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.

History

In the mid-1850s a young Sai Baba arrived and settled in Shirdi, then a small village; at first denounced by the villagers as a madman, over the following decades he drew both Hindu and Muslim devotees from the surrounding area. After his death in 1918 his remains were placed in Buti Wada, which grew into the Samadhi Mandir, known today as the Shirdi Sai Baba Temple (Wikipedia, Shirdi).

What to look for

• 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.

What to expect

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.