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Shirdi
Population : 15,129
Languages : Marathi, Hindi, and English
Best time to visit : September to April
STD Code : 02423
Shirdi is a small town located in the state of Maharashtra
in western India. The place is around 296 km (around 6 hours
drive) from Mumbai.
Sai Baba's shrine has been incorporated as one of the holy
places in the world's map of pilgrimage.
Places of Interest
Samadhi Mandir of Shri Sai Baba was actually owned
by a millionaire from Nagpur and a famous Sai devotee Shreemant
Gopalrao. He wanted to keep an idol of Murlidhar here. However,
according to the legends, Baba himself became Murlidhar and
the temple became the Samadhi Mandir of Baba. The Samadhi
of Baba is built with white marble stones. The railings around
it are full of ornamental decorations. The idol of Baba is
a marvelous statue made up of Italian marble built by Late
Balaji Vasant in 1954. The temple has an assembly hall for
about 600 devotees. The assembly hall also houses a showcase
having various items used by the sage. The first floor of
the temple has the pictures depicting the life of the saint.
The temple opens on 5 AM with morning prayers and close down
at 10 PM with night prayers. Situated on the right side of
the entrance of the Samadhi Mandir is Dwarkamai, a
mosque. This was the place where the sage stayed until the
end of his life. Main attraction of the site is the oil paintings
of the sage.
The place from where Sai Baba first came to Shirdi in the
form of a Bal Yogi (child ascetic) is known as Gurusthan.
A temple has been constructed on this site. There is also
a small shrine in Gurusthan.
At a short distance lies Baba's Chavadi. Baba used
to sleep here every alternate day. The Chavadi is divided
into two parts. One part of the Chavadi has a large portrait
of Baba along with a wooden bed and a white chair belonging
to him.
There is a cottage of Abdul Baba, an ardent devotee
of Shri Sai Baba, in front of the Chavadi. Photos and various
items that were handled by Sai Baba and Abdul Baba are there
in the cottage. There is a Maruti Mandir located at
some distance from the cottage of Abdul Baba. This mandir
was visited by Baba for the sat-sang with Devidas, a Bal yogi,
who lived at the Mandir ten to twelve years before Baba arrived.
There are also temples of village deities named Shani, Ganapati,
and Shankar that are worth visiting.
At some distance from Gurusthan, there is the Lendi Baug.
This garden was made and watered daily by Baba himself. It
got its name from a nullah (a drain), which used to flow there.
Baba used to come here every morning and afternoon and take
rest under a neem tree. Baba dug a pit, 2 feet deep, under
the neem tree and kept a deep (a lighting object) lit in that
pit. An octagonal deepgriha (lighthouse) called Nanda Deep
has been built in marble stone in memory of this place. It
constantly burns in a glass box. On one side of the deepgriha
is a pipal tree and on the other side is a neem tree.
Other sites to visit are Datta Mandir and Khandoba Mandir.
SITES NEARBY
Situated around 5 km from Shirdi is Sakori. The place
is home to the Upasini Maharaj.
Shanisinghnapur is 70 km from Shirdi. A temple devoted
to Shani is located here.
FAIRS AND FESTIVALS
The most important festivals and events that are celebrated
in Shirdi are Guru Poornima, Dussehra, and Ram Navami. These
are the only days when the Samadhi Mandir of Shirdi opens
for the whole night. Every Thursday, a palakhi bearing a photograph
of the sage is taken out from the temple.
WHERE TO STAY
Shirdi has accommodation available to every income group,
starting from budget to high-end. STD facilities are available
in most of the hotels.
WHAT TO EAT
The administrative body of Shirdi temple runs a prasadalaya
to provide lunch and dinner to the devotees. Nearly one thousand
devotees can take Baba's prasad at the same time. The kitchen
of the prasadalaya is equipped with modern cooking machineries
and is free of pollution. Food-packets are available to the
devotees from 8:00 in the morning to 12:00 noon. There is
a canteen service available to the devotees day and night.
HOW TO REACH
Nearest airports are Mumbai (260 km), Pune (185 km), and Aurangabad
(125 km). Flights for all the major cities in India and abroad
can be taken from Mumbai. The nearest railway station is Manmad
(60 km) on the Central Railway, which is connected to many
parts of the country with express trains. Most of the trains
touching Nasik Road railway station also touch Manmad. Shirdi
has railway reservation office for trains from Manmad. Taxis
and buses are easily available at Manmad railway station for
transfer to Shirdi. Regular taxi service also operates between
Manmad railway station and bus stand. State Transport Corporation
and private operators run coaches to Shirdi from Mumbai.
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