Shirdi eyes indefinite closure from Sunday after Uddhav’s remarks

The administrative body of Saibaba Sansthan Trust has called for the indefinite closure of the Shirdi temple from Sunday (January 19) after Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray reportedly termed Pathri in Parbhani as Saibaba’s birthplace.

“We have announced to close Shirdi against rumours, from January 19,” B Wakchaure of the Saibaba Sansthan Trust was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

He said a meeting of the villagers will be convened on Saturday evening to discuss the issue. However, he said devotees will not face any difficulty if they visit the shrine on Saturday.

During the New Year celebrations, around eight lakh devotees had thronged the shrine and the trust had earned around ₹16.93 crore from them. The temple also received 1.25 kg gold and 17 kg silver in offering.