Maha approves Rs 993cr for development of pilgrimage sites, forts and heritage locations
Mumbai, May 18
Amid ongoing measures aimed at financial prudence due to the West Asia situation, the Maharashtra government on Monday approved development plans worth Rs 993.72 crore for six pilgrimage sites, forts and historical locations across the state.
The funds will be utilised for the preservation and conservation of historical and religious sites as well as for pilgrimage infrastructure development projects.
The approval for the projects and allocation of funds was cleared by the apex committee headed by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
According to a government release, the projects include Rs 172 crore for Shri Kshetra Bhimashankar Adarsh Gaon Development; Rs 41 crore for conservation of Sant Tukaram Maharaj's birthplace; Rs 134.80 crore for preservation and conservation of Ajinkyatara Fort; Rs 133 crore for the Sangam Mahuli (Satara) Samadhi Site Conservation Project; Rs 210 crore for the Shri Kshetra Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga Development Plan at Ellora; and Rs 301.54 crore for the development of Shri Kshetra Parli Vaijnath Jyotirlinga Temple premises.
Under the development plan for the Shri Kshetra Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga area, a modern bus station and parking facilities will be constructed, with the work targeted for completion by May 2027.
Various bypass roads and road-widening works will also be undertaken to ease traffic congestion. Roads currently measuring 2.7 metres in width will be widened to seven metres.
The project also includes pedestrian pathways, covered corridors, flooring works, an amphitheatre in the temple premises, a 257-KLD-capacity sewage treatment plant, a new police station and rest house, a substation in the Dimbhe Dam area under future development plans, the launch of a cable car (ropeway) facility, development of MTDC's Bhimashankar Resort and creation of tourism facilities at Rajapur for devotees and tourists.
Under the development plan for Sant Tukaram Maharaj's birthplace at Dehu, Bhandara Dongar and surrounding religious and historical sites will be conserved.
The works include road beautification, sanitation systems, drinking water facilities, parking arrangements, accommodation facilities for devotees, establishment of an information centre, green zone conservation in the Bhandara Dongar area, plantation drives and preservation of natural surroundings.
Under the preservation and beautification plan for the historic Ajinkyatara Fort in Satara district, proposed works include a spectator gallery, new pedestrian pathways, landscaping, revival of the Raj Sadar (royal court), conservation of bastions, tourist attractions, an advanced suspension bridge, sanitation blocks and rest houses.
Under the Sangam Mahuli Samadhi site project, the samadhi sites of Maharani Tarabai, Maharani Yesubai and Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj will be restored along with landscape development works.
Officials informed the meeting that the area would also be developed as a world-class tourist destination through conservation of the historic Sangameshwar Temple and ghats, along with construction of a new hanging bridge, viewing gallery and modern pathways.
A revised plan has also been prepared for development of the Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga Temple at Ellora in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district, which includes an additional allocation demand of Rs 53.82 crore.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis directed officials to expedite works related to modern devotee accommodation facilities (Bhakta Niwas), darshan queue complexes, a shopping complex, function hall, ghats and a 1.6-km external bypass road.
An additional plan worth around Rs 301.54 crore has also been prepared for new works beyond the original blueprint of the Shri Kshetra Parli Vaijnath Jyotirlinga Temple premises.
The Chief Minister directed that the works for the temple project be completed in a time-bound manner across three phases.
Under Phase 1 covering the main temple premises, the development plan includes grand entrance gates, a digital queue management system, waiting halls, a community kitchen (Annakhetra), a yoga and meditation centre and beautification of the temple premises.
Phase 2, focusing on sacred water bodies and ancient sites, includes scientific revival of Harihar and Markandeya Teerthas, ghats, cycling tracks, divyang-friendly facilities, a food court and installation of CCTV surveillance systems.
Phase 3 involving Meru Parvat development includes installation of a grand statue of Lord Shiva, a Shiv Purana and Vedic museum, an amphitheatre, laser light-and-sound shows and meditation spaces on Meru Parvat.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Interesting to see such a large budget for religious and heritage sites. As someone who has visited Maharashtra, I appreciate the effort to preserve history. The Ajinkyatara Fort project with its suspension bridge and spectator gallery sounds fantastic. But I wonder if local communities are being consulted in these plans.
While I support development, I am concerned about the environmental impact of widening roads and building cable cars in ecologically sensitive areas like Bhimashankar. The forests there are unique. Also, Rs 210 crore for Grishneshwar and Rs 301 crore for Parli Vaijnath - these are huge sums. We need transparency in how these funds will be used. The devotee facilities are needed, but let's not over-commercialize our pilgrimage sites. 😊
Great to see investment in heritage conservation! The Sangam Mahuli project restoring the samadhis of Maharani Tarabai and Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj is particularly significant. These are important parts of Maratha history. The hanging bridge and viewing gallery will definitely boost tourism. Hope the restoration work is done authentically.
One question - why is this being approved 'amid financial prudence due to West Asia situation'? Is this really the priority right now when many people are struggling with inflation and unemployment? The projects are good, but the timing seems off. Also, Rs 993 crore could have been used for education or healthcare. Just saying. 🤔
As a devotee, I am very
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.