Devotees suffer as Shri Tuljapur temple management fails to provide sunshade and drinking water

Lack of planning by the temple administration in the scorching summer season

Devotees have to suffer in the heat

Tuljapur – It is the month of April and the temperature has touched 38 degrees. The sunrays are scorching the devotees while Shri Tuljapur temple administration’s lack of planning is causing a lot of hardship for the devotees visiting the temple. Huge iron pillars that were bought last year to build a sunshade for the devotees are lying unused behind the administration building. The devotees are facing hardship due to unavailability of drinking water in the temple premises. Neither the temple administration nor the city administration is bothered to pay attention to this issue.

Pillars bought last year lying unused in the temple premises

1. Last year the temple administration had bought iron pillars from the donations received. They were to be used to erect a large sunshade to shield the devotees from the sun. Last year, a shade was built till the Suvarneshwar Temple. This year though, despite entering the month of April, the shade has not been erected, due to which the devotees have to bear the heat in the temple premises.

2. From 9 a.m., the sun begins to scorch the skin. To prevent the scorching of the devotees’ feet, it is expected to colour the tiles white. But this too has not been done. The shopkeepers in the temple premises have put up temporary covering in front of their shops; this gives some temporary relief to the devotees.

3. The Chaitra yatra will begin soon from Gudhipadwa. Thousands of devotees come to temple for Deity’s darshan. The temple administration has done nothing to protect them from the summer heat. Even in the city, it is expected that there would be arrangements of drinking water by the city administration. But due to unavailability of any such facility, the devotees have to buy drinking water at extremely high prices.

Unclean temple premises

4. The cleanliness in the temple premises is completely ignored and everyday mounds of rubbish is seen in the temple premises.

Temple administration has completely ignored the convenience of the devotees – Kishor Gangane, former President, Shri Tuljabhavani Devi Pujari Mandal

Thousands of devotees come to pay obeisance at the feet of Maharashtra’s Kuldevi Shri Tuljabhavani. They expect the basic facility of protection from the sun, drinking water etc. Unfortunately, both the temple administration and the city administration are ignoring the provision of these facilities for the devotees. This is despite complaints made from time to time. The trustees and the administrative officers are in their own world and are unconcerned about the devotees and their obligation towards them. We are demanding that the District administration pays attention to this matter as the devotees are facing discomfort due to the summer heat.

Editorial Perspective

These are the ill-effects of the Government taking control of Hindu temples. To stop this, the temples should be handed over to the devotees.