Shirdi temple gives away 53% earnings, Siddhivinayak 13%

Sunday 12th May, 2013
The Shirdi shrine, administered by the Shri Sai Baba Sansthan Trust, spent Rs 540.49 crore of its cash collection on charity while the Siddhivinayak temple in Mumbai spent Rs 27.02 crore.

Saibaba temple earned Rs 1,441 crore in last five years

Updated: Wednesday, May 15, 2013, 16:19
Shirdi: Saibaba Sansthan trust has recorded Rs 1,441 crore income in the last five years, with 22 per cent higher donations received every year, Sansthan's executive officer Kishor More said on Wednesday.
The trust has spent Rs 828 crore on various beneficial works for devotees, including Rs 160 crore on hospital, 'prasadalaya' and funds allotted in the form of donations to various charity trusts, More said, quoting the figures recorded after the Sansthan's audit conducted recently by a government recognised agency.
Five years back, about 20,000 devotees used to visit the Saibaba's shrine daily, but presently figures show that around 60,000 people come to visit the temple everyday and the number goes up to about one lakh on weekends.
During special festivals at least two to three lakh devotees visit the famous shrine, More said, adding that the daily income now was around Rs 45 lakh, as compared to Rs 20 lakh per day five years back.
The trust has contributed funds on building super-speciality hospital, Shirdi's roads, water arrangements, various developmental works including Chief Minister's Relief fund and Shirdi's airport, he said.
The audited report of the Sansthan will be tabled in the state Assembly during the winter session for grant, he said.
When asked about 'hidden donations' in boxes like gold ornaments, cash and foreign currency, More said the trust has not a separate machinery to check such things because when devotees come to seek blessings of Saibaba they donate money, but from where they get it is difficult to know.
Instead of counting donated money once in a week in practice five years back, now it is being counted twice a week and an officer from charity commissioner's office and Sansthan's officials remains present at the time of opening and closing of donation boxes, a video recording of which is also done, More added

Set up new panel for Shirdi trust: Bombay HC

Updated: Sunday, May 05, 2013, 10:58
Mumbai: The Bombay High Court has directed the Maharashtra government to constitute a new committee to govern the affairs of the Shri Sai Baba Sansthan Trust in Shirdi in accordance with the new rules framed by it.
"Considering the magnitude of the administration of the trust, a committee of deserving and competent persons is required to be constituted, which would administer the affairs of the trust efficiently and sincerely," Justice A V Nirgude and Justice Naresh Patil said while hearing two PILs.
"The state would certainly be conscious of the fact that sentiments of millions of people around the globe are very closely attached with the shrine of Shri Sai Baba in Shirdi," the judges noted in their order on May 2.
The bench further observed that the ad hoc committee, appointed by the court on March 30, 2011, shall continue to operate for two weeks from the date of the order.
In case, the state constitutes a new committee after a period of two weeks from May 2, the ad hoc committee would cease to operate from the date of coming into existence of the state-appointed committee, the bench noted.
The court, however, directed the ad hoc committee not to take any major financial decision till the new committee is constituted. The ad hoc committee was asked to observe the restrictions put up by the court earlier in this regard.
The judges, while disposing of the PILs, said the observations made in respect of submissions made regarding the statutory rules shall be construed as prima facie in nature and shall not affect the rights of contesting parties if they resort to challenge the rules independently.
By an order dated March 30, 2012, the High Court had appointed an ad?hoc committee comprising Principal Judge of Ahmednagar district, the Collector of Ahmednagar and the Chief Executive Officer of Shri Sai Baba Sansthan Trust, Shirdi, to manage the affairs of Shri Sai Baba Sansthan Trust. Since then, this committee is governing the trust.

Bag containing ganja found at Shirdi shrine

 Updated: Sunday, April 21, 2013, 22:44
Shirdi: An unattended bag lying at the main entrance of Sai Bhakta Niwas, a residential facility for devotees on the temple premises at Shirdi, was found to contain ganja.
Panic gripped people in the premises this afternoon when an employee of the Shirdi Saibaba Trust spotted the suitcase, following which the Bomb Detection Squad was summoned, police said.
The bag had 10 kgs ganja, valued at Rs one lakh, they said.Shirdi shrine is teeming with devotees following the Ram Navmi celebrations on April 18 and extended weekend.
Local police are investigating the matter further.

