Shirdi travel guide

Best time

October to March

Nearest railway station

Sainagar Shirdi

Nearest airport

Shirdi

Kakad Aarti

About 4:30 am

Shej Aarti

About 10:30 pm

Main festivals

Ram Navami, Guru Purnima, Vijayadashami

Places to see

The main sites are all within walking distance of each other:

• Samadhi Mandir: the main temple, built over Sai Baba's tomb, with his marble idol.
• Dwarkamai: the old mosque where he lived, with the dhuni (sacred fire) he kept burning.
• Chavadi: where he slept on alternate nights; a procession is held here on Thursdays.
• Gurusthan: the neem tree under which he was first seen as a young man.
• Lendi Baug: the garden he watered and tended every day.

Aarti and darshan

The day begins with Kakad Aarti at about 4:30 am, followed by the Madhyan (noon) Aarti at 12 pm, the Dhoop Aarti at sunset and the Shej Aarti at around 10:30 pm. Crowds are heavy, especially on Thursdays, weekends and festival days, and each devotee gets only a brief moment before the idol.

To cut waiting time, book darshan and aarti passes online through the Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust in advance. Mobile phones and bags must be deposited before entering.

Best time to visit

October to March is the most comfortable and busiest period, with temperatures of roughly 12°C to 28°C; Dussehra (Sai Baba's Punyatithi), Guru Purnima and Ram Navami bring the biggest crowds. The monsoon is mild but can disrupt local sightseeing. April to June is very hot, often above 40°C.

How to reach

Sainagar Shirdi railway station has direct trains from Chennai, Bengaluru and other cities. Shirdi airport has domestic flights, and Nashik, Aurangabad and Pune airports are other options. Buses and taxis connect Shirdi with Mumbai, Pune and Nashik. The town has accommodation for every budget, including trust-run rooms. We arrange Shirdi pilgrimage packages from Tamil Nadu, often combined with Shani Shingnapur or Nashik.

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