SHIRDI
| Location: | 19°45 North and 74°25 East |
| District: | Ahmednagar District (Maharashtra) |
| Climate: | Dry |
| Best Time to Visit: | Throughout the year |
| Attractions: | Samadhi Mandir, Gurusthan Mandir, Khandoba Temple, Dwarkamai, etc
|
Who is Sai Baba?
Sri Sai Baba, a personification of spiritual perfection and an epitome of compassion , lived in the little village of Shirdi in the state of Maharashtra (India) for sixty years. Like most of the perfect saints he left no authentic record of his birth and early life before arriving at Shirdi. In fact, in the face of his spiritual brilliance such queries do not have much relevance.
He reached Shirdi as a nameless entity. One of the persons who first came in contact with him at Shirdi addressed him spontaneously as 'Sai' which means Savior, Master or Saint. 'Baba' means father as an expression of reverence. In the Divine play it was designed as such, that He subtly inspired this person to call Him by this name, which was most appropriate for His self-allotted mission.
All that we definitely know of Sai Baba is that his arrival at Shirdi was anonymous. He was first noticed in the outskirts of the village Shirdi, seated under a 'neem' (margosa) tree, about the year 1854. However, even this date is not definitely noted. Sai Baba of these younger days remained a stranger staying under the neem tree for some time and then suddenly he left Shirdi to come back again sometime in 1858, and stayed on there till he left his gross body in the year 1918.
The second advent of Baba at Shirdi, around 1858 was interestingly quite different from the first. This time he accompanied a wedding procession as guest of honor. On the arrival at Shirdi, he was immediately recognized by someone as the same anonymous saintly personality who used to be seated under the neem tree a few years earlier and, greeted Him as "Ya Sai" – Welcome Sai.
In the early days of his stay at Shirdi he spent his time either wandering in the outskirts of village and neighboring thorny jungles or sitting under the neem tree totally self absorbed. The first set of villagers who regarded this saintly figure were Mhalsapati, Tatya Kote, Bayyaji Bai and few others. Bayyaji Bai felt deeply motivated by this Divine Saint, and with her motherly instinct she used to walk miles on end into the jungles in search of him, carrying food in a basket on her head. Often she found Sai Baba sitting under some tree in deep meditation, calm and motionless. She would boldly approach him, serve the meal and return home.
After sometime as though out of compassion for her, Sai Baba ceased wandering and moved into a dilapidated mosque in the outskirts of the village. He referred to this mosque, where He resided till the end, as 'Dwarkamai' (Dwarka was the place where Lord Shri Krishna stayed to fulfill His divine Advent). This mosque 'Dwarkamai' – abode of Sai Baba became Mother of Mercy for all the time to come.
He had a body of athlete built and in his earlier days he was fond of wrestling. Another aspect of Sai Baba's personality was his love for song and dance. In those early years of his life he used to go to 'Takia' , the public night shelter for moslem visitors to the village. There in the company of sojourning devotees and fakirs, he used to dance and sing in divine bliss, with small tinkles tied around his ankles. The songs he sang were mostly in Persian or Arabic. Sometimes he sang some popular songs of Kabir.
He donned a long shirt – 'Kafni' and tied a cloth around his head, and twisted it into a flowing plait like manner behind his left ear. He used a piece of sackcloth for his seat and slept on it with a brick as his pillow. He always declared that Fakiri (Holy poverty) was far superior to worldly richness. He was no ordinary fakir but an 'Avatar ' (incarnation) of a very high order. But His external appearance was of simple, illiterate, moody, emphatic – at times fiery and abusive and at times full of compassion and love. In the moments of towering rage people with him thought it was ungovernable rage. But his anger never prevented his compassion dealing with the devotees. His anger was evidently directed at unseen forces. He enacted all these simple traits only to hide His real identity as the God incarnate. Under the cover of simplicity He silently worked for the spiritual transformation and liberation of innumerable souls – human beings and animals alike, who were drawn to Him, by an unseen forces.
