Shirdi

Sai Baba lived at Shirdi from around 1858 until his death in 1918, in a disused mosque he called Dwarkamai, keeping a fire burning that has not been let out since, and teaching in terms that drew both Hindu and Muslim followers without ever clarifying which he belonged to; nothing certain is known of his birth or origins. His tomb, the Samadhi Mandir, is now the centre of a large complex receiving tens of thousands of pilgrims daily, among the most visited shrines in India, with a free kitchen serving meals to hundreds of thousands. Dwarkamai, the fire and the neem tree he sat under are all shown.

What you actually see

• The Samadhi Mandir - the tomb shrine at the centre of the complex.
• Dwarkamai - the mosque he lived in, with the fire still burning.
• The neem tree - the tree associated with his early years in the village.
• The kitchen - free meals served on an industrial scale.

When to go

November to February; Ram Navami, Guru Purnima and the Vijayadashami anniversary bring the largest crowds. Queues run for hours at any time; paid passes shorten them.

Honest expectations

Queues for darshan can take several hours even with a paid pass. Phones and bags are prohibited near the shrine. The town outside the complex is entirely given over to pilgrim commerce.

Nearby

Nashik lies northwest; Aurangabad is northeast.