02 feb 2014
For the last 10 years, people of Gujarat have been spending heavily on religious places. At the time of the 2001 census, there were 1,42,135 religious places in Gujarat. There were 1,10,079 religious places in rural areas and 32,057 in urban areas.
According to the 2011 census, there were 1,81,854 religious places. 39719 religious places increased in 10 years. Gujarat’s share in religious places in India is 6.04 percent. This means that Gujarat has the highest number of religious places in India. From 2011 to 2020, 49 thousand more religious places have been added. Thus there are 2.30 lakh religious places in 2020.
Every year 4 thousand new religious places are being built in Gujarat. Gujarat’s share in schools and colleges in India is 4.42 percent. In this way our wealth is moving towards the place of religion. But educational institutions are not expanding that much. That’s why beggars are increasing.
On 22 June 2019, in a PIL alleging that only Hindu temples benefit from the grants and facilities of the state government’s Pavitra Yatradham Development Board, the state government submitted through an affidavit that the allegation made in the petition is false. . Pilgrims of other religions are also provided facilities like subsidies, water, electricity and transport. In which the government has spent a lot.
On 22 June 2019, in a PIL alleging that only Hindu temples benefit from the grants and facilities of the state government’s Pavitra Yatradham Development Board, the state government submitted through an affidavit that the allegation made in the petition is false . Pilgrims of other religions are also provided facilities like subsidies, water, electricity and transport.
The government said that the board does not work for the development of pilgrimage sites of any particular religion. In allocating grants or providing facilities, the importance of pilgrimage and not any religion is taken into account. Therefore the allegation made by the petitioner is false. The petitioner says that the Pavitra Yatradham Board was formed in Gujarat in the year 1995. The Board works to develop infrastructure, sanitation, facilities and tourism at these pilgrimage sites and gives grants to the pilgrimage sites. Initially it included 6 pilgrimage sites including Somnath, Dwarka and Ambaji. At present there are 358 places of worship in Gujarat under the Board. All these pilgrimage sites belong to Hindu religion, hence Muslim, Christian, Jain and Buddhist pilgrimage sites should also be included under this board.
expenditure on hindu religion
In 2024, Secretary of the Pavitra Yatradham Development Board, R. R. Rawal said that the protest is being broken by records. Rupee. 90 projects worth Rs 595 crore have been started. Out of which Rs. 46 projects worth Rs 238 crore are in progress, while Rs. 44 projects worth Rs 356 crore are in the planning stage.
Major projects, construction of Manchi Chowk, Champaner and Wada lakes in Pavagadh at a cost of Rs. Works worth Rs 63 crore are in progress. For master planning work, work is going on to install a 100×80 feet statue in Ambaji Yatradham at a cost of Rs 12 crore. For the development of ponds and Telia Dam around Shri Koteshwar Mahadev Temple, Kumbhariya Jain Temple, Berdiya Mahadev Temple and Ambaji Yatradham, Rs. Works worth Rs 117 crore are under planning.
To reconstruct the temple and increase the height of the shikhara to 81 feet, Rs. Development works worth Rs 70.57 crore have been done. Apart from this, the process of building Devbhoomi Dwarka Corridor is also going on. Dwarka to Bet Dwarka Rs. The tender process has been done at a cost of Rs 158 crore. For master planning at Mata Ka Madhya Yatradham in Kutch, Rs. 33 crores and for master planning of Narayan Sarovar Yatradham Rs. A plan of Rs 30.00 crore has been made.
Rupee. Development works are going on at a cost of Rs 44 crore. There is also a plan to make all the pilgrimage sites clean, plastic free, clean and green. Construction of pedestrian counting machines and gateways at a cost of Rs. Rs 8 crore has been made available. Besides, Rs 55 crore has been made available for the development of religious places of local importance in each district.
Expenses for Hindu religious places
In-principle approval of Rs 37.80 crore has been given for the development of small temples at the village level. , Works worth Rs 7.45 crore have been approved for the development of 4 pilgrimage sites in Vadodara district. These 4 temples in Vadodara district include Srivyaseshwar Mahadev at Barkal in Shinor taluk, Srigarbhavani Mataji Temple at Dabhoi, Sribhathiji Temple at Raipur and Srimahisagar Mata Temple at Dabka in Padra taluk.
