Transportation To Shirdi

Transportation

Shirdi is well served by a network of public transport. The nearest airports are Aurangabad (130 kms), Pune (200 kms) and Mumbai (300 kms), from where taxis and frequent buses are available. 

Kopergaon station, sixteen kilometres away, is the railhead for Shirdi. The daily Bangalore-Delhi Karnataka Express (known as the "KK") stops here. It is eighteen hours from Delhi, twenty-one from Bangalore. From Kopergaon station you will need to take an autorickshaw to Shirdi (around 100 rupees per vehicle), or a shared tempo (about 40 rupees). Taxis are available from the taxi stand in the village a couple of kilometres from the station. 

There is a greater choice of trains to Manmad (including the Jhelum Express, Punjab Mail and the Goa Express), which is a railway junction about eighty minutes by road from Shirdi. This is also the station for those coming from Mumbai. From Hyderabad the Manmad Express leaves in the evening and arrives the next morning. The train also stops at Nagarsol which is the station before Manmad and is closer to Shirdi. Buses operate between Shirdi and these two stations. Another route to Shirdi is to take one of the several mainline trains to Pune or Daund and proceed by road (about four hours). At certain peak times special trains run between south and north India (usually Chennai and Ahmedabad or Jodhpur) via Kopergaon.

There is a small computerized railway booking office in Shirdi within the Temple Complex.

Long-distance buses run from many different cities, including Pune, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Vijayawada. The bus station is opposite the Sri Sainath Hospital on the main road. The private bus service from Dadar, Mumbai, terminates opposite Hotel Pilgrims Inn, Pimpalwadi Road. There is also a local bus service from Kopergaon and Manmad. There are numerous travel agencies in Shirdi which can help with bookings and onward arrangements.

Why go to Shirdi when Sai Baba is present everywhere?

Why go to Shirdi when Sai Baba is present everywhere?   

There is, however, something we should bear in mind here. The scriptures and saints encourage pilgrimage as an aid to self-control and self-realization - not to absolve the pilgrim of his or her sins or to secure a short route to heaven. Many verses in our Puranas appear saying, "Papa pariharardham, punya samupajanardham" (to wash away sins and gain merit). Several scholars opine that these were the interpolations of the priestly class to popularize pilgrimage. However, the notion that one can blithely continue to commit sins and then go on periodic pilgrimages to counter them has been categorically condemned by the great sages and scriptures. The Devi Bhagavatam, for instance, censures such motives: "Only those who keep their hearts pure stand to gain from pilgrimages, others even commit a sin by that." 

On close examination we see that these places of pilgrimage were originally the dwellings of great saints, or where their tombs lie. Over the course of time (thanks to the creative interpretation of Puranic commentators) their origins slipped into oblivion and were gradually replaced with stories connected to various deities. According to the scriptures, the sanctity of the Himalayas, the Ganga and other holy places is due to the spiritual power of the tapas performed there over the centuries by great souls. It then becomes clear why even great saints and realized beings visit holy places so devotedly. 

Great sages visit holy places and teerthas (holy waters) again and again to purify them and enhance their sanctity. Seekers, however, should visit them to free their minds of distractions and to accelerate their inward journey to their destination. It is a thousand times easier and more efficacious to meditate in such places than at home, as they have been sanctified by the presence of the great ones. As soon as seekers go there, their minds are spontaneously drawn into the Presence. Doing spiritual practice at home is like rowing a boat against the wind in a turbulent river, whereas practice in the presence of great sages or in holy places is like sailing with the wind and current behind us - effortless and tension-free. Psychotronics recognizes that when a strong resolve or emotion arises in a person, its power is impressed in that space, influencing those who come into its proximity later. Any seeker who has even a little experience in meditation instantly notices such an influence. However, care should be exercised when choosing a place for sadhana, especially when the seeker does not have the guidance of a competent guru. Each place has its own effect or influence and the seeker must choose one that is suitable to their samskaras. If it is not compatible it will not be helpful to their sadhana and at times could even be harmful.

Based on this principle the sages have revealed a secret for successful sadhana: seekers who are sincere in their purpose should visit their guru as often as they can, while those who are totally dedicated to sadhana should stay with the guru (or at their tomb) until the goal is reached. The great ones have not only shared this counsel with us but many of them lived it too. Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi is a recent and outstanding example of this. An exponent of the advaita school who urged all to realize the "I" glowing in the heart and to enquire into the question "Who am I?", Bhagavan's devotion, love and affection for Arunachala sometimes puzzles his devotees. He realized the Self at his home in Madurai, but even after that he cherished an intense longing for the darshan of Lord Arunachaleswara, which impelled him swiftly to that place and kept him there for the remainder of his life, never leaving it for a moment. Bhagavan used to say that Arunachaleswara was his guru and that Arunachala was his gurusthan (the place of his Master). 

