Sri Saibaba Temple

Shirdi is a town in the Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra in India. It is located 185 km east of the Arabian Sea shoreline. Shirdi was where the great saint Sai Baba lived till his samadhi in 1918. Today, it is a pilgrimage center and millions of his devotees from all over the world come each year to pay their respects. The best time of the year to visit Shirdi is January through March. April to June is summer, followed by the monsoon. Pilgrim arrival peaks between September and November when many Hindu festivals occur. Baba's death anniversary is commemorated in the month of October, the exact date depending on the Hindu calendar. Some of the most important festivals in Shirdi are Dussera, Guru Poornima and Baba's death anniversary. During this time lakhs of devotees come to Shirdi. get in By Bus There are many buses connecting Shirdi to cities such as Mumbai (250 Km), Hyderabad, Pune, Nasik (80 Km),Bangalore. There are abundant, very convenient bus packages from Hyderabad. The road connectivity between Mumbai and Shirdi is good, except in certain stretches. Convenient overnight buses also ply this route. It takes around 4 hours from Mumbai to Shirdi. It takes around 5 hours to travel from Pune to Shirdi through bus. It takes around 20 hours from Bangalore. .  By car Shirdi is accessible via the Ahmednagar-Manmad State Highway No.10, approximately 83 kms from Ahmednagar and 15 kms from Kopargaon. It is approximately 240 km from Mumbai on the Eastern Express Highway. By train Trains from all over India come in the vicinity of Shirdi. One can take trains till Shirdi Sai Nagar (2 Km from the Sai Samadhi temple) OR Kopargaon (15 Km from Shirdi) OR Manmad (65 Km from Shirdi) OR Nasik (80 Km from Shirdi) OR Mumbai (250 Km from Shirdi) OR Pune Taxi from station till Shirdi From Kopargaon, one can take a taxi till Shirdi (Rs. 200-300 on full fare) or a shared van (Rs. 20-30 per person). From Manmad, one can take a taxi till Shirdi (Rs. 600-800 on full fare) or a shared van (Rs. 50-80 per person). From Nasik, one can take a taxi till Shirdi (Rs. 800-1000 on full fare) or shared van or MSRTC bus (Rs. 90-100). By air Shirdi has no airport. The nearest airports are at Aurangabad, Nasik, Mumbai and Pune. From Pune Airport it will take 4-5 hrs approx if you rent a car. Get around Shirdi is not a big town. As the town has grown around its main attraction - the Sai Baba temple - almost all major sights and sounds are all within walking distances from anywhere in Shirdi. See The main attractions are the Temple where Sai Baba's samadhi is located, the former dwelling place of Sai Baba called Dwarakamayi, and the place called Chavadi where Baba used to sleep every alternate day. These 3 are located close to each other. Sai Baba Temple - Located at the heart of the town, this houses the samadhi (burial site) of Sai Baba. Entry is free. One can also book special pass which costs Rs.100 per devotee for darshan from Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust. The waiting time in the queue averages over an hour on weekdays and 2 hours on weekends. The temple opens around 0400 hrs and stays open till about 2200 hrs. At the samadhi site itself, one gets to spend a couple of minutes only as everyone needs to be accomodated to get a glimpse of the samadhi. After the Samadhi Darshan, one can visit the Gurusthan, the tree where Sai Baba was first spotted meditating by the people of Shirdi. After that, one can go to the Udhi counter to collect the Udhi. The temple premises also has the samadhis of some of Sai Baba's most prominent devotees. It also has a book store where one can buy Sai Baba's books (Shri Sai Samartha Satcharitra, Aarti books etc.). One can also get clothes and Prasadam offered to Sai Baba. Mobile phones and cameras are prohibited within the temple premises. Dwarakamayi - Located adjacent to the temple complex, Dwarakamayi is the name of the mosque where Baba resided for an unbroken span of 60 years till his Samadhi in 1918. The structure has been renovated and houses the Dhuni the fire that Baba always kept burning. The flames are never allowed to die and the Dhuni today is the same that Baba lit over 100 years ago. Additionally, some of Baba's articles such as his grinding stone, fireplace, a stone on which he used to sit are located in the Dwarakamayi Chavadi - This is located next to Dwarakamayi. Every alternate day, Baba used to sleep in the Chavadi, a few meters away from the Dwarakamayi. Even today, on Thursday nights, Baba's footprints are taken in a ceremonial procession from Dwarakamayi to Chavadi. Khandoba Raya temple - This is the temple where Mahalsapati first welcomed Sai Baba and recognized that He is no ordinary saint. This is located on the highway, approximately 7 minutes walk away from the temple.  