Infant stolen outside Shirdi's Saibaba temple

Updated: Friday, April 19, 2013, 11:32
Shirdi: A seven-month-old boy was allegedly stolen outside the Saibaba temple here, amid heavy rush of devotees for 'Ram Navmi', police said on Friday.
Sangita Jagdish Rathod (35) lodged a complaint with the Shirdi police late last night that her son, Virat, was stolen by an unknown person when they were sleeping in an open place near a 'laddoo' selling counter outside the temple, they said.
Somebody allegedly stole the infant amid heavy rush at the temple as lakhs of devotees have arrived on the occasion of 'Ram Navmi', police said.
Sangita's husband, a truck driver, had dropped her along with her father and sister to offer prayers at the Saibaba temple from Bijalpur in Indore on Wednesday and had left for Sangli.She also has three daughters. A search was on to trace the infant and the culprit, police said.
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Latest Update about the above news

We have witnessed another miracle by SAI BABA.
A seven-month boy which was stolen from Shirdi on 18 April 2013 was found at same place from where he was stolen.
Boy was wearing new clothes when he was found. Police are still investigating and not sure who did this and where was he taken for 5 days.
Police said seven month-old Miraj was sleeping on 18 April next to his mother Sangita Jagdish Rathod (35) from Madhya Pradesh. When the mother awoke, she saw the boy missing and registered a complaint.

Mega Sai Ashram inaugurated in Shirdi

Updated: Thursday, April 11, 2013, 18:11
Shirdi: Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan today inaugurated the Shri Saibaba Sansthan's Rs 165-crore housing complex here on the occasion of Gudi Padwa.
The complex, Sai Ashram, can accomodate atleast 8,000 devotees. Speaking to reporters after the opening ceremony Chavan said that the temple town and nearby areas will developed on the lines of Nanded ahead of the Saibaba Samadhi centenary year in 2018. He said the government will appoint a Steering Committee and will seek co-operation from Centre in this regard.
On completion of Nilwande Dam, the CM assured farmers that work on the dam canals, which came to a halt due to lack of funds will be finished taking loans and assistance from Shirdi Sansthan. Jayant Kulkarni, District judge of Ahmednagar, who is also Chairperson of the Sansthan Trust handed over a cheque of Rs 25 crore on behalf of sansthan to the Chavan for drought-affected people in Maharashtra.

Gold 'chillum' donated to Saibaba temple at Shirdi

Updated: Sunday, February 03, 2013, 23:01
Shirdi: A Mumbai-based devotee has donated a gold 'chillum' worth Rs 12.5 lakh to the famous Saibaba temple here.The donor, who wanted to remain anonymous, told PTI yesterday that it weighs 475 grams. "I have been coming here for the past 35 years," he said.
Every Thursday, a procession of Saibaba's 'Palkhi' is taken out, during which a silver chillum filled with tobacco is lighted. Now, this gold chillum would replace it, he said.The temple has received, since the start of the year, a gold 'arati' lamp, and a gold tumbler ('lota'), weighing half a kg and one kg respectively.Gold `chillum` donated to Saibaba temple at Shirdi .In all, the temple has received four kg of gold items this year, worth Rs 1.2 crore, temple management sources said.

Coins worth Rs. 1.5 lakh pulled out of Shirdi well

Updated: April 06, 2013 16:24 IST
Shirdi: Coins worth Rs. 1.5 lakh and other items offered by devotees were found in a defunct well which was said to be once used by revered saint Sai Baba, whose temple in Shirdi in western Maharashtra attracts a large number of people from India and also abroad.
The coins and other offerings were recovered during cleaning of the well in Lendi Baug area. Shri Sai Baba Sansthan Trust, which manages the temple's affairs, had undertaken the task of removing sediments to make the well fit for drawing water and overcome the shortage.
It is believed that Sai Baba himself used to fetch water from the well over 100 years ago.
During the cleaning operation, coins of Re 1, Rs. 2 and 5 denominations, thrown by devotees in the well, were recovered by workers. The value of the coins is around Rs. 1.5 lakh, Sansthan sources said today.
The Sansthan is currently facing severe water shortage as the pond supplying water to the temple has dried up. Also, supply from Nashik's Darna dam is often irregular, leading to shortage of drinking water for the devotees.
Besides coins, small idols of Saibaba and coconuts were also pulled out, the sources added.

Three children die in Shirdi after their hutment catches fire

Updated: February 19, 2013 01:03 IST   
Shirdi, Maharashtra: Three siblings were charred to death when their hutment caught fire at a village at Shirdi on Monday, police said.
The blaze erupted in the hutment of Dadasaheb Tukaram Vidhate at Nandurkhi village near Shirdi town of Maharashtra at around 1.30 AM in which his three children were charred to death, Shirdi police inspector Datta Pawar said.
The deceased were identified as - Akash (14), Manisha (12) and Vikas (10).
Dadasaheb also sustained burns while trying to douse the flames and has been admitted to hospital.
The blaze apparently broke out through an earthen lamp which was kept lit in the hut during the night, police said.

Pot made entirely of gold donated to Saibaba temple

 Updated: January 24, 2013 15:05 IST
Shirdi: A devotee on Thursday donated a pot made of one kg gold at the Saibaba temple in Shirdi, Shri Saibaba Sansthan trust sources said.
The devotee, who had come from New Delhi, donated the one kg gold pot worth Rs. 32 lakh before the shrine during the morning 'aarti' on Thursday, they said.
Earlier this month, a Mumbai-based devotee had donated an 'aarti' lamp made of half kg gold at the temple, they added.