Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: In a major overhaul of the darshan management system at the Shri Tuljabhavani Temple, devotees holding donation darshan passes and those in the general dharmadarshan queue will now be allowed darshan from the same location, eliminating the difference in viewing points that existed earlier. The new arrangement came into effect on Thursday.
New Darshan Routes Implemented
The Shri Tuljabhavani Temple Sansthan has introduced the changes in view of the growing number of devotees visiting the shrine and to streamline crowd management.
Dharashiv district collector Keerthi Kiran Pujar said that under the revised system, devotees holding Rs500 donation darshan passes and referral donation darshan passes will enter the temple through the Raje Shahaji Mahadwar. They will then be guided via the Kallol Tirth side and Tolbhairav steps to the third floor of the Darshan Mandap before being taken to the first floor.
Devotees holding Rs200 donation darshan passes will be allowed entry through the Bidkar steps and the emergency gate leading to the first floor of the darshan mandap.
Those arriving for dharmadarshan will enter through the Bidkar steps and proceed to the fourth floor of the darshan mandap. The Rs500, Rs200 and dharmadarshan queues will thereafter merge in the underground passage on the first floor, from where devotees will be allowed darshan of the deity in a uniform manner.
Mukhdarshan and Puja Arrangements Unchanged
The mukhdarshan queue will continue to be routed through the Bidkar steps to the ground floor of the darshan mandap. Arrangements for Singhasan puja and Abhishek puja will remain unchanged. The Singhasan puja queue will enter through the Datt Mandir gate, while the Abhishek puja queue will proceed through the Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj prangan.
Temple authorities said the new arrangement would enable devotees from the Rs500 donation darshan, referral donation darshan, Rs200 donation darshan and dharmadarshan queues to have darshan from the same point inside the Singha Gabhara. As a result, all devotees will be able to view the deity from an equal distance and through the same process.
Benefits of the Revised System
Officials noted that under the previous system, devotees in the donation darshan queues often created obstacles for those waiting in the dharmadarshan queue. The revised arrangement has been introduced to ensure a smoother and more equitable darshan experience for all devotees.
The new system is also expected to improve access for donation pass holders. Earlier, their queue had to be temporarily halted whenever Singhasan puja or Abhishek puja was underway. Under the revised arrangement, devotees holding donation darshan passes will be able to avail of darshan facilities throughout the day, subject to crowd conditions and operational requirements.
The temple administration has appealed to devotees to cooperate with the new darshan management system.
