Shirdi, regarded as the spiritual town with devotees from across the world, is a small hamlet located in Rahata Tahasil, Ahmednagar District of Maharashtra. Shirdi is famous for being the place of 19th century guru Shirdi Sai Baba. This legendary sage of India, Sai Baba of Shirdi lived here for most of the 80 years of his life. Sai Baba is regarded as a saint by both his Hindu and Muslim devotees. The town became prominent after the death of the saint in the year 1918. This famous religious sacred destination in India is dotted with numerous tourist places and pilgrim spots. The famous Shani Shingnapur Temple is at a distance of 65 km from Shirdi.
History of Shirdi Sai Baba
Legends of Shirdi Sai Baba can be traced back in the middle of the last century. Sai Baba, as a boy of about 16 years of age, first appeared here under a Neem tree and performed a hard penance. For about 60 years, the sage dedicated his life to boost up the life of the poor and suffering. Through his teachings, he tried to merge Hinduism and Islam. The mosque in which Sai Baba lived is called Dwarakamayi. He practiced Hindu and Muslim rituals and was buried in a Hindu temple in Shirdi. This popular saint is worshipped by people all around the world.
Major Festivals in Shirdi
Guru Poornima is one of the main festivals celebrated by devotees of Shirdi Sai Baba. Other festivals celebrated in Shirdi include Dussehra and Ram Navami (Ramnavami). The Shirdi Samadhi Mandir remains open for the whole night only on these occasions.
How to reach Shirdi in India
By Road / Bus / Car
Shirdi is well connected to all neighboring cities by road network. Buses are available from Nasik, Mumbai, Bangalore and Pune to Shirdi. The place is accessible via the Ahmednagar - Manmad State Highway No. 10, approximately 83 km from Ahmednagar and 15 km from Kopargaon. It is located 185 km east of the Western Seashore line (the Ahmednagar - Manmad road).
By Train / Railway Station
Kopargaon Railway Station is the nearest railhead to Shirdi, is about 16 km away. Kopergaon Railway Station is an important railway station in Delhi – Bangalore route. Manmad Junction Railway Station (58 km from Shirdi) and Nasik Road Railway Station (123 km) are the other main railway stations to reach Shirdi.
By Flight / Air
Aurangabad Airport or Chikkalthana Airport is the nearest airport, 144 km away. Mumbai Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport is the nearest airport to reach Shirdi, around 305 km away.
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See Also
Shani Shinganapur Temple of Shanidev in India
Shirdi Sai Dwarkamai Sarvatharyami Sai Ram Bhajan Song
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Ohh thats great info I have visited shirdi many times but never knew about the other attractions surroundeding the temple. This will definitely help visitors in shirdi to take the maximum advantage of their trip by visiting all the locations listed here. Thanks for sharing such great info...
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing such wonderful information about shirdi and near by place. Most of the people do visit Shani Shinganapur to get blessed with Shani Dev. But Shirdi Sai Baba is always crowded with Sai baba Devotees
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