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Shirdi (Maharashtra)
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Hotels in Shirdi
A comprehensive
listing of hotels in Shirdi. Please click on the Shirdi hotel links below and
view hotel information, photographs and tariffs. The Hotel list includes 4 star
hotels, budget hotels, luxury hotels. All Hotels on offer provide well
designed comfortable rooms at affordable rates.
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Shirdi Tourist Information
Shri Sai Baba
Sansthan, Shirdi was established in the year 1922 to carry out the noble service
of Shri Sai Baba. From the year 1922 to August of 1989 the establishment staff
provided various facilities for the devotees. On May 4, 1990 Bhoomi Pujan of 'Sai
Baba Bhakta Niwas' was performed. A building to accommodate 3500 devotees,
having 560 self-contained rooms and two spacious halls has been constructed.
Sai Baba used to
cure many diseases. Shri Sai Baba Sansthan, Shirdi built a 'Shri Sainath'
Hospital to continue to provide service to patients. The Hospital is well
equipped with modern machineries like 'Manojkumar Intensive Care Unit', 'Smt.
Janaki Devi Suri Sonography Centre', 'Raju Batra X-ray Machine', etc.
The Sansthan runs a
'Prasadalaya' to provide lunch and dinner to the devotees. Nearly a 1000
devotees can take Baba's prasad at the same time. The kitchen of the Prasadalaya
is equipped with modern cooking machineries and is free of pollution.
Food-packets are available to the devotees from 8:00 in the morning to 12:00
noon. There is a canteen service available to the devotees day and night.
 The Sansthan is
publishing various photos and books on Shri Sai Baba in many languages. The
trust has started English medium schools three years ago. Scholarships are given
to the poor and clever students every year by the Sansthan. The Chairperson and
the members of the trust are taking keen interest to provide facilities to the
villagers and devotees.
Shirdi is located
approximately 296 Kilometers from Mumbai (Bombay) City in India. The nearest
railway station is Kopargaon 15 kilometers on Manmad-Daund section of Central
Railways.
HOW TO REACH
Shirdi is
on the Ahmednagar-Manmad Highway, 250 km from Mumbai and 75 km from Nashik. You
can fly into Nashik and then take a bus, taxi or train to Shirdi. Shirdi is
accessible on the Central Railway line; get off at Manmad (65 km from Shirdi) or
at Kopergaon (18 km). MTDC runs buses from all major destinations.
WHEN TO GO
Pilgrims
flock to Shirdi at any time of the year. Shirdi has a dry climate that swings to
extremes, from a high of 40° C in May, to a low of 7° C in January. But the
monsoon months - June to August - are pleasant, with scanty rains. Though the
shrine is open though the week, Thursday is Sai Baba's special day.
ACCOMMODATION & OTHER FACILITIES
Accommodation is never a problem in Shirdi - from the MTDC hotel, tourist rest
houses, dharamsalas and ashrams, to five star accommodation - the town is
totally geared for pilgrims. Hotels offer special packages and
check-in/check-out timings. You can stay in comfort and clean surroundings at
one of the charitable sansthas and dharamsalas for just a handful of rupees.
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:: Places Around
Shirdi :: |
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Samadhi Mandir
: Samadhi Mandir of Shri Sai Baba was build by a
millionaire from Nagpur in 1917-1918, a famous Sai devotee Shreemant
Gopalrao Buti. Gopalrao wanted to keep an idol of Murlidhar here.
However, Baba himself became Murlidhar and the Mandir became the
Samadhi Mandir of Baba. The Mandir is built with stones and Baba's
Samadhi is built with white marble stones. A railing is built in
marble around the Samadhi and is full of ornamental decorations. In
front of the Samadhi are two silver pillars full of decorative
designs. Just behind the Samadhi is Sai Baba's marvelous statue made
of Italian marble, which shows him seated on a throne. This idol was
made by the late Shri Balaji Vasant Talim. This statue was installed
on 7th October 1954. Above the statue is an open, silver umbrella. The
front of the Mandir has an assembly hall where about 600 devotees can
be accomadated. Here is a showcase where various things handled by
Baba are kept. On the first floor of the Mandir are pictures that
depict Baba’s life. The daily routine of the temple starts at 5
o'clock in the morning with Bhoopali, a morning song, and closes at 10
o'clock in the night after the Shejarati is sung. Only on four
occasions the temple is kept open overnight i.e. on Gurupoornima,
Dassera, Ramnavmi and New Year Eve. Every Thursday and on each
festival, a Palakhi with Baba's photo is taken out from the temple.
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Dwarkamai :
Shri Sai Baba came to Shridi with a marriage
procession. He stayed at Dwarkamai till the very end of his life.
Dwarkamai is situated on the right of the entrance of Samadhi Mandir.
