The renowned Shirdhi temple is located
in the Shirdi town, which is located at a distance of about 296 km from Mumbai.
The temple was established in 1922 in order to carry out the services to Sirdhi
Sai Baba.
About Sai
Baba
Sai Baba, who is also popularly known
as Shirdi Sai Baba, was highly revered by his followers as a saint
,
incarnation, sadguru or fakir, as according to the individual beliefs. He lived
from 1838 to 1918 and was worshipped by both Hindu and Muslim devotees, as Sai
Baba mainly stressed on the surrender to the Almighty, regardless of religion,
caste or creed. He had himself attained the divine consciousness and believed
in leading his disciples to the path of spirituality, which would ultimately
lead to enlightenment. Till date, Sai
Baba remains as a popular religious figure and is worshipped by devotees from
all around the world.
The Temple
The temple comprises of various
different areas and can be entered from various directions, depending on the preference
of the visitors. Some devotees are interested in wandering around the temple
complex and having the darshan of Sai Baba from a distance, while others are
interested in entering the Samadhi temple, where the mortal body of Sai Baba
has been kept.
Excess to the Samadhi temple is
allowed during the morning aarti, which is at 5.30 am, which is followed by the
holy bath of Sai Baba. General darshan is allowed to the visitors from 7.00 am
onwards, except during the aarti time. The temple holds aarti for four times in
a day, which is in the morning, midday, at sunset (from 6 to 6.30 pm) and at
night (10 pm). After the temple in the
night, the temple is closed.
If you want to make offerings to the
Samadhi of Sai Baba, then you can get it from the shops around the temple
complex, which sells items like flowers, coconuts, sweets and garlands. Note
that devotees are allowed inside the Samadhi temple only after taking a bath,
for this there are facilities available at the temple complex.
Entry Fee: The temple charges Rs 100
per person for darshan and Rs 500 per person for aarti.
Festivals
There are various important festivals
celebrated at this temple, such as Dushera, Guru Poornima and Ram navamai. A
palakhi bearing a photograph of the sage is taken out from the temple during
every Thursday. The temple receives a large number of devotees on this day
compared to other days of the week.
Best Time to
Visit
Though the holy site is visited
throughout the year, the most appropriate time to visit the place is from
October to March, as during this time the place experiences much cooler and
pleasant climate.
Accommodation
There are plenty of options available
for accommodation in Shirdi that are well equipped, making your stay into a
pleasant one. These accommodation facilities ranges from budget to luxury
class, so travelers from every budget background can get accommodation
according to their requirements at this place. Besides these, the temple
authority has also provided a large number of accommodation facilities for the
devotees. Facilities such as dormitory, budget rooms and air-conditioned rooms
are provided to the devotees. These facilities are charged between Rs 50 to Rs
1,000 per night.
How to Reach
By Air: The nearest airport to
this temple is in Nashik, located at a distance of about 75 km. Located at a
distance of about 150 km, Aurangabad is the closest major airport to this
place, which is well linked various major parts in India. Regular public and
government buses are available from these airports to the Sirdhi temple.
By Train: Shirdhi Railway Station is
located at a distance of about 10 km from the temple. The station is well
connected with various major cities in the country. Local and hired taxis are
available from the station to the temple.
By Road: The temple can be accessed
by road from various major parts in Mumbai. It can be easily accessed through
road from Mumbai (250 km) and Nashik (75 Km). State buses at regular intervals
are available from these places along with other major places in Maharashtra to
the temple.
0 comments: