Rs 22-crore gold throne for Shirdi Sai Baba
The Sai Baba Sansthan Trust, Shirdi, has decided to buy a 325-kilo gold throne for Sai Baba worth Rs 22 crore despite the fact that the hugely-popular saint’s life was an epitome of simplicity.
Trust chairperson Jayant Sasane told TOI on Thursday that it would take at least six months to replace the existing silver throne with a gold one. ‘‘We have floated a tender for the throne,’’ the trust’s chief executive officer B R Wakchaure said.
“We had installed the silver throne weighing 180 kg in 2000, but many devotees had suggested a gold throne would be more appropriate as it would give the idol of Baba a majestic look,” he added. The trust already has around 90 kilos of gold donated by devotees. It will buy the remaining gold from the market. It has already received Rs 55 lakh for the ambitious project.
‘‘A devotee has promised to donate Rs 1 crore in the next few days,’’ Wakchaure said. ‘‘Without touching the existing funds of the temple, it will be possible for us to instal the gold throne,’’ a temple official stated.
Temple authorities have decided to upgrade security. The temple at Shirdi is on the hitlist of terrorists. Apart from local cops, the temple is guarded round-the-clock by 50 ex-armymen hired by the trust. Sasane said the management is planning to instal an Israeli security system which will issue an immediate alert whenever a known criminal/terrorist is entering the temple complex.
‘‘We’ll upload pictures of about 60,000 criminals in the computer-based security system, which will alert us about the presence of anyone of them with the help of hidden cameras,’’ he said.
Topic: BABA SAI IN THE NEWS (Read 3044 times)