Om Sai Ram
Since past many years, alot of Sai devotees have sent me an email to inquire
details abt their travel to Shirdi.One of my friends, Sai devotee- Rohit Behal
did send out a helpful mail yesterday regarding this issue . However, there
were many details that I had in addition to the information that he provided.
So , I have combined all the information that Rohit Behal sent yesterday and
the information that I have been giving out to devotees and put all the
important details in one mail. The below mail will be very useful to everyone
travelling to Shirdi specially the ones travelling from foreign countries. So
save this email and fwd it to Sai devotees whom u think may benefit from it. If
for some reason, there are any broken links in this email - You can always
access this info at http://sairadio.blogspot.com/ or
http://debu7366.blogspot.com/
May Sai baba's blessings always be with us .
Sai bhakt
Deepa H
Mumbai to Shirdi - Airport/Taxi/Bus/Trains and other important details::
Devotees going to Shirdi by Air:
The distance between Mumbai to shirdi is approx 260 kms. Mumbai airport is also
the closest international airport to reach shirdi. So Sai devotees who wish to
come to india especially for shirdi darshan can come to mumbai and then take a
Bus ,taxi ,train or a flight to shirdi.The nearest airport to shirdi used to
be, Aurangabad ( 126 kms ) but very recently major steps have been taken to
have the airport close to the Samadhi mandir .The airport is scheduled to come
up at Kakadi village, around 15 kilometres from Shirdi in Ahmednagar district.
But As for now ,most devotees who travel from abroad have to reach Mumbai
airport first. And then take a flight to Shirdi. You can also go to shirdi from
Pune . The only airlink to the holy city is a Jagson Airlines 26-seater
helicopter service that connects Mumbai and Shirdi with a daily service. Make
sure you book ur air ticket in advance by going to
http://www.jagsonairline.com/schedule.htm -
Devotees going to Shirdi by bus::
The easiest way to get to Shirdi is by bus. It takes up to 7 hrs. If you fly
into the Mumbai airport, hire a taxi (the ones that are in lines at the very
front of the airport) to take you to the Dadar Bus Stand. The cost is about
Rs.-150 to Rs.-200 (make sure they turn the meter on). There are also people
who will try to redirect you to their own "private" taxis. These "private"
taxis charge between Rs. 400 to Rs. 600 just to take you to the Dadar Bus
Stand. At the Dadar Bus Stand, there are long lines of small ticket counters
that sell bus tickets to Shirdi. Preferably, try to get an A/C direct bus (
around Rs.-300 -however, the prices keep changing with time so....this is just
a rough estimate). If you are not able to get an A/C direct bus, get a non-A/C
direct bus (Rs.-150).[Prices may vary a little] Buses leave almost every 3
hours from Mumbai to Shirdi. So your wait will not be long. The buses make
about 2 stops for food. The restaurants are non-vegetarian. So make sure you
pack some snacks and bottled water for the trip. Keep an eye on your luggage!
Some buses goes to Nasik and then to shirdi others take a short cut avoiding
nasik.Bus route - Mumbai- Nashik- Niphad- Yeola - Shirdi. Distance between Pune
to shirdi - 190 KmsBus route - Pune- Kalamba- sangmner- Talegaon-
shirdiDistance between Aurangabad to Shirdi 126 kms.Bus route - Aurangabad-
Vaijapur Yeola- Kopargaon-Shirdi. Try to get a bus that departs before 11am so
you will not arrive too late at Shirdi. There are buses to shirdi which starts
even at 11 pm but if you are travelling alone -Plz be aware that it is not safe
specially for female Sai devotees .Ofcourse everyone says Saibaba is there to
protect. But still You also need to plan your trip safely.If your flight
arrives late night to Mumbai airport or too early in the morning, better stay
in a friends house or in a hotel in mumbai . There are few near the airport. I
really don't have any idea about the budget of the Hotels in mumbai. But they
can be quite expensive. If your flight arrives early morning 2 am to 4 am ,
wait in airport for 2 hours and then take taxi to Dadar to take Bus to
Shirdi.Theres a cabin inside airport campus itself to book taxi or you can
check http://www.merucabs.com/ .
