Shirdi Majha Pandharpur!
शिरड़ी माझे पंढरपुर, साईबाबा रमावर |
साई रमावर, साईबाबा रमावर |
शुद्ध भक्ति चंद्रभागा, भाव पुंडलीक जागा | पुंडलीक जागा, भाव पुंडलीक जागा, |
याहो याहो अवधे जन, करा बाबा ची वंदन | बाबा ची वंदन, करा बाबा ची वंदन |
गणु मने बाबा साईं, धाव पाँव माझे आई | पाँव माझे आई, धाव पाँव माझे आई |
"Verily Shirdi is my Pandharpur and Sai Baba is Lord Vittal. Pure and unalloyed devotion (which flows at Shirdi) is the River Chandrabhaga; mindful awareness in the hearts of devotees in Shirdi is the holy locus where Bhakta Pundalik is ensconced. Attention one and all! Come, come quickly and make obeisance to Sai Baba!"
--Das Ganu Maharaj (Shirdi Noon Arati, psalm No. IV)
In this Abhang, which is often recited as a Prarthana (prayer), Dasganu Maharaj describes that Shirdi is his Pandharpur where his God resides.
He calls upon the devotees to come and take shelter in the loving arms of Sai Baba
Shirdi was a quaint small village in the Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra. When Sri Sai Baba came to Shirdi in the mid-nineteenth century, it was a rustic hamlet of about a thousand people (mostly labourers and artisans), with approximately 200 houses, one village well, a few shops selling basic provisions and some small, rather run-down temples. The village was partially bordered by prickly cactus, and the present Lendi Gardens was an area of wasteland with a grove of trees and two streams running through it. The state of Maharashtra did not exist (it was created only in 1960), the area being divided up under British rule into the Bombay Presidency, and the Nizam's Dominions, which were independent.
This all changed once Baba came here. As described earlier he came here in his youth and then again a few years later with a wedding party. And then lived his entire life here. He never went too far from Shirdi, Shirdi was his tapobhoomi!!
By 1910 the village of Shirdi had become slightly more prosperous, though Mrs Tarkhad, a Sai Baba devotee and regular visitor from Bombay, still found it "little more than a neglected hamlet without any lighting, sweeping or other conveniences of civilization... The streets and passages were all dark and unlit at night." By then, Baba's Dwarkamai had already taken on the character of a darbar (royal court), which it was to retain till the end of his mortal days
Wherever you turn in Shirdi, you are reminded that this was where Sai Baba spent his life; it was here that the saint settled; it was from here that he influenced and moulded the lives of countless human beings; and it was from here that a divine influence has emanated, so powerful, so mysterious and so irresistible, that it drew - and draws - millions to it. Pulled by the magnetic force of Sai Baba, a tangible sense of the sacred, and a thrill of recognition that the divine is immanent and is responding to our prayers and needs, the number of pilgrims visiting Shirdi is increasing at a phenomenal rate. When G. S. Khaparde, one of the prominent contemporary devotees of Sri Sai Baba, remarked, "Sai Baba fulfils my idea of God on earth," he was expressing the sentiment and experience of many. This continues to be the reality for those who are fortunate enough to come into contact with Sai Baba, and Shirdi is the place where this reality can be most deeply and immediately experienced.
How to reach Shirdi
It is said that one comes to Shirdi when Baba calls them. No one can come here against his will. There are many stories in Satcharitra where devotees took Baba's permission to come to Shirdi and also Baba's permission to leave from Shirdi. Anyone who didn't listen to Baba also faced the problems that came due to that.
Baba through the Shirdi Sansthan have made a lot of amazing arrangements for the devotees. There is accommodation available that can be booked at nominal cost through Shirdi sansthan website. Sansthan also runs buses between the ashram and Samadhi mandir.
