Sai
Baba is considered by many as one of the greatest saints of India. When Sai
Baba was 16 years old, he visited Shirdi and stayed there till he took
‘Samadhi’ (passed away) in 1918. He is revered by his followers who visit this
holy pilgrimage again and again from all parts of the country and abroad to pay
their respects to the saint.
The
Place
Shirdi
is a small town in Ahmednagar, Maharashtra. The temple complex covers an area
of about 200 sq meters. Apart from the Shirdi temple, there are several other
visit-worthy places too, such as Shanisinghnapur, Maruti Temple, Nashik, and
others.
The
temple itself is one of the richest in India. It receives approximately 4
billion rupees per year in the form of donations.
This
temple, on average, sees a footfall of around 50000 visitors daily – a number
that doubles during festival time. The temple trust has built around 2500 rooms
to accommodate the influx. These rooms range from the purely budget to star
categories.
How
to reach
The
popularity of the place has ensured that it is well-connected with all the
major cities via several means of transport.
The
nearest airport is Pune International Airport, which is situated around 185
kilometers from Shirdi. It has daily flights from all the metros, along with
Goa, Kochi and Bengaluru. When it comes to railways, it is connected very well
to places like Chennai, Hyderabad, Aurangabad, Puri, Vizag, and many others.
Many buses connect Shirdi to cities like Pune, Mumbai, and Nashik. Due to good
motor-able roads, many travelers have started driving down to Shirdi as well.
While
Shirdi is visited the entire year over by followers, the peak time is
October-November.
For
those who prefer to go back home with tangible memories, there are lots of
shops that sell souvenirs and trinkets at nominal charges. In terms of food,
there is no dearth of choice. Many restaurants dot the landscape of Shirdi,
selling cuisines of various types – from Gujarat to South Indian. One would
find that most restaurants sell only vegetarian fare. Also available is a wide
array of delicious fruits, like pomegranate and guava.
The
temple offers its devotees a delicious meal for just Rs. 10. This is cooked in
the world’s largest solar cooker. You can buy mineral water and soft drinks
easily. However, liquor is not sold anywhere in the town.
The
followers of Sai Baba remain undeterred in heat or rain, and the temple is
packed with people at the best and worst of times. Many travelers seek the
services of travel agents that offer Shirdi
packages inclusive of travel, accommodation and meals to ensure peace of
mind and relaxed ‘darshan’. If you too are hearing the call of Sai Baba and
want to visit Shirdi, just go online and look for the best Shirdi packages. You
will find a veritable deluge of the same. Take your time and go through several
before you decide on any one of them for your needs.
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