For Private Bus (Volvos) Related queries ie - Bookings,Fares,Route,Pick-up/Drop
Point - http://www.redbus.in/
For State Transport Buses -
http://www.shrisaibabasansthan.org/main_English/shirdi/how_to_reach.asp
Mumbai To Shirdi Route Map -
http://www.shirdihotelsonline.com/mumbai-shirdi-india-map/
Also check out the below link
http://www.travel.bixee.com/cheap/bus-tickets/from/Mumbai/to/Shirdi/20090428/None/1/0/0/#bus-Mumbai-Shirdi-20090428--1-0-0-1
http://www.onlinebustickets.in/bus-from/shirdi-to-mumbai/
Devotees going to Shirdi by taxi/cab::
Hiring a car can take you shirdi with in 5 to 6 hours.Cabs from Mumbai to
Shirdi cost abt Rs 3500 to 6000 INR for one way. ( approx 90 $ to 150 $ ) ..
Must be within 12,000 R.s for two way if you return within a day...I found
these websites while browsing online- I have never used any of them for my
travel nor do I know anything much abt them but here r some links for you to
check out
http://www.travelcool.co.in/MumbaiShirdiMumbai.aspx
http://classifieds.karnataka.com/bangalore/travels/travel-agentstour-operator/aurangabad-mumbai-shirdi-nasik-pune.html
http://www.shirditaxi.info/
http://lucknow.quikr.com/c-Cars-Bikes-Rent-A-Car-Taxi-Services-MUMBAI-PUNE-SHIRDI-MUMBAI-TAXI-CAB-09867306024-W0QQAdIdZ63353459
http://www.ecabs.in/SHIRDI/tabid/378/language/en-US/Default.aspx
Devotees going to Shirdi by Train::
Sai Nagar Shirdi Railway station :A new Railway station has been build in
shirdi called Sai Nagar. Its just 3-4 kms from the Main saibaba temple in
shirdi.
Go to this link to find the fares and seat information for trains going to
Shirdi.On the upper left hand corner, choose from the from and to station
options and press search trains. For example if u r in Mumbai, type that and
for shirdi -type , -Sainagar
http://indiarailinfo.com/train/2896
also www.indianrail.gov.in/index.html<http://www.indianrail.gov.in/index.html> &
http://www.trainenquiry.com/ to check for train seat bookings or availability.
For booking train tickets online
http://www.irctc.co.in/
You can also go to
http://www.irctc.com/
http://www.yatra.com/
http://www.cleartrip.com/
Things to know during your travel to Shirdi:
A majority of the people do not speak English inside or outside of the Temple
Complex at Shirdi. Most of the people who speak English are the ones who run
the larger hotels. Purchase anti-diarrheal medications before you leave to
Shirdi. The Temple Complex has two main places for you to keep your shoes (cost
is 1 rupee). If you are wearing chappals or sandals, you have to store them at
a separate shoe counter. This is perhaps the most confusing part of the ashram.
I would suggest you buy some cheap sandals, mark you name on them and find a
place to put them in case you get confused about the shoe counters. Just
remember where you put your sandals, because when you come out of from the
Darshan area, you are on the opposite side of the Temple Complex. I was not
able to find any sort of public internet facilities when I was at Shirdi.
Shirdi does have telephone services for local, state and international calls.
When booking a return bus ticket to Bombay, make sure you get the earliest bus
(it takes 7 hours to get to Bombay) and make sure the bus is A/C (costs around
Rs.-300-400). Try to sit on the left hand side of the bus so you can keep an
eye on your luggage, which is stored in a compartment below the bus. The boys
who sell flowers, pictures and statues can be very stubborn and will literally
follow your for hours. If you would like to help them out (most are very poor),
make your purchases a few hours prior to leaving Shirdi. Otherwise, you will
attract large groups of sellers. A small bundle of roses (about 3-4 roses tied
together) costs Rs.-3, if you would like to offer flowers in the temple.
Inside The Temple::
Once you go inside the Temple for Darshan, you can expect long lines if it is a
Holy Day or a thursday or a weekend. Otherwise, you will not have to wait long
at all. Avoid Holy Days (the lines are extremely long and the wait can easily
exceed 5 hours). You can expect police officers and Temple workers to be
screaming loudly at people to hurry up and move forward. I would suggest you
get in the furthest left-hand side line. In that line, you can touch Sai Baba's
actual samadhi and the silver chappals that are located there. You can offer
flowers and there are places where you can offer money. As soon as you offer
your flowers and touch his samadhi, kindly leave the area. Winters are the best
season to visit Shirdi. The months from September to April being the ideal
period. The daytime temperature is pleasant during this period, making the days
excellent for visiting the tourist attractions of the town. The summers can get
very hot (May-August). Make sure you drink bottled water.
