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Best itinerary for Shirdi darshan

The name Shirdi is a synonym for Sai Baba. Every day a large number of devotees visit Shirdi Maharastra for Sai Baba darshan and to get blessings.

In this post, I will be sharing my experience of visiting Shirdi with my family, the place where we stayed, and what all places we visited in and around Shirdi.

Keep reading if you are planning to visit Shirdi…

You will also enjoy reading Best Way From Shirdi To ShaniShingnapur

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Best itinerary for Shirdi darshan

Where is Shirdi?

Shirdi is a holy place located in the Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra, India. It is well connected by Road, Train and also has an International airport with limited flights.

Why is Shirdi famous?

Shirdi is most famous for Sai Baba Temple. Baba spent his whole life in this village. Saibaba Temple is among the most visited places in India.

People visiting Shirdi also travel to places like Shani shignapur, Nashik that have religious sentiments attached to it.

Places to visit in Shirdi

Following are must-visit places in, and around Shirdi:

Sai Baba Temple

This is the most famous place to visit in Shirdi. Daily thousands of devotees visit this place to pay their tribute and seek blessing from this saint who is known for doing many miracles.

Thursday is the most crowded day here apart from weekends. During these days you may have to spend hours in queue for darshan. It is recommended to visit between Monday to Wednesday to avoid huge crowds.

Mostly entry is from gate number 2. Depending on the crowd, you may get darshan in in 10min or may have to stand in queue for 3-4hours.

Note: Entry is free in the temple, you can buy priority pass (Rs.200/ per person)to avoid long queues.

You can also visit nearby attractions that are around 1km to temple, these includes:

Gurusthan: This is the place Saibaba first appeared under a neem tree.
Khandoba Mandir: This temple is adjecent to Gurusthan.
Dwarkamai: Baba used to stay here, this has both temple and masjid.
Chavadi: Saibaba used to live here during his last days
Lendi Baug: Baba use to water plants in this garden.
Dixit Wada Museume: Sai baba\’s personal belongings are kept here.
Dakshin mukhi Hanuman mandir:
Sai Heritage Village: This gives a glimpse of village during Saibaba\’s life time. Timing is from 9am to 10pm, entry fee Rs.125/- per person. Monorail and magic show is included in this ticket. Horse ride and cable car ride is extra.
Sai Prasadalaya: You can take the free bus from sai sansthan to reach here, its around 1.5km from Sai temple. This is india\’s largest solar kitchen that sits around 5 thousand devotees. Prasad (lunch, dinner) is free here. You may have to wait in queue for 30-40minutes.

2. Sai Devotional Theme park

Shirdi Maharasstra Sai Teerth Theme park

This may well be the first theme park devoted to spirituality. It is around 1km from Gate 2 of Sai temple .

The ticket is around Rs.470 (including tax) for the combo i.e all facilities are included. Timings are from 10 am to 7 pm and its completely worth it.

Sai Devotional Park Lanka Dahan 5D Shirdi Maharasstra

This theme park has the following shows, which takes around 3hous:

Teerth Yatra: This will give your a tour of Kedarnath, Badrinath, Tirupathi, Minakshi temple, Dwarka, Puri, and Pandharur.

Lanka Dahan: This is an immersive experience of 5D movie depicting Lanka Dahan. This is the best experience you can get. Try to get the first-row seat for more thrill! Heart patients and little kids should avoid.

Subka Malik Ek: You will enjoy the show in a huge theater for around 1hr film.

Dwarka Mai: This is a robotic show depicting Sai Baba’s life.

Shani Shingnapur

This is famous for Lord Shani, the king of justice as per Hindu mythology. Around 65km from Shirdi, this is a unique village in Maharastra. Here no houses/shops have any doors!

People believe anyone stealing from this village will be punished severely by lord Shani.

You can get sharing minibus, each ticket cost Rs.200/ for return ride.

Note: Even public utilities do not have doors here.

Do read Best Way From Shirdi To ShaniShingnapur for full details

Wet & Joy Water Park

shirdi wet and joy water park Shirdi Maharasstra

This is around 2km from Shirdi (just opposite Sai Devotional park). Tickets are Rs.1200 for height 4.6ft and above, Rs,1000 for below 4.6ft. Below 3.3 feet free entry.

You can club Sai devotional park and water park and get tickets for Rs.1200/- only!!

How to reach Shirdi?

You can reach Shirdi via Road, Train or Flight. By train, you will have to get down at SNSI (SaiNagar station).

Once you get down at railway station/bus station, lots of rickshaw drivers will approach you. If you have not booked a stay, they will take you to hotels as well.

If you already did hotel booking, just ignore the agents and come out of station. From there you will get auto to your hotel. Private auto may charge you around 150/- , you can also go for sharing auto, Rs.20/- per seat till the temple.

Get great deals on Shirdi Hotels

From Mumbai:

Shirdi from Mumbai is 250km, you can reach there by Bus or train. Non AC bus Rs.350, AC Rs.500.

By train, you can take Dadar SNSI, which runs daily. Alternate-day train numbers and routes are different. One is via Nashik other is via Pune.

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From Pune:

From Pune, Shirdi is 190km, Non AC bus Rs.295, AC Rs.450.

