Shirdi SaiNath Temple &Sevas

About Sai Temple Samadhi Mandir Information-Shirdi:-

Shirdi Sai Baba Temple Info:-

Shirdi Sai temple has been built over his Samadhi (a state of consciousness induced by complete meditation) during year 1922. The idol of Baba is a marvelous statue carved over a single Italian marble by Late Balaji Vasant Talim in year 1954. The temple has an assembly hall for about 600 devotees. The first floor of the temple has the pictures depicting the life of the saint. The daily routine of the temple starts at 4 AM through 11 PM. Only on three occasions the temple is kept open overnight i.e. on Gurupoornima, Dassera, and Srirama Navmi. Every Thursday and on each festival, a Palakhi (chariot) with Baba’s photo is taken out to the streets of Shirdi as a festive ritual.

The Samadhi Mandir of Shri Sai Baba was constructed by a famous Sai devotee Shreemant Gopalrao. It is said that he wanted to enshrine an idol of Murlidhar there but Sai Baba manifested himself as Murlidhar and the temple became the Samadhi Mandir of Sai Baba or Popularly called as Shridi Sai Baba Temple.


The Samadhi is built with white marble. In front of the Samadhi are two silver pillars adorned with decorative designs. Just behind the Samadhi, you will find a marvelous marble statue of Sai Baba seated on a throne. A silver umbrella stands open above the statue. The front of the Mandir has a spacious assembly hall that can accommodate 600 devotees which showcases different things used by Sai Baba during his lifetime. On the first floor of the Mandir are pictures that depict Baba s life. The day begins at 5 o clock in the morning with Bhoopali, a morning song, and closes at 10 pm after the Shejarati is sung. It is one of the prime Tourist Attractions In Shirdi and is frequented by numerous tourists all the year round.

All temple activity at Shirdi revolves around the vast temple complex. Devotees enter the complex through one of four gates.

Gate №1: –


which is an entry into the temple premises and for Mukh Darshan, i.e, darshan of Baba’s face from a distance – from the raised platform. After entering Gate №1, you may freely roam in the temple premises, take Udi (sacred ash, as in Vibhuti) see Abdul Baba’s Samadhi, Tatya’s samadhi, Nanavali’s samadhi, the Sai Baba Museum and walk to Dwarakamayi, but there is no entrance to Lendi Bagh or Baba’s Well.

Main Gate №2:-
On the north side of the temple, on Pimpalwadi Road, is Main Gate №2 which was earlier used as an entry and exit gate. At present is closed and not in use. Instead, just besides it on the Pimpalwadi Road itself is the entry gate for all devotees without any passes. This entry takes one directly into the first waiting hall from where the darshan queues, after moving along through spiraling long stretch of steel barricaded halls and via stairs, finally leads upto the Samadhi of Baba.




 Gate №3:-
On the east side, in the lane going inside from Pimpalwadi Road is Gate №3 which is used mainly for exit out of the temple premises towards Mukh Darshan, the Hanuman temple and Baba’s Shri Chavadi. If one enters through this gate, on the left hand side comes the Mukh Darshan entry while on the right hand side is an entrance used for the senior citizens special entry during peak periods. This gate is also used as an entry for senior citizens, physically challenged persons and those who are unable to walk.





Gate №4 :-
On the south side is Gate №4 which is primarily used for south exit off the temple premise. Left side of this exit leads to Dwarakamai while the right side of the exit leads to main road of the city. This gate is right opposite the samadhis of Nanavali, Abdul Baba and Tatya Patil..






Map Of important Temples in shirdi:-

Dwarkamai:-
Shri Sai Baba  stayed at Dwarkamai till the very end of his life. Dwarkamai is situated on the right of the entrance of Samadhi Mandir. Here he solved problems of the people, cured their sickness and worries. Before Baba's arrival in Shridhi, Dwarkamai was an old mosque in a dilapidated condition. Baba turned it into Dwarkamai and proved that God is one. The first level of Dwarkamai has a portrait of Baba and a big stone on which Baba used to sit. This level has two rooms. One contains the chariot and the second a palkhi. Just in front of the room where the chariot is kept is a small temple. A saffron flag flies over it. The second level of Dwarkamai has a square stool made of stone, which Baba used for taking a bath. The main attraction of this place is the oil painting of Shri Sai Baba sitting in a carved wooden shrine. This level also has the grinding stone and the wooden vessel called Kolamba in which Baba used to keep the Bhiksha brought from the village.

