News Brief
Rs 1,865 Crore Tuljapur Temple And Town Development Plan To Be Launched During Navratri
(Credit: @TuljabhavaniTT/X)
The Maharashtra government’s ambitious Rs 1,865 crore Tuljapur Development Plan is scheduled to commence with a foundation-laying ceremony during the upcoming Navratri festival, with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis slated to launch the project.
The project aims to develop the premises of the revered Kulswamini Tuljabhavani Temple in Shri Kshetra Tuljapur, one of Maharashtra’s most sacred Shakti Peeths.
Transport Minister and Guardian Minister of Dharashiv district, Pratap Sarnaik, who chaired a review meeting at the secretariat, said the project is expected to be completed within the next three to three-and-a-half years, a state government statement said.
Shri Tuljabhawani Devi, Tuljapur is a purna Shakti Peeth in Maharashtra, he remarked, underlining the goddess’s importance as a symbol of “Kshatrateja” and the kuldevi of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
With over a crore devotees visiting Tuljapur annually, the plan focuses on developing modern facilities and infrastructure while preserving spiritual traditions.
Sarnaik emphasised that the instructions of the devotees and the priestly council should be implemented while respecting the religious customs and traditions of the place.
Controversy had previously emerged over a proposed 108-foot sculpture of the goddess handing over the Bhavani sword to Shivaji Maharaj, wherein the deity is depicted with eight arms (Ashtabhuja), a representation that does not align with the traditional iconography of the goddess.
After objections were raised by religious leaders and the Maratha Kranti Morcha, Sarnaik directed that the controversial image be removed from official representations, pending consultations with the Archaeological Department and experts before finalising the sculpture’s design.