For the development of 6 pilgrimage sites in Mehsana district, Rs. In-principle approval has been given to 15.66 crore works. These temples include Srithakorji temple at Upera in Unjha taluk, Srineelakantheshwara Mahadev temple, Sri Hanuman temple and Sri Shanidev temple at Unawa in Unjha, Sri Dashama temple at Kadi and Sri Krishna temple at Valam in Visnagar taluk. In the meeting Rs. In principle, Rs 4.09 crore has been approved.
In-principle approval of Rs 4.48 crore has been given for beautification work of Shri Khodiyar Mata Temple and lake at Wurana in Sami taluka of Patan district. In-principle approval of Rs 1.64 crore has been given for the development works of Shri Khodaldham temple at Kagwad in Jetpur taluk of Rajkot district. In-principle approval of Rs 1.30 crore has been given for the development works of Sririddhi-Siddhi Ganapati temple at Medhasan in Modasa taluka of Aravalli district. An in-principle approval of Rs 47.57 lakh has been given for the development works of the state government-owned Shri Chandeshwar Mahadev Temple at Chandrasan in Mehsana district and Rs 2.70 crore for the development works of Shri Bhuteshwar Mahadev Temple at Bhutiavasna in Patan district. ,
Gujarat Holy Pilgrimage Development Board is offering darshan of 8 temples including mythological Ambaji, Pavagadh, Bahucharaji, Dwarka, Somnath through virtual reality.
24×7 high level hygiene maintenance at 8 holy shrines worth Rs. A budget of Rs 17 crore has been allocated
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Chief Minister Shri Bhupendra Patel held a high-level meeting in Gandhinagar to comprehensively review the Holy Pilgrimage Master Plan of the State.
It contains the progress and future plans of various development works of 8 holy shrines, 28 other important shrines and 358 government-owned temples.
In 64 pilgrimage places of the state, Rs. Development projects worth Rs 334 crore have been approved, which include works worth Rs 26 crore. 38 works are in progress at a cost of Rs 1.55 crore. Works worth Rs 177.80 crore are in progress at various stages.
of the state A comprehensive development master planning has been done for the 8 holy shrines, Ambaji, Dwarka, Pavagadh, Bahucharaji, Matana Madh, Madhavpur Krishna-Rukmani shrines. Not only this, financial management will be ensured for the overall development of Matritarpan pilgrimage area Sidhpur and sacred faith-faith centers of Scheduled Castes and Tribes.
Temples have been built around 51 Shaktipeeths in Ambaji. In the coming days, a three-day Parikrama Mahotsav of these 51 Shaktipeeths will also be organized.
Along with this, in the first phase in Kantharpur historical ward Rs. Development work worth 6 crores, Matana Mar in Madhavpur. Development works worth Rs 48 crore. In this meeting, a detailed outline of the action plan for development works worth Rs 32 crore was also given. Amid an initiative to save electricity costs by lighting pilgrimage sites with solar power in Gujarat, such systems are operational at 349 religious places. Approximately Rs 3 crore electricity is saved every year.
1 lakh 18 thousand pilgrims have benefited from the Shravan Teerth Darshan Scheme launched by the state government to enable senior citizens to visit various pilgrimage sites.
The temple of Bahucharaji Mataji will be renovated at a cost of Rs 70 crore. This temple will be constructed with stone from Bansipaharpur. Based on the test report of soil bearing capacity, it has been decided to keep the height from base to peak at 86 feet.
The temple will be constructed keeping the foil area as it is without any changes in the Vallabhbatta temple.
A tender has been issued for the development work of Mahakali temple at Katharpur in Dehgam taluk. It is Rs 9,15,79,989. The tender will be online from 21st July 2023 to 14th August 2023 till 6 pm. The last date for online submission of tender is 14 August 2023. The date of tender prebid meeting has been fixed for July 27, 2023 at 12 noon. It is mandatory to fill the tender online. Tender opening date is 22 August 2023. (Google translation from Gujarati)