Santosh Andhale/Mumbai Mirror

• Siddhivinayak trustees want special trains at 3.30 am every Tuesday so that devotees don’t hang around till 4.30 am. And railway authorities reportedly like the idea

Mumbai, Jun 25: After imposing a ban on coconuts and garlands inside as part of security measures, trustees of Siddhivinayak temple are in the process of arranging transport facilities, including special locals, for devotees so that they do not loiter around after offering puja.

The arrangement will be made only on Tuesdays, a day when maximum number of devotees (over 50,000) visit the temple.

The trustees have discussed with the railways a plan to start special services on central and western routes.

On Tuesdays, the temple is thrown open for the public at 3 am but suburban train services usually start only after 4.30 am.

The trustees have now requested the railways to start special trains beginning 3.30 am.

The temple management will make arrangements to transport the devotees to the railway station.

Trustees say that for security reasons, they do not want devotees to hang around in the temple premises till the train services resume at 4.30 am.

“Railway officials are quite convinced about the idea. We will have a second round of discussion this week following which we will be writing to the railways. Once these special trains start, most of the devotees will not be hanging around in the premises after offering puja. We have also discussed the issue with Home Minister R R Patil when he recently visited the temple,” said Nitin Narkar, trustee of the temple.

The police are concerned about the security of the temple and had recently suggested a ban on coconuts  being brought in by the devotees as an offering.

Current Train timings

Train available in the morning from Dadar towards suburbs are:

Dadar-CST at 4.35 am, Dadar-Thane at 4.23 am, Dadar-Churchagate at 4 .28am and Dadar-Borivali at 4.36 am

Shirdi yet to decide on coconut ban

In view of terror threat on Siddhivinayak temple, devotees have been prohibited from carrying coconut and big garlands in the temple. The Ahmednager  police want a similar ban on coconuts, garlands, flowers and mobile phones into Sai Baba temple at Shirdi.

Meanwhile, police deployment has been enhanced at Sai Baba temple.

The new measures were taken after Intelligence Bureau’s warning that terrorists might target important religious places in the country.

Sai Sansthan Shirdi chairman Jayant Sasane said CCTVs have been fixed at crowded places inside the temple premises.

“We are yet to take any decision on any ban on coconuts. Our trustees will meet next week and take a decision,” he said.