Shirdi (Sai Baba Temple)

Shirdi (Sai Baba Temple)

About Shirdi:-

Shirdi About this sound pronunciation is a town and falls under the jurisdiction of municipal council popularly known as Shirdi Nagar Panchayat, located in Rahata Taluka (Sub-division) in Ahmednagar District in the Indian state of Maharashtra. 

It is accessible via the Ahmednagar - Manmad State Highway No.10, approximately 83 km from Ahmednagar and 15 km from Kopargaon. It is located 185 km east of the Western Seashore line (the Ahmednagar - Manmad road), which is a very busy route. 

Shirdi is best known as the late 19th century home of the popular guru Shirdi Sai Baba. It is one of the richest temple organisations.

Shirdi being a pilgrimage centre, also has a large floating population. On any given day some 25,000 devotees come for darshan. On holidays the number reaches about half a million people. Due to the easy availability of jobs, a large migrant population, mainly of unskilled labourers from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana etc. also reside here.

Major Attractions:-

Samadhi Mandir:-

Samadhi Mandir is where Sai Baba was laid to rest. Built of white marbles, the Samadhi Mandir attracts worshippers in great numbers. The site of the Mandir originally belonged to a multi millionaire named Shreemant Gopalrao who was an ardent worshipper of Baba. The site that houses the tomb of Baba was initially intended to be a wada, meaning ‘a huge private house’ for Baba along with a temple. Baba’s health deteriorated and before his last breath, he asked to be taken to wada. His mortal remains were buried in the site intended to have the image of Lord Murlidhar. A showroom here houses the articles used by Sai Baba.

Shri Saibaba Sansthan Temple:-
Covering an area of 200 square meters, Shri Saibaba Sansthan Temple stands at the center of Shirdi. The temple attracts pilgrims from various parts of the world. Accommodation is provided here for pilgrims. Once you arrive at Shirdi, you need to contact the Niwassthan office for registering your name for accommodation. Arrangements to keep your valuables safe in lockers are also available here. In short, you can have a comfortable and peaceful darshan of Sai Baba.

Dwarkamai Masjid:-

Dwarkamai Masjid was Sai Baba’s abode for over 60 years. It was here that he blessed his devotees and it was here he lit a sacred fire, which still burns. The stone grinder which Baba used and the wooden bowl in which he collected the offerings made by public are preserved here. The oil painting of the saint is spectacular.

Chavadi:-

Chavadi was closely associated with Baba as he used to sleep here every alternate day during the last ten years of his life. He was moved to this place by his devotees on a rainy day when the Masjid in which he was staying started to leak. Since then, Baba used to return to Chavadi every alternate night to sleep here. After Baba attained Samadhi, the Sansthan acquired the place. Books were stored here and pilgrims were accommodated here for sometime. Now, Chavadi is protected as a shrine of Baba.

Dixit Wada Museum:-

Dixit Wada Museum is situated inside the Sansthan Trust complex. Here you will find pictures of Sai Baba with his devotees. These black and white pictures take you back to the olden days when Baba had been physically present comforting those that needed help. The museum also houses the articles he used including cooking utensils, long robes and bathing stone.

Transportation:-

Rail:- 

Shirdi now has a new railway station called "Sainagar Shirdi", which became operational in March 2009.  As of 2011, there are trains from Chennai, Mumbai, Visakhapatnam, Mysore and other cities/states that have Shirdi railway station as their terminal stop. Trains also run from Manmad railway station which is 87 km and Ahmednagar railway station which is 83 km from the heart of Shirdi, alternatively from Kopargaon station which is 15 km from Shirdi, or Nashik city, which is 119 km from Shirdi or Nagarsol. Daund railway station is 170 km from Shirdi.

Road:- 

Buses and taxis ply from these railway stations and locations to and from Shirdi. Shirdi can be reached by bus from any of the following cities in Maharashtra State (India): Ahmednagar, Mumbai, Pune, Thane, Nashik, Akluj, Dhule, Nagpur and Aurangabad.Also from Hyderabad, Telangana from where maximum pilgrims reach every day and year to seek blessings from Sai Baba. Currently, four-laning of State highway Nagar-Manmad highway is in progress on BOT basis. Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation has been assigned to execute the works of internal roads in Shirdi.

Air:-

Shirdi Airport is being constructed at Kakdi (Kopargaon taluka), 14 km south-west of Shirdi. Originally operations were expected to start by December 2011, but the construction according to the original plans was completed in February 2016, and the first trial flight landed on 2 March 2016. There are plans to lengthen the runway from 2,200 metres to 3,200 metres. The target completion date is 2017 or 2018.