Shirdi Sai Baba centenary celebrations: PM Narendra Modi to visit Sai Baba Temple on Friday

PM Modi will also visit the Shri Saibaba Samadhi Temple Complex

Shirdi Sai Baba centenary celebrations: PM Narendra Modi to visit Sai Baba Temple on Friday

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the valedictory function of the Sai Baba Samadhi centenary celebrations in the Shirdi district of Maharastra on October 19.

Prime Minister will unveil the plaque to mark the laying of foundation stone of various development works of Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust. 

He will also release a silver coin to commemorate centenary year of Shri Saibaba Samadhi.

Prime Minister will also visit the Shri Saibaba Samadhi Temple Complex.

According to the Sai Temple Trust, PM Modi will hand over the keys of houses to 40,000 beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) and attend the e-griha pravesh ceremony.

“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.

Maharashtra Governor C Vidyasagar Rao will chair the function, which will be attended by state's Chief Minister Devendra Fadanavis and many other important dignitaries.

“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.

The trust celebrated the centenary year of Saint Sai Baba’s Mahasamadhi from October 1, 2017 to October 18, 2018.

Meanwhile, elaborate arrangements have been made in Shirdi in view of PM Modi's arrival and a large number of devotees visiting the Sai Mandir. 

Sai Baba is known as the one worshipped by all as nobody knew his real name or religion. 

Known as a 'fakir', Sai Baba first made his appearance in Shirdi as a youth and remained there throughout his life, devoting his life in the service of people.

On Tuesday, Nationalist Congress Party leader Dhananjay Munde had lashed out at PM Modi’s Shirdi visit, alleging that the state government was wasting ₹2 crore to bring in beneficiaries for the October 19 function.