Swift darshan at Chintpurni shrine to now cost Rs 300

Devotees opting for prompt darshan at Mata Chintpurni temple in Una district will have to pay nearly 36 per cent more as the board governing the shrine has decided to charge individuals, instead of groups, availing the facility.

The Mata Shri Chintpurni Temple Board at a meeting decided to charge Rs 300 per person for prompt darshan, irrespective of the size of a family or group.

The ongoing scheme whereby a group of five is charged Rs 1,100 — costing Rs 220 per individual — has been done away with, say sources. For senior citizens above the age of 65 years, the charge has been doubled from Rs 50 to Rs 100 per person. Una DC Jatin Lal, who heads the board, said the Rs 1,100 scheme had been discontinued as it added to rush at the temple — unrelated people often gather in groups of five to get the concession.

The shrine is visited by thousands of devotees every day. The Rs 1,100 scheme was introduced last year to facilitate families. The board earns Rs 3 crore per month from the levy. This is the only shrine in the state that charges devotees for swift darshan. The move has come under sharp criticism from the opposition BJP. Party spokesperson Sanjay Sharma said the Congress government didn’t even spare devotees. “It initially imposed tax by giving preferential treatment for darshan and has now raised the fee,” he said. “Petty taxes like these will not improve the state’s economy,” he added, urging the Himachal Government to spare temples and devotees from such measures.