A patient at the hospital, Kokilaben Chandrakant, 48, who is a fervent devotee of the guruji, says she was `visited' by the religious leader last night after which the footmarks were sighted. Admitted with cancer, Kokilaben's serious condition is improving, say hospital sources.

On receiving the news, followers of Jagjivan Bapu, mainly from the Gujarati community have been rushing to the site to pay their respects from all over the city. One of the devotees who came from Vile Parle said: ``The news of the `miracle' has spread all over Saurashtra and many are on their way to witness it''

The large crowds gathering near the hospital prompted Vashi police to investigate. Inspector P. Thombre toldExpress Newsline that ``on seeing the `footmarks', we called in finger-print experts from Thane's forensic department to conduct an analysis.''

``Prima facie, they are not footprints but footmarks since the ridges of foot-prints are missing. We will know further details only after the complete analysis,'' forensic expert, T A Pardhi said. Further police investigations will depend on the reports sent in by the forensic department.

Hospital sources suspect that at the time of construction, a workman stepped on the parapet which was subsequently erected with the footmark on the underside.