Conservation work on the Vitthal-Rukmini temple in Pandharpur, Maharashtra, is set to begin on March 15, 2024. The work will involve removing the granite flooring in the sanctum sanctorum and installing a bulletproof glass protective shield for the idol of Lord Vitthal.
To ensure the safety of the idol during the conservation work, the temple will be closed for darshan for 1.5 months, from March 15 to May 5, 2024. During this period, devotees will only be allowed to have darshan of Lord Vitthal for 5 hours a day.
After the conservation work is completed, devotees will be able to have darshan of Lord Vitthal from a distance of 30 feet. Additionally, Padasparsha Darshan (touching the feet of the idol) will be closed for 45 days. However, during the Chaitri Yatra festival, which falls in the month of April, devotees will be allowed to have full darshan of Lord Vitthal.
The decision to undertake the conservation work was taken by the Shri Vitthal-Rukmini Mandir Samiti at a meeting held on March 8, 2024. The meeting was chaired by the temple's assistant president, H.B.P. Gahininath Maharaj Ausekar, and attended by district collector Kumar Ashishwad, temple committee executive officer Rajendra Shelke, and other members.