Saturday 2 February 2013

Shirdi, Home of the popular Guru Shri Sai Baba



Shirdi, is one of the important and sacred pilgrimage centre in Maharashtra. Shirdi is a town in Ahmadnagar District of Maharashtra state of India which is popular because of the sacred temple of Shri Sai Baba which is popularly known as Shirdi Ke Sai Baba an Indian Guru, fakir and yogi. The Sai Temple is located in this town which is 83 Kilometer from Ahmadnagar and 15 Km from Kopergaon .
It is believed that Sai Baba is an incarnation of Lord Krishna and some peoples say that he was an incarnation of Lord Dattatreya. Many people believe that he was an Satguru and millions of devotees visit this temple from all over the world every year to pay their respects. Lord Sai Baba lived in this small town from 1838 to 1918 and till his death no one knew about his real name, his birthplace, his family anything. He lived in a mosque from the point he came to this town till his death. The beautiful shrine of Shri Sai Baba is built over his Samadhi which he had asked his disciples to build before his death.

History of Sai Temple

Long time ago, a bearded young man came to this small Shirdi village and took shelter in a mosque. No one knew him, from where he had come, who hardly utter a single word. Gradually people started offering him food and try to ask him about him but he never asks for anything and hardly speaks. Soon he started addressing his view points to some elderly villagers and his simple way of addressing and helping poor destitute villagers and addressing them makes him from less known fakir to be known as Shri Sai Baba. People realized that he was not an ordinary man but a man with extraordinary godly powers, the powers which are not present in normal peoples. Sai performed many miracles, on one occasion he restored the eyesight of a poor elderly man and on another he lighted a lantern with water, and also performed miracles to help poor peoples. As it is said that all good things have to end ultimately, Sai also left his body on his own in the mosque and before his death he asked his believers to built his Samadhi there and on this Samadhi the Shirdi temple is built.

How to Reach?

·         By Rail- Shirdi has a railway station called as Sainagar Shirdi which was operational from 2009. Trains from Manmad station also run to Shirdi which is 87 kilometer from here and Ahmadnagar is 83 kilometer from Shirdi. Number of trains travel to and from these stations. Many trains are available to reach to Shirdi.
·         By Road – Buses and taxis are available from the railway station to reach Shirdi and to the temple also. Shirdi can be reached from Ahmadnagar, Mumbai, Pune, Thane, Nashik, Dhule, Nagpur and Akluj. Auto rikshaws are also available to travel within the city.
·         By Air – Shirdi Airport is constructed at Kakdi which is 18 kilometers from Shirdi Town. From airport you can take bus or taxi to reach to the temple.

Where to Stay?

Shirdi is a famous pilgrimage centre in Maharashtra which is visited by thousand of devotees every month. For accommodation, Bhaktaniwas is the hotels or lodge by the temple committee is situated here. But, this lodge is always crowded and already booked as every day number of devotees, but there are number of good hotels available near temple of various varieties from budget to five stars. Most of the people opt for budget hotels and most of the families prefer hotels of low prices. There are many budget hotels in Shirdi  that provides good facility to their guests.

Shirdi is the most famous pilgrimage centre in Maharashtra. Many people believe and follow teachings of Lord Sai. You can feel the power of this God everywhere in Shirdi village. 

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