Shirdi (Mah), Sep 26: Several devotees thronging the Saibaba shrine from neighbouring state of Andhra Pradesh have demanded that the Temple Trust make proper salon arrangements for those offering hair to the diety here as private barbers are charging high rates.
Men and women undergoing ‘kes vapan' (shaving or cutting of hair) during the pilgrimage want the Saibaba Sansthan to provide for hair-cutters at reasonable rates akin to that of the famous Tirupati shrine.
Tirupati provides for service of barbers and lakhs of pilgrims, especially women donate their hair there to complete their ‘navas' (wish fulfilment), Shrinivas Rao, one of devotees visiting Shirdi said.
The Andhra temple annually earns Rs 200 crore through auction of donated hair, he claimed.
If Saibaba Sansthan makes similar arrangements for the purpose they can earn even more. Also, it will be of great help to the visitors, another devotee said here.
There are around 90 barbers in the temple town here and charge between Rs 51 to Rs 151 for the hair cut. But they earn much more around Rs 3000 by selling the long locks of women to wig makers..Then why can't they charge a minimal rate, asked Sudha Rao, another devotee.
She said few traders from Hyderabad come to Shirdi to buy the donated hair at Rs 12000 per kg to make wigs.
On an average, 10,000 women annually donate their hair at Shirdi and also at Gangapur in Karnataka, Pandharpur, Akkalkot, Tuljapur in Solapur and Osmanabad districts of Maharashtra.