He begged for alms and shared what he got with his devotees and all the creatures around him. He never kept any food in reserve for the next meal. He maintained the 'Dhuni' – the perpetual sacred fire and distributed its ash – 'Udi' as token of His divine grace to all who came to Him for help. Baba would ask for 'Dakshina' (money offered with reverence to the 'Guru' or the master) from some of those who came to see him. This was not because he needed their money but for deeper significance, which the devotees realized at, an appropriate time.
Baba used to freely distribute all the money that was received in the form of Dakshina to the destitute, poor, sick and needy the very same day. This was one of Baba's methods for testing out the devotees attachments to worthy things and willingness to surrender.
He ploughed up the village common land and raised a flower garden thereon, he watered the plants, carrying pots full of water on his shoulders. In the later years he spent a few hours in this Lendi garden which he himself had laid out in the early days.
He was every moment exercising a double consciousness, one actively utilizing the apparent Ego called 'Sai Baba' dealing with other egos in temporal and spiritual affairs, and the other - entirely superceding all egos as the Universal Ego or Over soul.
He was the common man's God. He lived with them, he slept and ate with them. Baba had a keen sense of humour. He shared a 'chillum' (clay pipe for smoking) indiscriminately with them to write off the cast superiority and orthodoxy in their minds. He had no pretensions of any kind .He was always very playful in the presence of children. Baba used to feed the fakirs and devotees and even cook for them.
Saibabas perfect purity, benevolence, non -attachment, compassion and other virtues evoked deep reverence in the villagers around him. His divinity could not conceal itself for long. Initially when people wanted to worship him formally, Baba protested and dissuaded them. But gradually he allowed it with the prescience that it would become the means for temporal and spiritual benefits to millions of individuals for all time to come.
The Dwarkamai of Sai Baba was open to all, irrespective of caste, creed and religion. As the days passed devotees from all walks of life started streaming into Shirdi. The village Shirdi was fast assuming prominence. As the gifts and presentations flowed in, the pomp and grandeur of Sai worship also increased. But Baba's life of a fakir remained calm, undisturbed, unaltered and there is the Saint's spiritual glory.
He lived His divine mission through His pure self in a human embodiment. The immense energy that was manifest in the body of Sai was moving in a mysterious way, creating and recreating itself every where beyond the comprehension of time and space.
This fountainhead of unsurpassed spiritual glory shed His gross body on 15th October 1918. Every limb, every bone and pore of his body was permeated with divine essence. Baba claimed that though one day his physical body will not exist his remains will communicate with all those who seek him with inner yearnings. His self-allotted labour of love in His physical body was perhaps over. Today He continues to work ever vigorously as the 'Sai Spirit'.
Shirdi, a small hamlet situated in the Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra, is renowned for once being the abode of Shri Sai Baba. Thronged by devotees throughout the year, the town contributed majorly to the travel and tourism industry of India. The exact geographical location of the town is 19°45 North and 74°25 East and it lies at a distance of around 266 km from Mumbai and 207 km from Pune. People come to Shirdi from various corners of the world to pay obeisance at the Shirdi Sai Temple. Sai Baba was basically a Fakir, who was held in regard and honor by Hindus and Muslims alike. He went to temples as well as mosques and believed in both 'Bhagwan' and 'Allah'. Infact, Sai Baba preached others to forget communal differences and live in harmony with each other. Baba is said to have first come to the village of Shirdi, as a sixteen years old boy. During the time, he took refuge in the Khandoba Temple and started living there. It was then only that a villager (Mahalsapathi) started calling him by the name of Sai (saint).
Sai Baba started calling a village woman (Baijyabai) as his mother. Soon, the villagers started believing him to be an incarnation of God and began worshipping him. However, after sometime, Sai Baba left Shirdi and returned there after a gap of many years. Mahalsapathi, Baijyabai and other villagers recognized him. Since that time and till his death, Sai Baba stayed at Dwarkamai in Shirdi. Throughout his life, he preached the message of unity, communal harmony, brotherhood, Single 'God' and karma.
He helped everyone who came to him in distress. Infact, it is said that he could never ever see any of his devotees in trouble and whenever people called him with true devotion, he came to their rescue and took their pain on himself. The Sai Samadhi Mandir was constructed under the patronage of Shreemant Gopalrao, a Nagpur-based businessman and an ardent devotee of Sai Baba. Today, one can find Sai Baba temples throughout India as well as in the other countries of the world, like Canada, Cuba, etc.
