Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday participated in functions to mark the conclusion of the year-long Sai Baba Samadhi centenary celebrations organised by the Sai temple trust in Maharastra's Shirdi.
PM Modi also released a silver coin to commemorate centenary year of Shri Sai Baba Samadhi. The prime minister was accompanied by Maharashtra Governor C Vidyasagar Rao, Chief Minister Devendra Fadanavis and many other important dignitaries.
President Ram Nath Kovind was in Shirdi earlier this month to inaugurate the centenary programme. The Saibaba Sansthan Trust celebrated the centenary year of Sai Baba’s Mahasamadhi from October 1 to October 18 this year.
The trust was established in 1922 with a sum of Rs 3,200. Today, the annual income of the trust is Rs 371 crore.
Modi is also expected to perform ground breaking ceremony for some projects of the trust, including the new "darshan" queue shelter to be constructed in the Sai temple, an official said on Thursday.
The Prime Minister will hand over keys of houses to 40,000 beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) and interact with them at the popular temple town.
The official added that Modi will be present at the e-griha pravesh ceremony for 40,000 beneficiaries of the affordable housing scheme of the government.
“The events will be held at the hands of the PM at 11 AM on Friday at the State Agriculture Corporation grounds,” Dr Suresh Haware, chairman of Sai Temple Trust, told reporters.
“A number of ground-breaking ceremonies have been organised for various projects initiated by the Trust such as the Sai Darshan Q Building and the Sai Knowledge Park among others. The Sai Darshan building project will have 12 halls designed to accommodate more than 18,000 devotees,” Dr Haware said.
Elaborate arrangements have been made in Shirdi in view of PM Modi's arrival and a large number of devotees visiting the Sai Mandir.
