The Shirdi Saibaba Temple saw a significant increase in donations during the three-day Guru Purnima festival that started on July 20. The total amount collected was more than ₹6 crore, according to Goraksha Gadilkar, the CEO of the Shree Saibaba Sansthan Trust (SSST).
During the festival, the temple welcomed over 2 lakh devotees. Of the total donations:
| Donation Type | INR |
| Cash Donations | Over ₹2.5 crore |
| Donations at Counters | Over ₹1 crore |
| Debit/Credit Cards, Online DonationsCheques, and Money Orders | About ₹2 crore |
| Gold and Silver Donations | Worth over ₹10 lakh |
The temple also raised more than ₹62 lakh from selling ladoo packets and collected over ₹46 lakh from special queue passes, which cost ₹200 each. These passes allowed devotees to have a quicker darshan (viewing) of Saibaba.
Shirdi was bustling with visitors during the festival. On July 21, the main day, 18 devotees from Japan visited the temple. They have been coming to Shirdi every year for the past decade.
During the festival:
- Over 1.9 lakh devotees were served meals at the Sai Prasadalaya (the temple's dining facility).
- Many stayed in accommodations provided by the trust.
- Over 5,000 devotees received treatment at the first-aid center set up at the temple.
- A total of 205 devotees donated blood.
The state government has approved ₹40 crore for Shirdi’s municipal council to create a theme park about Saibaba’s life. This park will cover 22 acres and feature a laser show about Saibaba's story, aiming to enhance the experience for visitors to Shirdi.
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