Map of temple complex can be found at :
http://www.shrisaibabasansthan.org/main_English/shirdi/map.asp
The temple premises of Shri Saibaba is spread in approximately 200 sq. mtrs.It
is situated in the heart of Shirdi village and is a major center of
pilgrimagefrom all over the world.On an average, daily 20,000 devotees visit
Shirdi village, to have the Darshan of Shri Saibaba. In the festival season,
more than 1,00,000 devotees visit the Temple everyday.The Temple premises is
renovated in the year 1998-99 and now is equipped with all necessary facilities
like, Darshan Lane, Prasada (Lunch and Dinner), Donation Counters, Prasad
Counters, Canteen, Railway Reservation Counter, Book Stall etc. The
Accommodation Facilities are also provided by the Sansthan.
http://www.shrisaibabasansthan.org/main_English/shirdi/accommodation.asp
Places To Visit In Shirdi::
Sai Baba's place Shirdi (Maharashtra State) is a very sacred, powerful and
important place of pilgrimage in India.
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. So dont forget to burn incense there even if it is not a
thursday or friday.
Sai Baba's Samadhi Mandir: 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. If possible, try to read Shri Sai
Satcharitra over here. You will find a lot of peace with in you after you do
that.
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.
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. 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'.
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.
In addition 3 other Temples are in Temples premises complex : 1) Shri Ganesh
Temple, 2) Shri Shani Temple & 3) Shri Mahadev Temple
Nearby Sites:
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.
Staying in Shirdi :
Shirdi has a lot of good hotels as per one's requirements.
5 Star accommodation : Sun-n-Sand hotel (http://www.sunnsandhotel.com/)
Mid-range luxury hotel : Sai Leela Hotel (http://www.hotelsaileela.com/)
MTDC Hotels : Pilgrims Inn Shirdi (http://www.maharashtratourism.gov.in/)
Shirdi Sai Sansthan's Cheaper Accomodation : Shirdi Sai Sansthan provides
cheaper accommodation. For more details please visit the site
(http://www.shrisaibabasansthan.org/main_English/shirdi/shirdi/accommodation.asp)
For more hotels with their price details ranging from Rs 500 to Rs 4000:
http://www.holidayiq.com/Shirdi-Hotels-Resorts-Reviews-Rating-Tariff-550-20-yes-destination.html
Useful tips for travellers from foreign countries:
Special VIP Pass :
For overseas devotees, the Shirdi Sai Sansthan provides special passes, which
can be obtained from the PRO office, near to the Nanda-Deep.Foreigners can show
their passports to get the VIP pass.
Ipods, Mp3 players,Cameras & Mobile Phones :
Photography/video shooting is not permitted in the temple premises, and the
temple staff is quite strict about this rule.Cameras and mobile phones are not
allowed inside the temple. But there are locker facilities available, for
depositing the camera and mobile phones, within the temple complex. But if I
were you, I would just leave it in my hotel room or in my car.And specially
your ipods and mp3 players, I got stuck once for that so make sure all those hi
tech stuff is taken care of before you decide to go to samadhi mandir.
Driving directions from Mumbai to Shirdi::
http://www.oktatabyebye.com/travel-directions/driving-directions-from-Mumbai-to-Shirdi.html
For more information about the temple log onto:
http://www.shrisaibabasansthan.org/
Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust, (Shirdi)
PO: Shirdi Tal. Rahata Dist. Ahmednagar
Pin-423109
Tel No:+ 91-2423-258500
Fax: office 91-2423-258870 & P.R.O, Office 91-2423- 258770.
E-mail: [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>
URL : http://www.shrisaibabasansthan.org/
http://www.sai.org.in/
Daily program schedule in Shirdi::
http://www.shrisaibabasansthan.org/main_English/shirdi/dailyprograms.asp
Important festivals in Shirdi with dates::
http://www.shrisaibabasansthan.org/main_English/shirdi/festivals.asp
Gurur Brahma Gurur Vishnu
Gurur Devoh Maheshwar;
Gurur Shakshat Parambramha
Tashmai Shri Gurur Veh Namah"
May the Merciful Sri Sai Baba always shower His grace on us and our families
and remove our problems and anxieties by giving us all - strength , goodluck,
success and happiness with peace of mind.
Sai bhakt,
Deepa H
Blog dedicated to Shri Shirdi Saibaba : http://debu7366.blogspot.com/
Listen to Radio Shirdi Sai : http://sairadio.blogspot.com/
For free Sai Satcharitra books: http://www.saiseva.omsrisai.net/store/index.php
Saibaba temple directory: http://www.omsrisai.net/saitemples.php
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