Pandharpur Temple To Suspend Padya Puja For 11 Days Amid Expected Holiday Rush
Pandharpur Corridor Project Gets Approval; Devotees to Get Vitthal Darshan Within 6 Hours During Wari
Pandharpur, December 8, 2025: Devotees visiting the iconic Vitthal–Rukmini Temple in Pandharpur will face a temporary change in rituals later this month. The temple committee has announced that Padya Puja, the special ritual allowing devotees to worship the Lord’s feet, will remain suspended from December 21 to December 31 due to an anticipated surge in visitor numbers.
The Vitthal Temple, revered as the kuldaivat of Maharashtra and worshipped by millions of Warkaris, attracts massive footfall throughout the year. With Christmas holidays and year-end vacations approaching, the administration expects an exceptionally high influx of devotees.
To ensure smoother crowd management and faster darshan for all visitors, the temple committee decided to halt Padya Puja for 11 consecutive days. Officials explained that offering this ritual during peak rush hours significantly slows down the movement of queues and increases pressure on temple staff and security arrangements.
Padya Puja traditionally allows five devotees at a time to perform worship by donating ₹5,000. However, with the year-end tourist rush, the administration believes temporarily suspending it is essential for safety and convenience.
Temple authorities have appealed to devotees to cooperate with the decision and assured that regular darshan will continue uninterrupted.