Do Apart from visiting the temple and other places connected to Sai Baba, there is precious little to do in Shirdi. Buy There are a large number of shops that sell trinkets and souvenirs - statues, magnets, stickers, books, photos of Sai Baba. Prices are generally negotiable. It is advisable not to buy anything except flowers as offering to Saibaba as the priests usually return everything else but the shopkeepers may insists on buying lot more things. Prasad can be bought from prasad counter inside the temple premises. Eat Restaurants are liberally dotted over Shirdi. A variety of cuisines including Gujarati, Maharashtrian, South Indian, Continental are available. Most restaurants serve only vegetarian fare. Also you get fresh fruits Guava & Pomegranate The world's largest solar cooker cooks food for thousands of devotees everyday and one can eat this food for a nominal price of INR 10 per meal. Drink Cold drinks and bottled water are available in many local stores. Fresh coconut water is also available. However, liquor is not available in the town. Shirdi Hotel Sai Sahavas (Budget Hotel near Shirdi temple), Opp. Mahalaxmi Temple Lane, Off Pimplewadi Road, 2 minutes from Sai Mandir, Shirdi - 423109, Maharashtra, India. (Opp. Mahalaxmi Temple Lane), ☎ (02423) 256363 / 64 / 65, . Shri Sai Baba's presence is felt in Shirdi every day, by thousands of devotees who converge on Shirdi to get blessings of Shri Sai Baba. At Panoramic Group Hotel Sai Sahavas, just a 5 minutes walk from the holy shrine of Shri Sai Baba, you are in the comforting vicinity of Shri Sai Baba. Come, check into one of the 34 well-appointed AC rooms, at Panoramic Group Hotel Sai Sahavas and visit the replica of Shri Sai Baba's shrine, on the third floor and you shall at once be cradled into the soothing sphere of Shri Sai Baba's blessings. Keeping in mind the sentiments of devotees, only vegetarian food is allowed or served at Panoramic Group Hotel Sai Sahavas. Sai Siddhi multi-cuisine veg restaurant (AC) offers delicacies from Maharashtra, North India, Gujarat, South India and Chinese cuisine to cater to devotees from all over India. Come to Sai Sahavas, Shirdi and be one with Shri Sai Baba.   Sleep Once you land in Shirdi, rgister yourself at the Shri Sai Baba Sansthan Trust Reception Centre. The centre is located opposite to the S T Bus Stand. Then proceed to the Enquiry office to book your accommodation. The Sansthan provides good accomodation facilities and is affordable. The rents range from Rs. 50 to Rs. 1000. In addition, there are private hotels. There is no dearth of accommodation in Shirdi. Hotels of all categories abound. It is advisable to check the facilities in the room before booking and paying. In peak season, it is advisable to have prior reservations, which can be made either over phone or through travel websites. Some of the good hotels in Shirdi to stay are - Sun n Sand Sai Leela Shraddha Inn Dwarawati Bhaktha Nivas (Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust), Near Sai Sanasthan, Stay Safe Shirdi is one of the safest towns. Violent crime is not at all common in Shirdi. Beware of touts who will offer to help you find accommodation and take you on temple tours. While they do not charge for their service, they will expect you to purchase items from their stores as quid pro quo at inflated prices. Shirdi can be quite dusty, so those with allergies should carry along a dust mask. Bottled water is recommended over tap water for drinking purposes. Contact 100 - Police  Get out Trimbakeshwar, one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of India, is just 150 km from Shirdi and it is worth a visitable place. Shani Shingnapur, the most famous temple of Shani in India, is just 75 Km from Shirdi. Taxi costs around Rs. 1200 and shared vans cost around Rs. 80-100 for a return trip. Mumbai Pune Ajantha & Ellora caves