Shirdi – The Home of Sai Baba
Shirdi was just a small village once in Ahmednagar close to Nashik. But it has grown to emerge as a small and bustling town, thanks to Sai Baba. Shirdi is where Sai Baba lived for more than 50 years. He arrived in the village when he was just 16 years of age, and started meditating under the neem tree. The saint also spent a considerable time working to uplift the lives of the poor and those who were suffering. Sai Baba is considered among the most revered saints of the 20th century. In fact, it is believed that the saint is the embodiment of Lord Shiva himself.
Today Shirdi has emerged as one of the most visited pilgrimage centers of India, and it all revolves around Sai Baba, even though this great saint has expired almost 100 years back. Thousands come to Shirdi from all over India, and even from abroad. The place where he meditated under the neem tree is known as “Gurusthan”. There is a temple here and a small shrine.
Life in Shirdi
Everything in this small town is around Sai Baba. Devotees wake up early in the morning and begin to queue up to seek blessings of the Sai Baba statue. The temple complex is huge, and it needs to be, because it has to house hundreds, and even thousands of visitors who are always seeking the baba’s blessings. Thursday is a special day for darshan and prayers.
There are some other places of interest as well, such as the Dwarkamani Mosque. It is said that the baba meditated here as well, and slept here too. There is the eternal flame in a corridor close to the mosque. The flame burns through day and night. You could also visit Narsimha Mandir, Shani Mandir, Kandoba Temple, Sakori Ashram, and the Changdev Maharaj Samadhi. But wherever you go, you will see the devotional intensity of people from everywhere. There are plenty of stalls that sell Sai Baba records, DVD’s and memorabilia.
You could take the flight to Shirdi if you want. The closest airport is at Aurangabad, which is 126 kilometers away. Buses ply regularly between Shirdi and important cities in the state like Mumbai, Pune, Aurangabad, Ahmednagar and Nashik. There is a railway station at Shirdi that is connected to major cities. The city of Nashik is just 112 kilometers away.
There are plenty of hotels to choose from. You will find some dharmasalas as well. Many pilgrims prefer one of these places at Shirdi.
