Located in Ahmednagar, around 300 km far away from Mumbai in Maharashtra, Shirdi is famous for the shrine of Sai Baba. Several devotees from across the world visit Shirdi every day. The conviction and faith in Shri Sai Baba, the living deity, invites pilgrims and tourists to this place. So, if you are also planning a trip, here are some things you should know about.
Conviction and faith are two main reasons that can drag you even from the farthest of corners of the world. Same happens with the devotees of Shri Sai Baba. Every single day, people come here from across the world to seek blessings and peace.
Not just for Indians but for international tourists as well, reaching Shirdi is not an arduous task. Be it a roadway, railway, or an airway; there are several options. So, if you are contemplating to visit this holy place, here are some things, from hotels in Shirdi to temple visits, that you must keep a note of.
- Perfect Time to visit:
Out of all the days, Shirdi welcomes a huge crowd specifically on Thursdays. It remains heavily crowded on that day. But that doesn’t make other days vacant in any way. People from all over the world visit this place with their families and friends. Winter, especially from the first week of December to the last week of January, is usually considered the best time to pay a visit to this famous place. As far as possible, summer season should be avoided if you are not a crowd lover.
- Timings of the Holy place:
Every day, you can pay a visit to the temple anytime from 5 am to 10 pm. One of the most popular Kakad Aartis is usually conducted at 5.15 am. Three other prayers are also famous here: The prayer at the Samadhi Temple that starts at 12 noon. And then, the dhoop pooja at the temple during sunset, and Shej aarti around 10.30 p.m. Sai Baba’s Samadhi Mandir closes at 11 PM after the completion of Shej aarti.
- Places to Stay:
You can find many places where you can stay at very reasonable rates in the vicinity of the temple itself. Different types of rooms can be easily found at affordable prices. Several guest houses are also available at very nominal prices. There are 5-star hotels and resorts such as Manas Resort, Pushpak resort, Sterling Shirdi and more in the proximity.
- Places to Eat:
There are plenty of restaurants in Shirdi that serve delicious food at reasonable rates. As it is a temple town, you will not find any non-vegetarian restaurant here. Not just that, but there are even several Bhandaras organised by the authorities after every few km. So, you can relish the delicious Maharashtrian food here.
- Things to Buy:
Shirdi has a list of things that you can buy and bring along as a memory. Figurines, books, trinkets, clothes, and sweets are some of the common things that you can buy. Other than that, you can even purchase stuff with Sai Baba’s image inscribed on them.
Now that you are finally visiting this holy place, plan your visit before-hand to have a seamless journey. Right from the hotels to the places to visit, mark everything on your to-do list, and reach there to seek blessings from the God.