financial boost," he said.In Maharashtra, pilgrimage sites are of three categories. On the other hand, grade B is for state-level pilgrimage site attracting more than 5 lakh devotees per year. Earlier, it was under the district planning committee headed by the district collector," said Bhuse.Saptashrungi trust official Sagar Nichit termed this decision as major boost for temple's development. Temples attracting more than 20 lakh devotees annually from across the country are eligible to get Grade A. "The principal secretary of rural development heads a committee that approves allocations for the Grade B pilgrimage sites in the state.

NASHIK: State government's department of tourism and rural development has fulfilled the much-awaited demand of the Saptashrungi shrine to upgrade its pilgrim site status from grade C to B.With this development, the shrine will be now eligible to receive more funds, allocations and tourism-related grants from the state government.Minister of state for cooperation and tourism Dada Bhuse informed that status of the ancient shrine has been upgraded through a government resolution issued earlier this month under the rural pilgrimage site development scheme of the department of rural development and panchayat raj."Saptashrungi is one of the four Shakti Peeths of Goddess Durga present in Maharashtra. The other three are already included in Grade B category. So, it was high time that Saptashrungi got upgraded," said Bhuse, who was in Nashik on Friday for a public function.The temple, visited by tens of thousands of devotees, had the grade C tag since 2001. Now, the shrine will be able to receive funds from MLAs and MLCs from across the state, irrespective of the constituency, division or region.Moreover, the state government will be able to release Rs 2 crore per year for development of the shrine as compared to Rs 30 lakh earlier. "The principal secretary of rural development heads a committee that approves allocations for the Grade B pilgrimage sites in the state. Earlier, it was under the district planning committee headed by the district collector," said Bhuse.Saptashrungi trust official Sagar Nichit termed this decision as major boost for temple's development. "We will get funds for development of approach roads, drinking water, sanitation, parking, residential complexes, street lights and protection walls straight from the state government. The long-pending funicular trolley project will also get a financial boost," he said.In Maharashtra, pilgrimage sites are of three categories. Grade A sites are eligible to get allocations from the state and Central governments. Temples attracting more than 20 lakh devotees annually from across the country are eligible to get Grade A. On the other hand, grade B is for state-level pilgrimage site attracting more than 5 lakh devotees per year. Grade C is for temples of local importance where 1 lakh devotees visit annually.

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