Green energy: Devotees’ footsteps set to power Sai Baba shrine in Maharashtra’s Shirdi

Mumbai city news: As many as 50,000 devotees visit Shirdi daily

What if your footsteps could power up a shrine? That’s what the Shirdi Trust, which manages the famous Sai Baba shrine in Ahmednagar, plans to find out.

Shirdi, a town in Ahmednagar, is around 275km from Mumbai. Thousands flock to the temple to seek blessings every year. (HT Photo)

Shri Sai Baba Sansthan Trust (SSST) chairman Suresh Haware said he plans to install energy pedals at the shrine. “As many as 50,000 people devotees Shirdi daily. We will install energy pedals, which get pressed when devotees walk on them, then revert to their original positions. Walking energy will be converted into electricity, which will be used to power the temple’s bulbs and fans,” said Haware.

Read: Demonetisation: Sai Baba devotees plan annual Shirdi trip on shoe-string budget

The trust also plans to start an IAS training academy for tribals and underprivileged children, a cancer hospital and a generator to convert solid waste to energy. It will also hold daily blood donation camps as part of ‘Samadhi Shatabdi Mahotsav’ between October 1 and October 18 next year.

A committee has been set up to help the families of farmers who have committed suicide, Haware said. NGOs have helped the trust identify 600 such families. “Women related to farmers who have killed themselves will be given sewing machines. We will also help them set up fruit and vegetable stalls.We will help the children of such families pursue an education,” he said.

In collaboration with the Tata Trust, a committee will set up 100-bed cancer hospital, for which it will spend Rs125 crore.