Shirdi, January 19: Sai Baba devotees on Sunday visited the Shirdi temple here in large numbers amidst the indefinite shutdown in the town which started today.

The 'bandh' has been called by locals upset with Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's decision to allocate funds to develop Pathri town in Parbhani district for religious tourism, calling it the birthplace of Baba. Shirdi in Ahmednagar district and Pathri in Parbhani district are 281 kilometres apart. Shirdi Bandh: Shops, Eateries, Local Transport Shut Over Uddhav Thackeray’s Remarks on Sai Baba's Birthplace.

The Chief Minister had also taken a review meeting of the development plans in Parbhani district. Shirdi temple is one of the most popular religious destinations in the country. Over a lakh devotees visit it every year."Devotees will not face any difficulty if they come to Shirdi," B Wakchaure, member of Saibaba Sansthan Trust, had assured yesterday. On Sunday, while the rest of the town remained shut, the temple remained open for darshan.