Bar on women to end as Maharashtra govt takes over Shani temple

Shiv Kumar
Tribune News Service
Mumbai, June 21

The Maharashtra Government is formally taking over the administration of Ahmednagar district’s Shani Shinganapur temple, which hit the headlines a few years ago for barring the entry of women in its sanctum sanctorum.

According to a statement put out by the Maharashtra government, the Bill to formally take over the administration of the shrine will be introduced in the monsoon session of the state legislature. “There were some incidents that created a law-and-order situation. It has therefore been decided to reconstitute the existing public trust and bring Shaneshwar Devasthan under the control of state government under a new Act,” the statement issued by the Maharashtra government said.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who is backing the move to take over the administration of the shrine, told reporters that the government had received several complaints about mismanagement of funds by the trustees who earlier managed the affairs of the temple. Following the takeover by the state government, a new board of trustees would be appointed to administer the affairs of the temple.  

Sources say the government plans to enhance the facilities available at the shrine keeping in mind the increasing number of visitors at the temple.

The Shani Shinganapur temple hit the headlines after women were not allowed to enter the sanctum sanctorum of the shrine. Women's rights activists led by Trupti Desai campaigned for equal rights for men and women. Later, the Bombay High Court struck down discrimination on the entry of women into the sanctum sanctorum of the temple.

After the Maharashtra government announced its decision to take over the temple, Desai demanded that 50 per cent of the trustees should be women. She added that women's rights activists would meet Fadnavis and demand appointment of women in the temple trust.