Devotee numbers rise, Shirdi trust bats for prior booking

The number of people coming to the renowned Sai Baba Temple in Shirdi in Maharashtras Ahmednagar district is gradually rising after it was opened for devotees amid the coronavirus outbreak and, therefore, prior booking for darshan was necessary, said a temple trust official on Sunday. Therefore, all devotees must come with prior booking with darshan pass being available online, he said.

The number of people coming to the renowned Sai Baba Temple in Shirdi in Maharashtra's Ahmednagar district is gradually rising after it was opened for devotees amid the coronavirus outbreak and, therefore, prior booking for darshan was necessary, said a temple trust official on Sunday. While initially, some 6,000 devotees were coming per day, the number has now risen to almost 15,000, with crowds being sizable during public holidays, Thursdays and weekends, he said.

''The temple can allow a maximum of 12,000 devotees per day after adhering to all COVID-19 guidelines, with focus on social distancing. Therefore, all devotees must come with prior booking with darshan pass being available online,'' he said. He said children below the age of 10 and those above 65 must avoid darshan in view of the pandemic.