The beautification work at Siddhivinayak Temple will begin soon. The ground breaking ceremony of the first phase will be held next week by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, officials related to the project have informed.
Work and cost of the first phase
The estimated cost of the first phase is Rs 78,01,20,038. M/s Engineers Studio Pvt Ltd, a structural consultant, has been appointed for this work.
The work in this phase includes beautification of the temple entrance, stone cladding on the inner and outer walls of the temple, roofing on the northern side of the temple, flooring, lights, plumbing etc. in the temple premises. Also, work will be done to set up a basement parking facility for about 129 vehicles (2 floors).
Tender process complete, work to begin soon
The G-North department of BMC has recently floated a tender for this ambitious project. A senior official said, “The work will start in a few days. We are waiting for the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister’s time for the Bhoomi Pujan. The Bhoomi Pujan is likely to be held in the coming week.”
Development plan in three phases
The entire beautification and improvement project will be completed in three phases. The famous temple in Dadar will soon start ‘Annadaan’ service, in which devotees will be served free food.
Free food donation service for devotees
Shiv Sena leader Sada Saravankar, who is the president of Siddhivinayak Temple Trust. He said, “The Prasadalaya will be like the facility at the Shirdi Sai Baba temple. Devotees will be served free food like roti, vegetables, dal, rice and sweets. Our aim is to give the devotees a complete and satisfying experience.”
Expansion and next plans
The Siddhivinayak Temple Trust is currently in the final stages of purchasing the three-storey building ‘Ram Mansion’ adjacent to the temple. Once this purchase is completed, it will help in expanding the temple premises and improving crowd management further.