Pilgrimage to Shirdi

[Guest guest]

Pilgrimage to Shirdi

 

Steeple of Shri Shirdi Sai Samadhi Temple

 

Sai Baba's place Shirdi (Maharashtra State) is a very sacred,

powerful and important place of pilgrimage in India. One can visit

this holy place easily. It is a well-developed town connected by bus

routes. There is an important Railway Station, Kopergaon, though

which the Karnataka Express from New Delhi to Bangalore passes. A

number of trains from Bombay and Delhi also pass through Manmad

station. Shirdi is only about 58 kms. from Manmad and buses and taxis

are easily available to reach there. The distance of Shirdi from some

important cities is as under:

 

Bombay - 266 kms.

Nasik - 90 kms.

Hyderabad - 610 kms.

Surat - 373 kms.

Nagpur - 618 kms.

Jalgaon - 233 kms.

Ahmednagar - 83 kms.

Delhi - 1166 kms.

Pune - 207 kms.

Sholapur - 312 kms.

 

There are arrangements for boarding and lodging at the Shirdi Sai

Sansthan but since the crowd of people on all days, especially on

Thursdays is very large, find it difficult to get accommodation.

Besides, there are large number of good hotels to cater to the needs

of all classes of devotees. They have to seek the same in hotels,

lodging places and private houses. Although there are arrangements

for selling breakfast, lunch and dinner packets at the sansthan, yet

due to the heavy rush most people have to eat outside in the market

or in the restaurants.

 

 

Routine at Shirdi

 

A typical souvenir shop at Shirdi

 

The Kakad Aarti (the early morning worship and prayer) is performed

very early in the morning at 5.15 a.m. in the main sanctum sanctorium

where Baba's body has been entombed. Then the Samadhi and the idol

are washed ceremonially and clad. Everyday from 6 a.m. to 7 a.m. the

music of S ai Geet (devotional songs on Sai) is played. Then the

abhishek (bathing of the deity) begins at 7.30 a.m. The noon aarti

(mid-day prayer) takes place exactly at noon. After this aarti there

is a break until the programme of singing, bhajan and kirtan

(devotional songs) in the afternoon. There is aarti again at 6.30

p.m. (sunset prayer). Then there is kirtan or bhajan till 10 p.m. and

the last aarti, i.e., Shej-aarti (night prayer) takes place at 10

p.m. The idol and the Samadhi are covered by a mosquito net and the

Lord Sri Sai Baba is thereafter deemed to have gone to sleep as the

devotees lovingly treat Him as a father.

 

On Thursdays, there is a procession of the palki (Baba's carriage)

and the padukas (Baba's slippers) at night and five gunshots are

fired at the time of the procession. Loudspeakers are arranged at the

time of the aarti and on festival days.

 

Important PIaces at Shirdi

 

A visitor to Shirdi must invariably visit the following places:

 

Statue of Shri Shirdi Sai Baba in the Samadhi Temple, Shirdi

Samadhi Temple

 

The construction of the Samadhi Temple was started by Sri But! during

the lifetime of Sai Baba, with a view to having a temple of Sri

Krishna. At a time when the construction was almost complete, Sai

Baba said that he would stay over there. So after Sai Baba attained

Nirvana (eternal peace) His rnortal remains were buried at the place.

The white marble pavement of the Samadhi was made afterwards. The

marble statue prepared by sculptor Sri Talini of Bombay was installed

by the side of the Samadhi in 1954. The spacious hall in front of the

Samadhi was also paved with marble tiles later. The people coming for

darshan, come first into the hall, which is decorated with photos,of

the saints and devotees of Sai Baba. The statue ot Sai Baba, in a

sitting position is such that He looks to every devotee coming for

darshan in to the hall. In a room, on the left side of the hall, the

articles used by Sai Baba are exhibited. There is a cellar below the

rooms on the right-side where valuables are kept. There is gallery on

the first floor and there are several rooms.

 

Shri Shirdi Sai Baba's Samadhi in the Samadhi Temple, Shirdi Back

side of the steeple of the Shirdi Sai Baba's Samadhi Temple

 

Dwarkamayee Masjid

 

This was an old Masjid named as Dwarka Mai by Sai Baba Himself. He

lived here all day and used to sit on a big stone, which is still

preserved. A portrait of Sai Baba, painted during His lifetime, is

also kept here. In front of the portrait, the sacred dhuni (fire)

kindled by Sai Baba is kept burning since then. A grinding stone, a

bathing stone, a wooden pillar, chulha (stove), padukas (slippers)

and Tuls! (Holy Basil) Vrindavan, which were used by Sai Baba are all

maintained here. Rath (carriage) and the pallanquin are also kept

here in a small room. The udi, taken out from the ever-blazing dhuni,

is used by the devotees as miraculous ash.

 

Chavadi

 

It is placed to the east of Dwarkamai. Sai Baba used to rest at this

place every alternate night. A number of portraits of deities are

exhibited here since the days of Sai Baba. A wooden plank and a wheel

chair brought for Baba but never used by Him, are also kept here.

 

Area of Gurusthan in Shirdi

Gurusthan

 

This is the place of Sai Baba's Guru. Sai Baba used to sit here under

a neem (margosa) tree, leaves of which lost their bitterness due to

the grace of Sai Baba., Incense is burnt here day and night in a pot,

in front of the Temple, wherein Lord Shiva's pindi and Nandi are

installed and padukas of Lord Sai Baba are also kept.

 

Lendibag and Nandadeep

 

Lendi nalla (stream) was flowing though this land and there was a

burial ground at the place. Sai Baba dug a well here and He used to

take out drinking water from it. Now the L4endi nalla is filled and a

garden is laid there. A Nandadeep lamp is kept burning there since

the day of Sai Baba, who used to sit here on a par (stone) near the

Nandadeep, below the neem tree. This park is renovated and

maintained. A new Dattatreya (the primordial guru) Temple has been

built in the garden in front of the Ashwattha tree. There is the

Samadhi of the horse Shamsunder, who used to bow down to Sai Baba and

thereafter to the Samadhi daily, till its death. There are the

Samadhis of Baba's devotees Abdul Baba, Nanavalli, Bhau Maharaj and

Tatya at the entrance of the Lendibag.

 

Khandoba Temple

 

This is a small temple called Khandoba of Lord Shiva situated on the

Ahmednagar-Kopargaon road. It was at this temple that Sai Baba was

first greeted by Sri Mahalsapati as "Ya, Sai"

 

Mahadev, Shani and Ganesh Temples

 

These three temples are built in a line. The Mahadev Temple is very

old and a statue of a tiger has been installed behind the Nandi.

There is a dhuni in the Shani Temple also. The Ganesh Temple is also

very old. There are the Keshav Temple and Mangal Karyalaya, built in

recent years beyond the road on the eastern side.

 

http://www.saibabaofshirdi.net/pilgrimage_to_shirdi.htm

 

Continue