Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis chaired an apex committee meeting at Sahyadri Guest House, Mumbai, on 20 July 2026, approving revised development plans worth a combined ₹115 crore for three pilgrimage sites across Maharashtra — directing that all works be completed in a phased, time-bound manner with festival-season footfall in mind.

What Was Approved

The apex committee sanctioned three site-specific development packages. The Sant Janabai Tirthakshetra at Gangakhed, Parbhani district, received the largest allocation of ₹48.55 crore. The Sant Shri Gadge Baba Samadhi site at Amravati was granted ₹25 crore. The Shri Chakradhar Swami Temple precinct at Katol, Nagpur district, was approved for ₹41.75 crore in works.

The meeting was attended by Minister of State Meghna Bordikar, Minister of State Adv. Ashish Jaiswal, MLA Charansingh Thakur, and senior officials.

Context

Sant Janabai was a medieval Varkari saint born at Gangakhed, and the site draws large numbers of Warkari pilgrims annually. Sant Gadge Baba was a revered 20th-century social reformer whose samadhi in Amravati holds deep significance for communities across Vidarbha. Chakradhar Swami, the 13th-century founder of the Mahanubhav sect, is venerated at the Katol temple, a historically important tirtha for Mahanubhav devotees.

Maharashtra has periodically channelled public investment into pilgrimage infrastructure linked to Bhakti and Mahanubhav traditions, combining heritage preservation with modern civic amenities — a pattern seen in allocations going back to the 2014–2019 period.

Policy Backdrop

The ₹48.55 crore Gangakhed plan covers a cultural auditorium, Godavari Ghat development, a darshan mandap, landscaping, a cement-concrete road from the temple to the ghat, a goshala building, drainage, solar energy, CCTV, drinking water, and public toilets. The ₹25 crore Amravati plan includes completing the Sant Gadge Maharaj Memorial Cultural Value Education Centre, a Shetkari Gram Safai Mission Centre on the ground floor, pilgrim-accommodation floors two and three, a kirtan hall, renovation of the samadhi, a meditation centre, and internal roads and parking.

The ₹41.75 crore Katol plan will add a multipurpose hall, modern public conveniences, a grand entrance gate, a boundary wall, a parking area, a garden, an arched bridge, pathways, and other tourism facilities to the Chakradhar Swami temple precinct. CM Fadnavis directed that all works under the three plans be executed in a quality-conscious, phased manner within a fixed timeline, keeping peak festival attendance in view.

Stakeholders and Impact

Warkari pilgrims, Mahanubhav devotees, and local traders in Parbhani, Amravati, and Nagpur districts stand to benefit directly. CM Fadnavis said the projects would, alongside providing modern facilities to devotees, give a significant boost to local economies, employment, and tourism — a stated objective of the state's approach to religious-tourism investment in Marathwada and Vidarbha.

What's Next

Authorities have been asked to ensure phased completion before upcoming festival seasons, when pilgrim numbers at these sites peak. The apex committee's agenda may expand to additional pilgrimage sites in subsequent meetings, as Maharashtra continues to map its religious-tourism infrastructure needs across regions.