Shirdi is the abode of the famous Indian saint Shri Saibaba, and is a small town fragrant with the devotional strength that ropes in devotees from the world over. Shirdi is one of the most revered among the spiritual destinations of India and is situated in the Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra near the sacred city of Nasik. Both Hindu and Muslim pilgrims visit this town from far corners of India and tourism in Shirdi is gaining huge popularity, drawing considerable number of foreign tourists as well. The key attractions of Shirdi are Sai Baba mandir (temple) and his samadhi (memorial), Dwarkamai (mosque), Gurusthan, Chavadi, Lendi Baug, Maruti Mandir, Chawadi and Samadhi of Abdulbaba.Find more information about Shirdi that will prove to be of useful help to the travelers planning to visit this place. Touristplacesinindia.com offers online information about Shirdi including fast facts, history and the ideal time to visit.
The other highlights of this town include Dwarkamai (mosque), Gurusthan, Chavadi, Lendi Baug, Maruti Mandir, Chawadi and Samadhi of Abdulbaba. Apart from all these, there are also many other places of religious importance that you must pay a visit to during your travel to Shirdi. All these places hold immense importance for the pilgrims and are highly revered.
The degree of joy and excitement gets doubled when your vacations coincide with the important events and festivals of this place. Some of the noted festivals of Shirdi are Guru Poornima, Dussehra, and Ram Navami. The ambiance during the festivals is simply mesmerizing and will fill you with fervor.
For a gratifying vacation, accommodation plays a key role and Shirdi offers a number of accommodation options for the tourists that include a five star hotel called Sun n Sand Hotel and several other hotels that include Shraddha Park Inn, Hotel Sai Leela, Sai Baba International and Hotel Sai Mahal. These hotels would make for wonderful retreats for spending vacations as they provide a wide range of professional facilities and personalized services.
The transportation system in Shirdi is quite good and the tourists can reach here by the air, rail and road transport as well. The major nearby airports are located in Mumbai, Pune and Aurangabad from where one can easily reach here by road. The rail network is equally good and one can come down to Kopargaon, which is the nearest railhead connecting the other destinations. The state transport corporation and private operators run frequent bus services from the nearby destinations of Shirdi thus making road transport to Shirdi quite convenient.
Shirdi is a quaint little town located in the Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra in western India, and is one of the most revered religious spots in India. Known for the eminent sage Sai Baba, who possessed spiritual powers, this town rose to prominence after the death of the saint in the year 1918. The entire town is dotted with a number of pilgrim spots. Some of the major tourist attractions in Shirdi include:
Khandoba Mandir: This place is near Shirsainath Hospital. Baba stepped here in Shirdi at the foot of banyan tree near Khandoba Temple along with Chand Patil's wife's nephew's marriage party. The then Pujari Mhalsapati welcome Him by calling "Ya Sai".
Gurusthan Mandir: This is the place where Baba first appeared to the world as a boy of 16 years & this place is supposed to be Baba's Gurusthan. the famous Margosa (Neem) tree is here. it has a reference in Shri Sai Sat-charita. Devotees claim that their ailments are cured by burning incense here on Thursday & Friday. This place holds immense significance among the things to watch in Shirdi since it is this place where Sai Baba came as a child ascetic and sat in deep contemplation under a Neem tree. Subsequently, this place came to be recognized as Gurusthan and was also once renovated. Located at this place is a small shrine, featuring a huge portrait of Sai Baba on an elevated platform.