It is intriguing to see why Bhagavan had to rush to Arunachala and what was there for him that was not available in Madurai. Once a devotee asked Ramana, "Bhagavan, is it not your divine power that is drawing innumerable devotees here from all over the world?" Bhagavan quickly cut him short, saying, "Then what was the power that pulled Bhagavan to this place? It is that same divine power (Arunachala) that is attracting everyone here." It was not out of modesty that Bhagavan spoke like this - and if we understand the inner meaning of his words, a great secret of sadhana will be revealed. Furthermore, we will also understand why Sri Sai Baba came to Shirdi and settled there, and the example he thus set for us. 

Today, millions of devotees are drawn to Shirdi by the divine power of Sai Baba - but what is the power that brought Sai to Shirdi? Baba's reply was, "It is my Guru's place. My Guru's tomb is here," and that is why he settled there and made it his home. Sri Sai Baba had transcended form and proved that he was one with all beings. He had shown by his numerous acts his state of non-duality and omnipresence. We, on the other hand, are still struggling with a sense of separation and duality. When he who had achieved such perfection and glory stayed so devotedly at his gurusthan and sought refuge there, is it not foolish on our part to say, "Is not Baba everywhere? Do we really need to go to Shirdi to see him?" The words are actually a camouflage for our own prevarication and meanness. A trip to Shirdi involves expenditure of time and money and putting our worldly affairs aside for a while, and we lack the resolve to do this. The great advaita teacher Sri Adi Sankara has warned, "Bhavadvaitam sadakurvat; kriyadvaitam nakarhichit; advaitam trishulokeshu nadwaitam guruna saha." ("Practise non-duality in thought but do not practise it in deed. You may follow non-duality anywhere in the three worlds, but never with regard to your Guru!") To his devotees Sri Sai Baba is the supreme sadguru and it is a fact that he is present everywhere in all beings. Even though it is the aim of Sai devotees to realize the truth of this fact, we should not forget that it was revealed to us by the form of Sri Sai that lived and moved in Shirdi.

Baba once said, "Baba is not this three-and-a-half cubit body. If anyone thinks of me like that they have not seen me at all." However, he also said, "Whoever steps into this mosque with devotion is freed from their suffering due to karma," and "I will fulfil the purpose of my incarnation. My dust will speak for me. I will be vigorous from the tomb as well," and "My tomb will speak and move with those who make me their refuge." Baba showed many devotees that no harm would come to them so long as they stayed in Shirdi. He instructed many either directly or through dream-visions to visit Shirdi in order to get their desires fulfilled. Sri Upasani Baba, an expert in yoga practice, was unable to overcome an obstacle in his sadhana and approached many sages and saints for relief, but in vain. Finally he came to Shirdi and sought Baba's grace. Baba gave him only one sadhana: to stay in Shirdi for four years. Upasani asked Baba, "What sadhana should I do in those four years?" Baba told him, "Nothing. Just eat and be quiet. That is enough. I will do what has to be done." This means that simply staying in Shirdi with sincerity of purpose is itself a great sadhana. Baba also said, "Whatever you buy in Shirdi is my prasad," and "Whoever sweeps and cleans Gurusthan (the abode of my guru) and lights incense on Thursdays and Fridays, will be blessed by God." All these reveal the immense importance Baba gave to holy Shirdi. 

Even today innumerable devotees who visit Shirdi continue to taste the bliss of Sai's stupendous presence. One can see obvious changes and improvements in their lives after their sojourn in Shirdi.

A thorn must be removed with a thorn. If we want to erase the feeling of duality from our hearts or, in Baba's words, "to demolish the wall between you and me" we must take the help of the contiguous parts of that duality - the form of Sri Sai Baba, his unique presence and the power of holy Shirdi.

The village of Shirdi

The village of Shirdi

Verily Shirdi is my Pandharpur and Sai Baba is Lord Vittal. Pure and unalloyed devotion (which flows at Shirdi) is the River Chandrabhaga; mindful awareness in the hearts of devotees in Shirdi is the holy locus where Bhakta Pundalik is ensconced. Attention one and all! Come, come quickly and make obeisance to Sai Baba! 

--Das Ganu Maharaj (Shirdi Noon Arati, psalm No. IV)

Roughly halfway down the Indian subcontinent, in the state of Maharashtra, about 300 kms inland from the state capital of Mumbai (Bombay), lies the small town of Shirdi. Little more than an overgrown village, Shirdi is situated in the heart of the sugar-cane belt of Maharashtra. In the Rahata Taluka of Ahmednagar District, Shirdi is home to about 22,000 people and is the pilgrimage destination of a further eight to ten million a year. It is said to be the most frequented place of pilgrimage in India after Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh. And why do people come to this dusty rural corner of India in such vast numbers? To seek the blessings of Sri Sai Baba, as they have done for more than one hundred years!

Before we explore the Shirdi of the second millennium, let us take a brief look at the village as it would have appeared to a contemporary of Sai Baba.