For Food there is the Prasadalaya - Babas prasad or food for all his devotees at nominal cost made in perhaps the biggest possible kitchen. Sansthan also runs some tea/coffee stalls near gate number 2 in Shirdi
Other than above there are plenty of hotels, restaurants in Shirdii - for all budgets and catering to all requirements
Below is some information on planning your trip to Shirdi
If for some reason you are unable to plan your trip to Shirdi or you know of some one who wants to come to Shirdi but does not have the means to come then please do contact us with the details and we would try to help
Nearest Airport - Aurangabad (130 Kms), Shirdi (14 Kms)
Nearest Railway Station - Sainagar Shirdi (3 Kms), Kopargaon (15 Kms), Manmad (57 Kms)
Road Distance - Mumbai (250 Kms), Pune (185 Kms),
Regular Bus Service from all major Towns and Cities
Daily Programme
Key places in Shirdi
Above map shows some of the key places in Shirdi, below is some description of the same
"Do not think I am dead and gone. You will hear me from my samadhi and I shall guide you."--Sri Sai Baba
These moving and inspiring words, spoken by Sai Baba, have played their part in ensuring that the Samadhi Mandir is the most important site in Shirdi, and the main focus of Sai worship and devotion. For it is here that we find the samadhi of Sai Baba, with the compelling statue above it.
Sai Baba is intimately connected with this place, as he used to sleep here on alternate nights, during the last decade of his life.
Once Baba started sleeping at Chavadi, the custom arose of offering regular arati to him on his arrival from Dwarkamai. This was Sej (night) Arati. Later, Kakad (morning) Arati was offered when he woke up there.
Khandoba Temple
Khandoba Temple is the place where Baba arrived along side the weeding party of Chand Patil. This is where Mahalsapati first saw him and said "Aao Sai", thus leading to Baba getting the name "Sai"
Baba's Museum
Just across from Gurusthan is a museum which shows the preserved artifacts from Baba's life. Above picture is of his actual Kafni. Similarly there are many articles that Baba used during his life time
"Highly merciful is this masjid mai. Once a person climbs into her lap, all their troubles are over."--Sri Sai Baba
Dwarkamai is where Baba spent most of his life. This is where he lit "Dhuni" and where the Fakir blessed people and where many like us (devotees) enjoyed the nectar of his love!!
Lendi / Nanda Deep
Lendi is significant as the place which Baba used to visit every day. It contains some tombs, a shrine, and most importantly, the perpetually burning lamp lit by Baba and placed between the two trees he planted. As the trees were touched by Baba and planted close to where he sat and the lamp that he lit, the area serves as a focus for worship, including pradakshina.
3 temples
Just behind the new outdoor theatre is a row of three small temples. They are dedicated to Ganesh, Shani (Saturn) and Mahadev (Shiva). Baba had them repaired and his local devotee, Tatya Kote Patil, was fond of offering lamps here. The small samadhi of the tiger, commemorated by a statue in Dwarkamai and said to have received mukti from Baba, is a few feet from the Mahadev shrine.
Dattatreya Mandir
Alongside Nanda deep is a temple of God Dattatreya. It is often said that baba was an incarnation of God Dattatreya
Gurusthan means "place of the guru". It is where Baba spent most time when he first came to Shirdi and where tomb of Baba's guru is located, by the neem tree. Once some villagers were digging just behind the neem tree, they came across some bricks in the soil and what looked like the opening of a tunnel. Baba told that this was the site of the tombs of his ancestors and it would be better not to disturb them
Hanuman/ Maruti Temple
On the lane that runs between Dwarkamai and Chavadi is the Hanuman Mandir. Baba seems to have had some connection with this temple; sometimes he would stand in front of it and remain there for a while, occasionally slowly moving his arm up and down. Baba replied to a question from Shama - "Arre, Shama, in my childhood my parents dedicated me to Maruti, and so I make signs at him to remind him I am his brother."
Mahalakshmi Temple
This temple is about five minutes walk from Dwarkamai Baba occassionally visited it on his begging rounds and Bala Ganpat Shimpi had tried all sorts of medicine to cure his malaria, but nothing worked and he had a raging fever. Baba gave him a curious prescription " Give a black dog some rice mixed with curd in front of the Laxmi temple” There he saw a black dog wagging its tail. The dog ate the proffered food and Shimpi quickly recovered
Samadhi of Devotees
Just outside the southern fence of Lendi, across the square from Dixit Wada, is a row of five samadhis (tombs). Each is labelled with name and dates. The five people buried here include important Sai devotees - Abdul Baba, Nanavali, Bhau Maharaj, Tatya Kote Patil, VP Iyer