Samadhi Mandir:
A wealthy devotee of Sai Baba, Shreemant Gopalrao Buti from Nagpur built this temple in 1917-1918. He wished to install the idol of Muralidhar (a Hindu deity) here, but Sai Baba himself became the deity and after he passed away, his Samadhi (memorial) was built here using white marble. This temple is also known as Sai Baba Temple and features exquisite silver pillars ornamented with elaborate designs. In front of this temple is an assembly hall that can accommodate 600 devotees and a part of the hall showcases different things used by Sai Baba during his lifetime. It is one of the prime tourist attractions in Shirdi and is frequented by numerous tourists all the year round. This is the place where Sacred Body of Baba is resting in Samadhi. The articles handled by Baba are preserved & displayed here in a special showroom. All rituals consisting of Pooja. Abhishek & daily four Aratis are performed here. The Samadhi Mandir of Shri Sai Baba was actually owned by a millionaire from Nagpur and a famous Sai devotee Shreemant Gopalrao, also known as 'Butti Wada'. He wanted to keep an idol of Murlidhar there. However, according to the legends, Sai Baba manifested himself as 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 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.
Dwarkamai (Masjid): Baba stayed at this place continuously for 60 years. Innumerable devotees got blessing of Baba here. The Shila (Stone) on which Baba used to sit is located nearby. Also Sacred Fire (Dhuni) lit by Baba is ever burning here. Baba used to give Sacred Udi (Ash) to the devotees to solve their problems in life. Udi distributed to the devotees now is only from this Dhuni. Baba used to cook food here for distribution to devotees. Main attraction of the site is the oil paintings of the sage. This mosque was used as a residence when Sai Baba came to Shirdi for the second time. It is located on the right side of the entry point of Sai Mandir. This mosque occupies an indispensable position among the sacred spots of Shirdi and those visiting the temple inevitably pay a visit to this mosque. In the mosque you will come across the shila (stone), once used by Baba to sit. It is quite fascinating to note that the holy fire that Sai Baba used to light is still burning.
Chawdi Mandir: On every alternate day Baba used to proceed in procession from Dwarkamai to this place at night & halt & sleep here. Now also on every Thursday Palanquin procession of Baba's Photo. Holy Padukas & Satka is taken to this place between 9.15 p.m. & 10.00 p.m. 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. It is this place where Sai Baba used to sleep after returning from a procession from Dwarkamai to Chawadi. Every Thursday, a procession is carried out to Chavadi carrying the possessions of Sai Baba such as Baba's Photo, Holy Padukas (footwear) and Satka.
Lendi Baug: 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 Places: The Samadhis of Shri Tatya Patil Kote, Shri Bhau Maharaj Kumbhar, Shri V.Padmanabha Iyer, Shri Nanawali & Shri Abdul Baba who were ardent Bhaktas closely associated with Shri Sai Baba during His life time are located in Sansthan premises near lendhi Baug.
Lendi Bagh: This is the place where Shri Sai Baba used to go for stroll. Nandapeep is kept constantly burning near the Pimple tree planted by shri sai Baba Himself. There is also Datta Mandir in this garden & Shri Sai Baba's deloyed Horse 'Shamkarna'(Shamsunder) is taking Eternal Rest here. There is also a well here called as 'Baba's Shivdi'. It is a famous garden that Sai Baba used to visit daily, for watering the plants. The garden also houses a Neem tree under which he used to take rest. Adjacent to this tree is Nandadeep, a diya (lamp) that used to be lit by Baba each day in the pit dug by him. Nowadays, this pit has been transformed into a marble deepgriha (lighthouse), having a glass box where the lamp is still burning. Several other highlights of this garden are Datta Mandir (samadhi of Sai Baba's horse, Sham Sundar) and Baba's Shivdi.
In addition 3 other Temples are in Temples premises complex : 1) Shri Ganesh Temple, 2) Shri Shani Temple & 3) Shri Mahadev Temple
Samadhi of Abdulbaba:
Abdulbaba was one of the most ardent followers of Sai Baba, who used to read out the Quran to him. Nearby Shri Sai Baba Temple, his Samadhi (memorial) is located. It is one of the prime tourist attractions in Shirdi that houses photos and various items that were once handled by Sai Baba and him.
Maruti Temple: This temple was of special significance to Sai Baba and he used to come here religiously on a regular basis. Several satsangs (religious sermons) were also conducted here with the assistance of Devidas, who happened to be a bal yogi (young devout).
Make sure that you have sufficient time in hand for exploring all the attractions when you travel to Shirdi.
