शेगाव निवासी गजानन महाराज

SHEGAO TEMPLE HISTORY
	JAI GAJANAN!! GAN GAN GANAT BOTE!!
	In 1908, on a visit to Pandharpur, Sri Maharaj requested permission to give up his body before the idol of Pandharinath as his work was accomplished. Anticipating this eventuality, a trust was formed with 12 trustees on the 12th of September, 1908 in the presence of Sri Maharaj. A condition was laid that the managing trustee would continue to be from the same lineage. The trustees are not paid any remuneration. The total donation collected was used for building the temple at a cost of Rs. 27,806 and 10 annas. The temple complex houses two shrines, one being the Samadhi of Sri Gajanan Maharaj and the other being the Sri Ram Mandir where the Padukas are worshipped. Five Aartis are performed by five priests at specific times – at 5 a.m. in the morning, at sunrise, noon, sunset and at night. Along with the Aarti, Abhishek, Puja, Archana and Namsmaran are also performed with devotion.
	About the Sansthan
	The rules followed in the Sansthan, laid down by Sri Gajanan Maharaj on 11.4.1909 are as follows:1. The Samadhi of Sri Maharaj will not be touched2. The women devotees will use the western entrance and the men will enter from  the east3. Women devotees will not stay overnight in the temple complex and no devotee will be allowed to stay for more  than three days 4. Trustees are neither expected to handle nor to accumulate money, and also to ensure that pilgrims continue on their journey 5. Sevaks will be appointed to fetch water for devotees and they should be paid Rs.3 as honorarium per monthIn all, there were 9 such rules and all of them were accepted unanimously. Since the formation of the trust, all resolutions were passed unanimously. All functionaries of the Sansthan work voluntarily. 3500 sevadharis offer their services gratis, while 2500 are paid an honorarium. About 3000 reserve volunteers wait to participate in the Sansthan’s activities, as they consider it an opportunity to serve Sri Gajanan Maharaj. Each of the sevadharis and sewaks discharge their duties with dedication and without any expectation.
	How the Sansthan functions:
	The wealth of the Sansthan is piousness and devotion. The service rendered by the growing number of devotees contributes to this religious atmosphere. There is no expectation of comfort or pleasure. Pilgrims visit the Sansthan with faith and reverence. Appreciating their heartfelt devotion, the Sansthan treats every visitor to the temple as their own. Therefore, there is no commercial motive involved in the support and assistance provided to the pilgrimswho visit the temple.Considering the needs of the pilgrims, the Sansthan provides accommodation at nominal rates. Pilgrims are charged only the cost of the stay, while all other possible amenities are provided. The Sansthan treasures the devotion of the pilgrims. As the entire establishment that is seen today has come up from the donations of the pilgrims, the Sansthan is conscious that it has to offer services without having any motive of generating profits. The motto of the Sansthan is “May all beings be happy” and selfless service is the tool by which this is achieved. This promotes the true aim of religion.
	The religious activities of the Sansthan are promoted by incurring expenditure as follows:
	For the Financial Year 2010 – 2011, the total budget is Rs. 70 crore of which the establishment expenses account for 15 %, expenditure on religious activities is 5%, expenditure on new projects is 10% and the balance 70 % will be spent with the objective of serving devotees. There are a total of 42 activities undertaken by the Sansthan concerned with development and promotion of religion, education and health.
	There are around 20,000 pilgrims who are given the Mahaprasad every day, free of cost. In 5 centres of the Sansthan spread over two states, 55,000 devotees take the Prasad every day.
	Every year, 3 festivals are celebrated in which 4 crore devotees participate with fervor and for which all necessary arrangements are done by the Sansthan.
	The Sansthan has been actively providing health services for the last 25 years. Allopathic, Homeopathic and Ayurvedic dispensaries are being run by the Sansthan, which have together dispensed free medicines and treatment to around 1.3 crore patients. There are also special facilities to cater to physically disabled patients. Eye camps and eye surgeries have been performed for around 10,000 patients with the Sansthan subsidising 90% of their expenses.
	The Sansthan is actively engaged in spreading education through its engineering college, an English medium school and the Ashram Shala. Special needs of mentally challenged children are also taken care of by the Sansthan. For the education of warkaris, a separate school has been established. Around 5000 students study in these institutions and scholarships are also provided to many as per the government and Sansthan rules.
	SOCIAL ACTIVITIES: The Sansthan provides support to various welfare programmes carried out by other  organizations including rain water harvesting, environmental awareness, cottage industries and other socio-economic development schemes.
	INFRASTRUCTURE: There are 9 complexes having 3000 guestrooms and 6 dormitories to accommodate 6000 devotees at any given point of time. Anandsagar and a meditation hall have been constructed to provide recreational facilities in a spiritual atmosphere for visiting pilgrims. Anandsagar is spread over 165 acres of land and showcases the icons of different religions as all different paths lead to one divine entity.
	FINANCIAL ACTIVITY: The different departments of the Sansthan are run on the principles of service and welfare of devotees. There is total transparency in financial transactions. Daily collections are displayed to the general public. The accounts are maintained in the SAP ERP system, the Sri Gajanan Maharaj Sansthan is the first and the only charitable institution which has implemented a SAP system.
	DEVELOPMENTAL PROJECTS: The developmental goal is to ensure that present activities of the Sansthan continue to exist permanently. Medical reimbursement scheme is proposed to be expanded with a view to cover adjoining  istricts. The Sansthan plans to utilize the 700 acres of land available with it to provide services to devotees. The Anand Sagar project would be expanded and completed on the remaining 150 acres of land. The issue of farmers’ suicide has been proposed to be tackled by implementing suitable welfare schemes.
	The religious goals of the Sansthan:
	1.The Sansthan drives the economy of the region. The annual expenditure of Rs. 70 crore translates into a 150 crore turnover for the village. This aggregates to Rs. 220 crore for the region, generating employment for over 15,000 people.2. The floating population of the devotees determines the income and consumption of services of the Sansthan. 3. Only a minimum balance of 3 months’ expenditure remains with the Sansthan. 4. Sri Maharaj’s instruction that no money should be accumulated is followed religiously by the Sansthan. Whenever there is an increase in donation, the charges normally levied are decreased even further. Thus the objective of the Sansthan is achieved. 5. While the Sansthan does not accumulate money, it is extremely conscious that the purpose of its existence is to cater to the needs and requirements of its devotees.
	JAI GAJANAN!! GAN GAN GANAT BOTE!!