Shirdi Sai Prasadalaya Hikes Prasad Thali Prices

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Shirdi Trust Hikes Prasad Price UnequallyYogesh Joshi - Hindustan TimesPune.January 02nd`2010 After Homes and Restaurants, the faithful of Shirdi are the latest to feel the burden of the Hike in Prices of food Grains

and Vegetables.As of January 1st`2010 the Shirdi Temple Trust — one of the Richest in the country — has raised the price of the Prasad Thali sold to Devotees at the "SHRI SAI PRASADALAYA", SHIRDI by Rs 4/-The Rate Hike applies only to the General Public and not the Privileged Devotees, including the rich and the famous, who will continue to pay the old rate.For General Devotees, the Trust has hiked Prasad price from Rs 6/- to Rs 10/- but for the VIPs, the Rate stays the same as before, at Rs 25/-. The Trust has not touched the Rs 5/- slab of Prasad Thali for Children.Devotees reacted angrily, expressing disappointment over the hike as well as the discrimination.According to information from the Trust, the Temple gets an average of Rs 350 crore in donations every year. The Trust said it currently loses Rs 25 crore every

year because of the subsidy on Prasad rates.“The Trust subsidises the Prasad offered to every person by around Rs 17. However, with increased prices of vegetables and foodgrains, it is impossible to hold the Old rates, which is why the trust has hiked prasad rates,†said Urmila Jadhav, a trustee.Pune local Varsha Kulkarni, who visited the temple with her family, said: “This Trust has earnings running into Crores. Why don’t they offer free prasad? And hiking rates for the poor and retaining those for the Rich is Discriminatory.â€At Temples across the country, devotees get Prasad free of Cost. Some of them — like the one at Shegaon, where thousands come to worship the saint Gajanan Maharaj,even offer Free Meals to all Devotees every day. Some also commented that the VIP's get a separate seating where they can eat at ease, unlike the other General Public. The trustees

have now said they will also consider hiking Prasad rates for the Rich/VIP's also.“We had proposed hiking VIP rates also, from Rs 25/- to Rs 50/-, but some Trustees Opposed it. Now, we will consider it in the next meeting,†said Jadhav.Around 25,000 devotees visit Shirdi on weekends. On Auspicious days, like Ram Navami, around Two Lakh devotees come to the Sai Baba Shrine.Source - http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/maharashtra/Shirdi-trust-hikes-prasad-price-unequally/Article1-492906.aspx_" Never Argue at the Dinner

Table, for the One who is not Hungry always gets the Best of the Argument."......Richard WhatelybUrpppp ! - rOhit beHaL

 

 

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