 Dhuni:-
The dhuni is the most significant part of Dwarkamai, as it is so intimately associated with Baba. The dhuni is the sacred, perpetually burning fire that Baba built and which has been maintained ever since, though today the fire is much bigger and is enclosed behind a wire cage.
Fire was also important to Baba, as wherever he stayed - whether under the neem tree, in the forest, or in the mosque - he always kept a dhuni. Baba, however, was not bound by any convention or set rules, nor did he worship the fire. He simply maintained it, using it for his own particular and mysterious purposes.
Fire is a manifestation of energy of which the whole universe is made. The fire sacrifice stands for the cosmic consciousness in which the manifold creation is projected, maintained and constantly transformed. Hence, the ‘Dhuni’ is the symbol of ‘Chidagni’ or Cosmic energy.

‘Dhuni’, which is perpetually burning at Shirdi, is the fire sacrifice for burning down the sins to ashes for those who seek complete refuge in this peerless Master.

Baba used to distribute the 'Udi', ash of this sacred fire to all who came to Him with faith, as a token of His grace. Today also the devotees partake a pinch of this sacred ash as a token of His blessings. The Sacred Ash (popularly known as UDI) had curative powers in it and whosoever visited Shirdi used to carry it with him. Today, due to the visit by a large number of devotees, a spoon full of this Ash is given.
When Baba returned from his morning begging rounds with a cloth bag of food and a tin pot of liquids, he would first offer some of it at the dhuni before taking any himself. We may not be able to discern exactly why or how Baba used the dhuni, but it is evident that despite the apparent informality around it, the fire was an important part of his routine.

Chavadi:-

Though apparently and formally Baba used to go to the Chavadi. In his super conscious state he was never asleep and used to tell his devotees that in his everlasting awareness (consciousness) he will always protect his devotees who were asleep at night.

Chavadi means “village office”, and was the place where taxes were collected, village records kept and visiting officials put up. After Baba’s mahasamadhi the Sansthan acquired Chavadi, and until the late 1930s, used it for storing books and accommodating pilgrims. The village offices have long been relocated and Chavadi is kept as a shrine to Baba and is open to all.

Sai Baba is intimately connected with this place, as he used to sleep here on alternate nights, during the last decade of his life. The routine was started on one wild and stormy night, around 1909. It was raining heavily, and water was coming through the leaky walls of the mosque. The devotees tried their best to persuade Baba to move out, if only until the water had subsided, but Baba did not want to go. Eventually, they virtually forced him to leave, by picking him up and half-carrying him to Chavadi. From that day onwards, Baba would spend alternate nights here.

Gurusthan:-

Sai Baba first came to Shridhi in the form of Bal Yogi - a child ascetic. He was first spotted seated under a Neem tree. This place came to be known as Gurusthan. The renovation of Gurusthan was made on 30th September, 1941. The present temple was built after this period. There is a small shrine in Gurusthan. On a elevated platform of this shrine a big portrait of Baba is placed. On the side is a marble statue of Baba. In
front of the portrait is a Shivling and the Nandi. Photos of twelve Jyotirlingas are kept in the temple. The branches of the Neem tree have come out through the roof of the temple.


Lendi Gardens:-

Lendi is significant as the place which Baba used to visit every day. It contains some tombs, a shrine, and most importantly, the perpetually burning lamp lit by Baba and placed between the two trees he planted.
In Baba's time, Lendi was an area of wasteland between two small streams, the Lendi and the Sira (now dried up). Baba used this area for toilet purposes. He would leave the mosque for Lendi around nine o'clock in the morning accompanied by some devotees. However, none was allowed inside with him except Abdul Baba.
Apart from answering the calls of nature here, Baba seemed to enjoy going to Lendi and sometimes went several times a day. This was the place where he spent time in solitude.



Nanda Deep:-

This is the main feature of Lendi: the perpetually burning lamp between two trees that Baba is said to have planted, a neem and a bodhi. As the trees were touched by Baba and planted close to where he sat and the lamp that he lit, the area serves as a focus for worship, including pradakshina.

