Mahalaxmi temple gets Rs 1.8 cr cash donations in 45 days

Kolhapur: In the past one-and-a-half months, devotees have donated Rs 1.8 crore in cash in the Mahalaxmi temple's ten donation boxes in Kolhapur.
Since the start of the Shravan month, the number of devotees visiting the temple has shot up. Donation boxes are usually opened every two months, but if the boxes get full, the cash donated is counted. The counting was done by the employees of the Pashchim Maharashtra Devasthan Samiti, the managing body of the temple, under CCTV surveillance and in the presence of police security.
"The temple donation boxes have received Rs 1.84 crore in the past 45 days. The counting lasted three days. The number of devotees coming to the temple also increases during Navaratra. The temple also gets donations in kind and ornaments. A govt evaluator evaluates the same," said Mahadev Dinde, temple manager.
Navratra preparations on
The colouring work of the temple shikhar was carried out on Sunday. On Saturday, the temple's heritage Garud mandap was taken down. The golden palanquin, however, will be kept for the devotees to observe.
The Garud mandap was taken down for reconstruction with the archaeology department's permission. The wooden structure, which is more than 200 years old, had become precarious and the PMDS decided to rebuild it in solid wood. The work of carving new pillars using wood brought from Chandrapur is being carried out at Temblai hill. The Navaratra festival celebrations will be held in the temple premises between Oct 3 & 13, and the golden palanquin of Goddess Mahalaxmi will be kept in a temporarily erected pandal.
Shivraj Naikwade, the PMDS secretary, said, "The cleaning work of the temple will commence on Monday. It will be done by a private company from Mumbai. Facilities for the devotees, bag counters, installation of CCTV cameras, footwear stands, information room, and ladu prasad kendra are being planned." The work to increase the darshan queue barricades at the eastern entrance has started. The installation of a temporary roof to keep devotees standing in the darshan queue protected from rain has been completed.
Encroachments to be removed
KMC administrator K Manjulekshmi has ordered the removal of encroachments along the roads leading to the Mahalaxmi temple. The civic administrator has instructed all the department heads to ensure that clean toilets with proper lighting facilities are in place before the start of Navaratra. Additional mobile toilets should be put in place and all road repairs should be completed.