Vithuraya, the revered deity of Maharashtra, draws millions of devotees, especially during Ashadhi and Kartiki Ekadashi, when lakhs of warkaris visit Pandharpur to have darshan of Vitthal. Throughout the year, devotees continue to flock to the temple to worship Vitthal-Rakhumai. In response to the growing demand for worship, the temple administration introduced online booking for puja services. The initiative has received an overwhelming response, with bookings for the three-month puja period being fully booked on the very first day.
The temple committee launched online bookings on December 26, 2024, allowing devotees to conveniently book various pujas of Vitthal-Rukmini from home. The bookings were available for a three-month period, from January 1, 2025, to March 31, 2025. However, all regular pujas for the deity were fully booked on the very first day. As a result, devotees will now have to wait for the next three months to book the regular puja. The maha puja, the daily worship of Vitthal, continues to attract devotees from around the world.
Income of Rs 55 Lakh from Nitya PujaThe daily worship of Vithurai involves a series of rituals, including curd and milk baths, along with dressing the deity. Online registration for booking the maha puja was launched, with a fee of Rs 25,000 for the daily worship of Vithurai and Rs 11,000 for the daily worship of Goddess Rukmini. On the first day itself, all the pujas for the three-month period were fully booked, resulting in an income of Rs 55 lakh for the temple. Additionally, there was a high volume of bookings for Padya Puja and Tulsi Puja. While a few slots remain for these two pujas, devotees can still book them from home.