‘VIP darshan’ at Chintpurni, free facility for MLAs, MPs, senior citizens

Devotees can have ‘VIP darshan’ at Maa Chintpurni temple in Una district after paying a fee of Rs 1,100 for a group of five, the first temple to offer such a facility in Himachal Pradesh. Devotees who avail themselves of the facility don’t have to stand in the queue for their turn, officials said on Wednesday. No fee will be charged to ministers, MLAs, MPs, and VIPs decided by the administration, as well as devotees of 65 years or more and Divyang (differently abled).
Under the Sugam Darshan Pranali (system), a pass will be given to five people for a fee of Rs 1100, and these devotees will get hassle-free darshan. In total, 500 people will be accommodated every day. “Chintpurni temple is the first temple in the state to make such arrangements, and the step would avoid the chaos created when VIPs come for darshan besides increasing the income of the temple administration,’ an official said.
The temple commissioner-cum SDM, Amb Vivek Mahajan, said that there would be four categories. In the first category, a fee of Rs 1100 would get darshan without waiting. The temple trust will decide whether children will be included in the category or not, he added. In the second and third categories, devotees of 65 years or more and Divyang (a disabled person) will get VIP darshan without any fee, and their co-passenger will have to pay just Rs 50 for the darshan. The fourth category will be ministers, MLAs, MPs, and VIPs decided by the administration, for whom no fee will be charged. A waiting hall has been made in Baba Maidas Sadan for the devotees in these categories.
Arrangements have been made for the devotees to sit about one kilometre away from the temple, and they would be brought to the lift in an electric golf cart operated by the temple trust and dropped back after darshan. The online booking facility for ‘havan’ is already available on the temple premises.