Here he solved problems of the people, cured their sickness and
worries. Before Baba's arrival in Shridi, Dwarkamai was an old mosque
in a dilapidated condition. Baba turned it into Dwarkamai and proved
that God is one. The first level of Dwarkamai has a portrait of Baba
and a big stone on which Baba used to sit. This level has two rooms.
One contains the chariot and the second a palkhi. Just in front of the
room where the chariot is kept is a small temple. A saffron flag flies
over it. The second level of Dwarkamai has a square stool made of
stone, which Baba used for taking a bath. The main attraction of this
place is the oil painting of Shri Sai Baba sitting in a carved wooden
shrine. This level also has the grinding stone and the wooden vessel
called Kolamba in which Baba used to keep the Bhiksha brought from the
village.
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Gurusthan :
Sai Baba first came to Shirdi in the form of Bal Yogi
- a child ascetic. He was first spotted seated under a Neem tree. This
place came to be known as Gurusthan. The Gurusthan was renovated on
30th September, 1941. After this the present temple was built. There
is a small shrine in Gurusthan. On a elevated platform of this shrine
a big portrait of Baba is placed. On the side is a marble statue of
Baba. In front of the portrait is a Shivling and the Nandi. Photos of
twelve Jyotirlingas are also kept in the temple. The branches of the
Neem tree have come out through the roof of the temple. At a short
distance lies Baba's CHAVADI.
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Chavadi :
Baba used to sleep here every alternate day. 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. There is a cottage of Abdul Baba, an ardent devotee of Shri
Sai Baba, in front of the Chavadi. The Lendi Baug was looked after by
Abdul Baba. There are photos and various things which were handled by
Sai Baba and Abdul Baba in the cottage. There is a Maruti Mandir
located at some distance from the cottage of Abdul Baba. This mandir
was visited by Baba for the sat-sang with Devidas, a Balyogi, who
lived at the Mandir ten to twelve years before Baba arrived. There are
also temples of village deities like Shani, Ganpati, and Shankar to be
visited.
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Lendi Baug : At some
distance from Gurusthan there is the Lendi Baug. This Baug was made
and watered daily by Baba himself. It got its name from a Nalla (a
drain) which used to previously flow there. Baba used to come here
every morning and afternoon and rest under a Neem tree. Baba dug a
pit, 2 feet deep, under the Neem tree and kept a Deep(earthen lamp)
lit in that pit. One octangular Deepgriha 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 Peepal tree and on the
other side is a Neem tree. Some distance away is a Datta Mandir below
an Audumbar tree. In the Mandir there is a statue of Datta built in
marble stone. The statue of Datta was installed on 6th December, 1976.
Just behind the Datta Mandir is a Samadhi of the horse, Shyamsundar
which belonged to Baba and which used to bow to him. Lendi Baug also
has a well which was dug by Baba and his devotees. At the entrance of
the Baug are the Samadhi's of ardent Sai devotees Tatya Kote Patil,
Bhau Maharaj Kumbhar, Nanavalli and Abdul Baba.
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Khandoba Mandir : This
temple is located near Shree Saibaba Hospital on the Nagar-Manmad
road. When the marriage party of Chand Patil's wife's nephew came to
Shirdi. Shree Saibaba who had accompanied this marriage party,
alighted with others in the open ground of this temple. The Pujari (prist)
of the temple "Malsapathi" welcomed this Young Ascetic with the words
"Ya Sai" ("Come Sai")
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Museum : Valuable things
used by Baba during his time are drinking vessel(Tumbrel), Babas
Paduka (footprints), Baba's Satka, Grinder, Gramophone, Bowl Of Hukka,
Horse bridle-habiliments, the Kaphani and Sandals worn by Shri Sai
Baba and original Photographs of Lord Sai. All these valuable things
are kept in the museum for Sai devotees.
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Place |
Importance of Place |
Distance
From Shirdi |
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Shani Shingnapur |
Shanidev Temple |
75 KM |
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Nasik- Trimbakeshwar |
Panchavati, Muktidham Temple, Shiv Jotirlingam,
Godavari River Birth Place |
140 KM |
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Ellora/ Aurangabad |
Shiv Jotirlingam, World Famous Caves,
Mini Tajmahal, Daulatabad Fort |
120 Km |
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Ajanta |
World Famous Caves |
250 Km |
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Pandharpur |
Lord Vitthal Temple |
350 Km |
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Tuljapur |
Bhavani Mata Temple |
325 KM |
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Bhimashankar |
Shiv Jotirlingam |
250 Km |
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Saptashrungi Mata/Vani |
Saptashrungi Mata temple |
160 Km |
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Sakuri |
Upasani Maharaj Ashram |
6 Km |
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Meharbabad |
Meharbaba Ashram |
100 Km |
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: Airport/ Railway
Station : |
| Pune
Airport |
225 km |
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Mumbai Airport |
325 Km |
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Aurangabad Airport |
140 KM |
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Manmad Station |
65 Km |
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Nagarsol Station |
40 KM |
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Kopergaon Raiway Station |
18 km |
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