The Maharashtra government has granted Shirkai Devi Temple in Shircoli, near Panshet in Pune district, B-category pilgrimage status under the Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar Rural Pilgrimage Places Scheme, opening the way for improved visitor infrastructure and renewed attention to the remote religious and tourism destination.
The decision was announced through a government resolution issued on Thursday, November 5, according to a report by Pudhari. The order was conveyed in a letter from Prashant Patil, deputy secretary in the Rural Development Department. The temple, regarded as a spiritual symbol for communities in the Mose, Panshet and Maval valleys, was earlier classified as a C-category pilgrimage site.
The upgrade is expected to support the provision of roads, accommodation for devotees and other basic facilities for pilgrims and tourists. The temple is located in the hilly Shircoli area of Rajgad taluka, where limited access to funds had previously restricted development work, the report said. The temple management also faced financial constraints because of its remote location.
Shirkai Devi Temple attracts devotees during annual pilgrimages, festivals and religious celebrations. Visitors come not only from Maharashtra but also from Gujarat, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh. The report said that lakhs of devotees visit the shrine over the course of a year, while tourist numbers have also increased in recent years.
The status upgrade followed a long-standing demand from the temple trust and local residents. Amol Padwal, the temple secretary and Shircoli sarpanch, along with office-bearers and trustees, had sought B-category recognition for several years. The report named Shivaji Padwal, Sunil Salekar, Sunil Borge, Mauli Salekar, Namdev Padwal and other trustees and villagers among those involved in the demand.
The proposal was pursued with Rural Development Minister Jaykumar Gore by MLA Rahul Kul and former MLA Sangram Thopte. After examining the relevant details, the department submitted the proposal to the state government, which subsequently approved the classification.
Amol Padwal said the new status would help improve facilities for devotees, tourists and pilgrims while creating employment opportunities for local residents and supporting tourism. He also said the temple’s management plans reconstruction and construction work in a Shiv-era architectural style, alongside the development of basic visitor amenities.
The government decision gives the temple a higher administrative classification, but the report does not specify the amount of funding sanctioned, the implementing agency, or a timeline for individual works. The next stage will depend on the preparation and execution of development proposals under the rural pilgrimage scheme.
