1 lakh can dine at Shirdi daily

The Saibaba temple trust here has built what is billed to be Asia's biggest ‘prasadalaya', a dining hall with a seating capacity of 5,500, making it possible to feed more than 100,000 devotees daily.

The Sri Saibaba Sansthan Trust, on an average, spends Rs 19 crore annually on feeding pilgrims visiting Shirdi.

The prasadalaya, constructed at a cost of Rs 24 crore, was inaugurated by President Pratibha Patil on Tuesday. The complex is built on 7.5 acres of land and has a built-up area of 183,000 sq feet. It is 700 metres from the main Saibaba temple.

A gigantic hall has been constructed on the ground floor, which can seat 3,500 devotees. Two separate halls have been constructed on the first floor with a seating capacity of 1,000 each.

Fourteen domes made of polycarbonate and Manglorean tiles have been con structed to give ample natural light to the hall, so that power cuts do not disturb the activities in the prasadalaya during daytime.

"The work of the prasadalaya has been going on for 15 months and it will be fully functional in two months."

The meals served at the Sansthan are at highly subsidised rates of Rs 5.

Huge refrigerating rooms have been built for keeping vegetables fresh. Most of the cooking will be done with solar energy.

"All the cooking will be done with modern machines, giving top priority to hygiene."

According to the trust, Shirdi has become one of India's most visited pilgrim places after Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh. On a normal day, around 20,000 devotees visit Shirdi whereas the number increases to about 60,000 during a festival.

Dogs pray daily at Bihar temple

Patna: Call it just routine or karmic theory coming to life, dozens of dogs have for over four decades been religiously queuing up twice a day outside a Bihar temple – just in time for the daily services. The dogs have been a constant ever since 1965 when the Kali temple in Buxar town, about 125 km from here, was built.

"It may be a surprise for outsiders but not for us as the dogs have been doing this for over 40 years," said Omprakash Pandey, a priest in the temple.

"These dogs have been joining the prayers without a miss ever since 1965 when the temple came up," he added. Added a devotee, Mahavir Singh: "At the time of prayers in the temple when devotees perform different rituals, blowing a conch or chanting hymns, dozens of dogs join by barking with their heads up." The dogs, locals added, are mostly strays and visit the temple in the morning and in the evening just before the artis.