Touristplacesinindia.com offers online information on the Shirdi Tourist Attractions and also offers useful inputs about Shirdi.
Tourist Places near Shirdi
Nashik
Nashik is one of the main cities of Maharashtra and serves as the administrative headquarters of the district of the same name. The exact geographical location of the city is between 18.33 deg and 20.53 deg North Latitude and between 73.16 deg and 75.16 deg East Longitude.
Pune
Pune, the Cultural Capital of Maharashtra, is counted amongst the most developed cities of India. It situated on the edge of the Deccan Plains, quite near to the Western Ghat Mountains. This location of the city has resulted in it being known as the 'Queen of the Deccan' also.
Sakori
Situated at a distance of merely 5 km from Shirdi is Sakori, known for its Shri Upasani Kanyakumari Sthan. The place is especially popular amongst pilgrims who have come to Shirdi in hope of peace and tranquility. This is because the Shri Upasani Kanyakumari Sthan, founded by Upasani Baba in the year 1917, offers its visitors complete solitude and serenity. It seems to be reverberating with positive energy, which is hard to be missed by anyone.
Shanisinghnapur
Shanisinghnapur is a village regarded to be the holy seat of Shani Dev. It is located at a distance of around 70 km from Shirdi and is visited by people whose Shani (Saturn planet) is in disarray. They perform pooja and abhishek at the Shari Shaneshvar tirtha situated here, to appease the dev. Though the place seems to be full with Shani bhakts throughout the month, exceptional rush is seen on Amavasya (no moon day).
Even amongst the 12 Amavasyas of the year, the most important one is Shani Amavasya. On this day, a procession (yatra) is taken out in the village, amidst great fanfare. On this day, people from farthest corners of India come to Shanisinghnapur, to pay respects to Shani Dev. A unique feature of the village is that here, nobody locks his house. It is said that Shani Dev protects the villagers and as if as a proof of this saying, no theft has taken place in the village till date.
Quotes From Sai Baba
"Be wherever you like, do whatever you choose, remember this well that all what you do is known to Me. I am the Inner Ruler of all and seated in their hearts. I envelope all the creatures, the movable and immovable world. I am the Controller - the wire-puller of the show of this Universe. I am the mother - origin of all beings - the Harmony of three Gunas, the propeller of all senses, the Creator, Preserver and Destroyer. Nothing will harm him, who turns his attention towards Me, but Maya will lash or whip him who forgets Me. All the insects, ants, the visible, movable and immovable world, is My Body or Form..." ~Sai Baba
"If a man utters My name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes, increase his devotion. And if he sings earnestly My life and My deeds, him I shall beset in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees, who are attached to Me, heart and soul, will naturally feel happiness, when they hear these stories. Believe Me that if anybody sings My Leelas, I will give him infinite joy and everlasting contentment. It is My special characteristic to free any person, who surrenders completely to Me, and who does worship Me faithfully, and who remembers Me, and meditates on Me constantly. How can they be conscious of worldly objects and sensations, who utter My name, who worship Me, who think of My stories and My life and who thus always remember Me? I shall draw out My devotees from the jaws of Death. If My stories are listened to, all the diseases will be got rid of. So, hear My stories with respect; and think and meditate on them, assimilate them. This is the way of happiness and contentment. The pride and egoism of My devotees will vanish, the mind of the hearers will be set at rest; and if it has wholehearted and complete faith, it will be one with Supreme Consciousness. The simple remembrance of My name as 'Sai, Sai' will do away with sins of speech and hearing..." ~Sai Baba
"Whoever puts his feet on Shirdi soil, his sufferings will come to an end. The wretched and miserable will rise into plenty of joy and happiness, as soon as they climb the steps of my Mosque. I shall be ever active and vigorous even after leaving this earthly body. My tomb shall bless and speak to the needs of my devotees. I shall be active and vigorous even from my tomb. I am Ever living to help and guide all, who come to me, who surrender to me and who seek refuge in me. If you look at me I look at you. If you cast your burden on me, I shall surely bear it. If you seek my advice and help, it shall be given to you at once. There shall be no want in the house of my devotees...." ~Sai Baba
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.
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 there.
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