Entry to Grishneshwar temple’s sanctum sanctorum now open

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Authorities have lifted the temporary ban imposed on the entry inside the sanctum sanctorum of Grishneshwar Temple.Devotees welcomed the decision, which was taken ahead of Sunday's Mahashivratri festival. The restriction was announced for a brief period as part of crowd management at one of the 121 Jyotirlinga sites."The annual festival coinciding with Mahashivratri every year draws a large number of devotees. The district administration and temple trust jointly decided to temporarily ban entry inside the sanctum sanctorum of the temple. However, taking into account the sentiments of devotees, the decision was withdrawn," a temple trustee said, preferring anonymity.Besides devotees, a section of local political leaders, including elected representatives from nearby areas, also objected to the ban. Suman Nirmal, a devotee, said she was happy that devotees could now enter the sanctum sanctorum of temple."I visited the temple recently but was planning to visit it once again on the occasion of Mahashivratri. It was disappointing for me that there was no entry inside," she said.