Shirdi, a small town in Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar district, is a symbol of spirituality, simplicity, and harmony. Shirdi is intrinsically related to Sai Baba. Every ceremony, holiday, or event held here revolves around Sai Baba.
Baba spent most of his life here, committing himself to serve humanity until he breathed his last breath. His brave efforts succeeded in uniting Hindu and Muslim populations, ensuring that they could live in peace even today!
Shirdi, which receives millions of visitors each year, has an unrivaled devotional atmosphere that has attracted pilgrims from Mumbai for generations. The tradition is still followed today. Because of this popular belief, many devotees visit Baba’s shrine to seek his blessings.
When Is The Best Time To Visit Shirdi?
Ram Navami, Guru Purnima, and Vijayadashami are the three major festivals of Shirdi. During these times, the devotees’ charm and aura, as well as the shrine’s decoration, are undoubtedly worth seeing.
Winter is the greatest time to visit if you want to enjoy sightseeing as well. Monsoons make the world a happier, lighter, and brighter place. The temperature frequently drops at night, making it comfortable and snug all around!
Summers are ideal for avoiding long darshan lines and enjoying your time at the temple in peace!
Sai Baba devotees flock to the temple on Thursdays.
Places To Visit At Shirdi
While every follower of the saint undoubtedly visits the major Sai Baba temple, few are aware of the many other locations to visit in Shirdi. Shirdi, a prominent pilgrimage site, is gradually transforming into a tourism destination, thanks to the large number of people who visit it on a daily basis.
Shirdi, a popular weekend getaway destination for residents of Pune, Mumbai, and Nagpur, is now much more than temples. Amusement parks, cultural heritage sites, shopping malls, and much more may be found there. After seeking Lord Sai’s blessings, Shirdi tourism attractions make sure to enthral visitors.
In altogether, these different tourist attractions provide enough for all types of guests to easily spend two to three days in Sai’s hometown. Most of these locations transport you back in time and give you a glimpse into his and the peasants’ lives.
Shirdi Sai Baba Temple
On any given day, this temple of Sai Baba, who is regarded as one of the greatest saints ever known to mankind, attracts between 25000 and 30000 worshippers from all across India. The temple is filled with at least a lakh people during festivals and other significant occasions.
Prayer songs are sung here all day, from 4 a.m. to 11 p.m. The two primary pujas, Abhishek Pooja and Satyanarayan Pooja are held in three and five batches, respectively, at 7 a.m., 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m.
Shirdi Taluka is located in Ahmednagar’s Rahata District.
Timings: 5 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Sai Teerth Theme Park
Sai Teerth Theme Park, India’s first spiritual themed park, is a completely air-conditioned park with four different sorts of presentations. This comprises a movie theatre, a 5D Show, a Dwarkamai set that has been artificially produced, and a train journey.
The programmes teach Sai devotees about his life in an appealing and entertaining manner, as the train ride passes by all of India’s prominent temples. There is also a restaurant on the premises to meet your hunger needs.
Entry fee: 390Rs for children and 470 Rs for adults.
Timings: 10 am to 6 pm every day
Gurusthan
When Sai Baba was 16 years old, he first emerged to the world at Gurusthan, which means “seat of a teacher.” He sat behind a Neem tree, which has since become a shrine. The neem tree’s limbs may be seen reaching for the temple’s ceiling.
A big image of Sai Baba is shown, along with a Shivling and a Nandi bull. A marble statue of Sai Baba with depictions of the 12 jyotirlingas can be found in the same temple. Smoking incense sticks at Gurusthan, according to Sai Baba devotees, will cure any illness.
Location: Gurusthan is located in Kopargaon, a town 14 kilometers outside of Shirdi.
Timings: 5 a.m. to 10 pm Everyday
Sai Heritage Village
The Sai Heritage Village is a relatively new addition to Shirdi’s tourism attractions. This town, which established in 2014, is a theme park for Sai devotees that serves as a pilgrimage and picnic spot for anyone. This theme park has become popular because it depicts many episodes and stories from Sai Baba’s lifetime.
It is one of the best sites to visit in Shirdi since one may learn about Sai Baba and the people’ lives. The park also features a great play area for the kids, as well as a little café to satisfy their hunger!
Location: Sai Heritage Village is located 3 kilometers from Sai Baba temple.
Timings: 9 am to 11 pm Everyday
Entry fee: 150 RS adults
Wet N Joy Water Park
Wet N Joy Water Park, as the name implies, is a water and amusement park that is among Shirdi’s most famous tourist attractions. This park, which is suitable for all ages, is the ideal location for a relaxing and enjoyable day.
This park might be the ideal one-day picnic destination with loved ones, with a range of rides that cater to all ages. The greatest time to visit is during the summer holidays, when the park offers attractive entry price discounts to help people beat the heat.
Location: Situated close to Sun-n-Sand Hotel at Post Nighoj, Taluka-Rahata, Ahmednagar, Shirdi.
Entry Fee:
Weekend:- 450 Rs/child and 700 Rs/Adult
Weekdays:- 400Rs/child and 650 Rs/Adult
Timings: 10 am to 6 pm every day.
Trimbakeshwar Temple
Shri Trimbakeshwar Temple is about 28 kilometers from Nashik City. Trimbakeshwar is well connected by state transport buses. Shri Trimbakeshwar Temple is located around 28 kilometers from Nashik, Maharashtra, near the Brahamagiri mountain from which the Godavari river flows. It was built on the site of an existing temple by the third Peshwa Balaji Bajirao (1740-1760).
One of the twelve Jyotirlingas, Trimbakeshwar Temple is a holy center. Trimbakeshwar is situated at the foot of Brahamagiri hill, which rises to a height of 3000 feet above sea level. Trimbakeshwar Temple Trust looks after Trimbakeshwar Temple.
They built Shivprasad Bhakta Niwas, which has 24 rooms (2 bedded, 3 bedded, and 5 bedded), a conference hall, an elevator, and hot water.
Best Hotels to Visit at Shirdi
- Sun-n-Sand Shirdi
- Keys Prima Hotels
- Temple Tree
- Goradia’s Lords Inn
- St Laurn Meditation & Spa
Hotel Sai Leela
Nearest Airport to Shirdi
The nearest airport to Shirdi is the Aurangabad Airport which is 130 kilometers away from Shridi. The airport is well-connected to major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, and Hyderabad. You can board a taxi or a cab or a bus to reach Shirdi from Aurangabad.
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