Between the neem tree and the bodhi tree is Nanda Deep ("lamp of bliss", also known as Akhanda Deep - "perpetually burning lamp"), the lamp that was originally lit by Baba. Later, Baba instructed Abdul Baba to see that it was kept burning.

Hanuman Mandir:-

Down the lane that runs between Dwarkamai and the Chavadi is the Hanuman Mandir, one of the oldest temples in Shirdi. Marked by a pair of trees enclosed by a circular railing, it is also known as the Maruti Mandir. Unusually, the temple faces south and there are two Hanuman images here, side by side. You may also notice a few weights and dumbbells in the corner. Because Hanuman is considered strong and vigorous and is the patron deity of wrestlers, young men find this an auspicious place in which to exercise.

Khandoba Mandir:-

After arriving in shirdi, one must visit Shri Khandoba Mandir before having darshan of Saibaba. Khandoba, an Avatar of Shiva, is the Kul Devata of Maharashtra. The mandir is located adjacent to Shri Sainath Hospital, opposite to Bus Stand. Mahalsapathi was the priest of this temple. The significance of visiting Khandoba Mandir first, is as follows:

Baba came along with Chand Patil’s marriage party and placed his foot under a banyan tree. The priest at the temple, Mahalsapathi welcomed Baba by saying “Aao Sai”. The fakir without a name began to be called “Sai Baba” from then onwards by the villagers of Shirdi.



Five Samadhis:-

The five Samadhi’s of Abdul Baba, Nanavalli, V.P.Iyer, Bhau Maharaj Kumbara and Tatya Kote Patil are beside Lendi Baugh, opposite to Udhi Distribution Centre, inside the temple complex.




Festivals and Sevas Of Shirdi Sai:-

The three main festivals are celebrated in Shirdi. They are Ramnavami (March/April), Guru Purnima (July),and Vijayadashami (September). These festivals are celebrated with great passion, verve and he artfulness. There is a programme of puja, music (bhajan) public parayana (reading of scriptures and devotional texts) and exuberant processions with the palanquin and the Rath (cart). The Samadhi Mandir remains open all night during one of these days with Dwarkamai being open the previous night and there are all night bhajan and qawali sessions at various locations in the village. Printed programmes with full details are available at the Sansthan Office.
Only on three occasions the temple is kept open overnight i.e. on Gurupoornima, Dassera, and Ramnavmi. Every Thursday and on each festival, a Palakhi with Baba's photo is taken out from the temple.

Temple Seva Timings:-

4:30: Dwarkamai, Gurusthan, Chavadi open

5:00: Mandir opens, Bhupali, Abhishekam at Gurusthan

5:15: Kakad (morning) Arati, Naivedyam of butter and sugar to Baba in Samadhi Mandir, Oil offered to the lamps in Dwarkamai

5:40: Bhajan in Saibaba Mandir

6:00: Mangal Snaan (washing) of Statue and Samadhi in Samadhi Mandir

7:00: Darshan begins in Samadhi Mandir

9:00: Naivedyam in Samadhi Mandir and Dwarkamai

8:00 -10:30: Satyanarayana Pooja

11:30: Dhuni Pooja with rice and ghee in Dwarkamai

12:00: Mid day Arati

12:30: Naivedyam in Samadhi Mandir, Dwarkamai and Gurusthan

4:00: Pothi (Devotional reading/Study) in Samadhi Mandir Sunset: Dhoop (evening) Arati

6:30: Naivedyam in Samadhi Mandir, Dwarkamai and Gurusthan

8:00 - 9:00: Devotional Songs in Samadhi Mandir and other Cultural Programs (if any)

9:00: Chavadi and Gurusthan close

9:30: In Dwarkamai water is given to Baba, a mosquito net is hung and the hanging lamp is lit

9:45: Dwarkamai (the upper part) closes

10:00: Shej (night) Arati, after this , a shawl is wrapped around the statue in the Samadhi Mandir, a Rudraksha mala is put around baba's neck, Mosquito net is hung, and a glass of water kept there

10:45: Samadhi Mandir closes after night Arati