|
Shirdi
 A
small village in the Ahmednagar district, Shirdi
is just an hour away from Shani - Shingnapur. People
of all religions flock to this place from the far
corners of the country, cutting across barriers
of caste, creed, religion, and language, to worship
Sai Baba. Sai Baba affected the lives of myriads
of people all over India. With powers to heal and
fulfill the wishes of devotees, he was soon an icon,
and the crowds began pouring into Shirdi. After
Sai Baba passed away, his disciples built his idol
and placed it in the temple at Shirdi. Today, lakhs
of devotees visit Shirdi. The 'Bhoopali', a prayer
in the form of a song sung in the wee hours of the
morning, is not to be missed! In the Samadhi Mandir,
Sai Baba's statue made of Italian marble is the
first thing that catches the eye! Other important
places worth visiting at Shirdi include the Gurusthan,
the Dwarkamai mosque and Sakori Ashram. Thursday
is a special day for pilgrims. On occasions like
Gurupoornima, Dassera and Ramnavami devotees flock
to this holy place to offer prayers.
Daily Programmes:
Kakad Arati -- 5.15 a.m.
Holy Bath of Shri Sai Baba -- 6.00 a.m.
Darshan begins -- 7.00 a.m.
Satyanarayana Pooja -- 9.00 a.m.
Abhishek -- 9.00 a.m.
Noon Arati -- 12.00 noon
Pravachan or Pujan -- 4.00 p.m.
Dhuparati Sunset Bhajan, Keertan -- 9.00 p.m.
Shejarati -- 10.00 p.m.
Facilities and Services at Shirdi for Tourists:
Reception centres at the S.T. Bus stand.
Medical facilities at well-equipped Sainath Hospital
run by the Shirdi Sansthan.
Accommodation of the Sai Baba Sansthan -- Bhakti
Niwas, Keshav Mandir, Mangal Karyalaya,
Sai Nath Chhaya, Sai Niwas Guest House, Sai Prasad,
Sai Udyan, Samadhi Mandir, Sevadham, Shanti Niwas.
Tourist Information Centres:
Executive Officer, Shri Sai Baba Sansthan, Shirdi,
P.O. Shirdi-423 109. Kopargaon, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra,
India.
Area: 1.3 Sq. km. Best season: Throughout the
year
Nearest Airport:
Aurangabad (144 km) which is connected by Indian
Airlines and private airlines with other cities
/ towns.
Road Distances:
Shirdi-Mumbai 302 Km, 187 mile
Shirdi-Aurangabad 144 Km, 90 mile
Shirdi-Pune 205 Km, 127 mile
Shirdi-Nashik 123 Km, 76 mile
For more information visit http://www.saibaba.org.
|