You can also go by train from Pune.

Get Pune Local Train Tickets Online

Where To Stay In Shirdi?

There are many options of stay depending on your budget.

Dharmshala: This is around 1km from Temple and charges you Rs.20 for 24hr stay.

Room at bus stop: You will get a 3-bed room for Rs.300.
Shirdi Sansthan Stay: Shirdi board have 3 huge establishments for the devotees and offers AC/Non AC rooms and a dormitory. You can book your stay either Online or Offline (during peak time, rooms may not be available). Don’t forget to carry your own soap, it’s not provided in the room, you can buy it from the Cigarette shop as well!!

Private AC rooms are also available around the bus stop starting Rs.900/-
Sai Trust Rooms: Sai trust also provides Non AC (starting Rs.200/-) and AC (Starting Rs.500/-) accommodation. Book online in advance to ensure a room.

In case you do not want a place to stay, you can opt for a Free cloak room near the bus stop to drop off your luggage.

Food options in Shirdi

You can either have your food at the free prasadalaya (attached to each Sai trust accommodation facility) and also a separate establishment or can eat at restaurants.

Breakfast is available at Trust run establishment by paying Rs.5/- but there is huge queue, so you may decide to eat outside if you are hard pressed for time.

Tea, Coffee and Milk counters are also present in Trust accommodation, you can get Tea for Rs.2/- and Coffee/Milk for Rs.3. Bottled water is available for Rs.10 (the tap water tastes different)

shirdi tea coffee water bottel counter Shirdi Maharasstra

There is a lot of restaurants available in shirdi offering both veg and non veg food.

Note: We tried Udupi Punjabi restaurant, the food was average and felt the cost did not justify the taste. So I recommend sticking to Idly, Sambar, and stay away from the fancy dish.

Distance Of Mandir From Important places:

Bus stop to Shirdi Mandir	500m
Railway (SaiNagar station) to Mandir	5km
Airport To Mandir	15km
Shirdi To Shani Shignapur	65km

Note: Camera, mobile , purse are not allowed, so either leave it in hotel room or you can deposit it in locker, charge is Rs.5/- per mobile. Wallet is allowed.

Shirdi online darshan tickets

You should book darshan tickets online if you are planning to visit Shirdi during peak days (Thursday,Sturday,Sunday) other wise its not required.

Frauds In Shirdi

Tourist spots including religious tourist spots are infested by fraudsters, its a sad truth. Be ware of people being very kind to you and trying to help you without your asking them.

The friendly face will offer your free ride from your hotel to temple and will take you to a shop where you can deposit mobile etc. They will ask you to buy offerings (around Rs.500) but nothing is allowed in the temple.

Similarly, someone will approach you with the pretext of helping your keep your footwear and will insist to buy offerings from his shop.

Note: There is a free service near temple where you can keep your footwears and keep mobiles camera in locer, Rs.5 each item. No offerings are allowed inside Sai temple, so avoid buying it before entering temple.

My Shirdi Trip From Mumbai With Family

I booked train tickets from Dadar to Sai Nagar Shirdi (SNSI). There are two trains, on operates on Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Other train fills the missing days.

I had an option of taking any train but i Opted for train on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday as the train arrival at Sainagar station is around 9am and my hotel check time is at 11am . The other train would have dropped me at 4am.

From the railway station, I took an auto that charged me Rs.20/- per seat and dropped me at Sai Sansthan Bus stop near the temple. I took the free bus to reach Sai ashram and checked in to my room.

Note: If you check in to Sai Sanstha rooms before 11 am, your check-out time will be set to 11 am same day!!

I avoided Thursday and Saturday, Sunday as its very crowded.

I booked AC room for 2 days in Sai Ashram, it cost me Rs.600 per day. The room was fine but the toilet and bathroom could have been cleaner. Also the bathroom did not have a shower, they did provide a bucket and mug though. Carry your own soap & hand wash.

My return journey was also by train, SNSI to Dadar.

FAQ:

Is wallet allowed in shirdi temple?

Yes, you can carry wallet, belt in Shirdi temple but you will have to deposit your mobile (Rs.5/- per mobile) and luggage/bag (free), service is available just outside temple. Ladies side purse is allowed.

Is jeans allowed in Shirdi?

Yes, jeans are allowed in Shirdi. I did not see any cloth restrictions, I believe as long as your cloths are too reveling, no one will bother.

Can we visit Shirdi without booking?

Yes, you can visit Shirdi without booking. In case you want to skip long queue you should go for paid darshan.

Is free food available in Shirdi?

Yes, you can enjoy food prasad for free at all the Shirdi Sansthan stay and at Prasadalaya. Only breakfast is charged at Rs.5/-, Tea Rs.2, Coffee,Milk Rs3, Water bottel Rs.10/-

How can I get VIP darshan in Shirdi?

You can get VIP pass from any of the Shirdi Trust run establishment by paying the requisit fee (around Rs.200/-)

Conclusion:

Shirdi is a very religious place where people from all religions visit. The stay is very cheap, try to stick with the rooms offered by the Sai Trust or book Hotels online.

Beware of the fraudsters and your trip will be very enjoyable.