When Sri Sai Baba came to Shirdi in the mid-nineteenth century, it was a rustic hamlet of about a thousand people (mostly labourers and artisans), with approximately 200 houses, one village well, a few shops selling basic provisions and some small, rather run-down temples. The village was partially bordered by prickly cactus, and the present Lendi Gardens was an area of wasteland with a grove of trees and two streams running through it. The state of Maharashtra did not exist (it was created only in 1960), the area being divided up under British rule into the Bombay Presidency, and the Nizam's Dominions, which were independent. 

By 1910 the village of Shirdi had become slightly more prosperous, though Mrs Tarkhad, a Sai Baba devotee and regular visitor from Bombay, still found it "little more than a neglected hamlet without any lighting, sweeping or other conveniences of civilization... The streets and passages were all dark and unlit at night." By then, Baba's mosque had already taken on the character of a darbar (royal court), which it was to retain till the end of his mortal days.

The sacred Godavari River, which has its source a few kilometers away from nearby Nasik, flows not far from Shirdi. Pilgrims coming from the direction of Manmad/Kopergaon have to cross the river near Kopergaon. Visitors to Shirdi often take a dip in its holy waters. Geographically, Shirdi is also linked to the pilgrim sites of Nasik, Pandharpur and Gangapur. Maharashtra itself has a long and rich tradition of poet-saints - Jnaneshwar, Namdev, Janabai, Eknath, Tukaram (several of whose psalms have been incorporated into the Shirdi aratis), and Sufi saints, so it is fitting that Sri Sai Baba should have appeared here and further blessed the land.  Any visitor alighting at Shirdi today will find it abuzz with devotional activity and energy, day and night. Moreover, many new buildings have been constructed in the last few years and the Sri Sai Baba Sansthan recently completed its grand master-plan for the reconstruction of the Temple Complex. What emerged is an elegant and spacious complex, fulfilling the purpose of paying homage to Baba and enabling visitors to experience his presence in a more congenial environment. Though still not much more than a village, Shirdi these days is filled with hotels, lodges, places to eat, travel agencies, booths broadcasting devotional music, and small shops selling flower garlands, incense, puja materials, books on Sai Baba, cards of Sai Baba, pictures of Sai Baba, statues of Sai Baba... and an ever-expanding variety of souvenirs: in short, everything to facilitate a pilgrim's visit - for life in Shirdi revolves almost exclusively around Sai Baba.  Wherever you turn, you are reminded that this was where Sai Baba spent his life; it was here that the saint settled; it was from here that he influenced and moulded the lives of countless human beings; and it was from here that a divine influence has emanated, so powerful, so mysterious and so irresistible, that it drew - and draws - millions to it. Pulled by the magnetic force of Sai Baba, a tangible sense of the sacred, and a thrill of recognition that the divine is immanent and is responding to our prayers and needs, the number of pilgrims visiting Shirdi is increasing at a phenomenal rate. When G. S. Khaparde, one of the prominent contemporary devotees of Sri Sai Baba, remarked, "Sai Baba fulfils my idea of God on earth," he was expressing the sentiment and experience of many. This continues to be the reality for those who are fortunate enough to come into contact with Sai Baba, and Shirdi is the place where this reality can be most deeply and immediately experienced.

Major Festivals in Shirdi Part 2

Major Festivals

 

Gurupoornima

Gurupoornima ("poornima" means full moon) is the day on which disciples and devotees honour and felicitate their guru and seek his or her special blessings. Although it is not a major festival for everyone in India, it is of great importance in Shirdi, being the only festival which Baba asked devotees to celebrate. It falls on the full moon day of the month of Ashad in the Hindu calendar (June-July). 

The festival originated in the Buddha's time when the monks used to take diksha (instructions on their spiritual practice) at the beginning of the annual four-month rains-retreat. The practice was then borrowed by the Jain tradition and later by the Hindus.

According to H. V. Sathe, Gurupoornima celebrations in Shirdi were started one year when Baba called Dada Kelkar (probably in 1910) and said, "Don't you remember that this is Gurupoornima? Come on, go and worship that post there." That post is in the mosque. Later Dada Kelkar told others, and so everybody thought that Baba gave importance to Gurupoornima; thus the tradition started. 

Vijayadasami

Vijayadasami is a major festival celebrated throughout India under different names and with regional variations, as the victory of good over evil. It is also known as Dusserah and is the culmination of the nine days of goddess worship. For Sai devotees, it is venerated as the holy day that their beloved gurudeva attained mahasamadhi (also known as punyatithi) and is a big festival in Shirdi. This was also the day on which the statue of Baba "came to life" and was inaugurated in the Samadhi Mandir. For devotees of Sri Sainathuni Sarath Babuji it is a day imbued with additional significance and joy as it is the same day he took birth in 1954.

Major Festivals in Shirdi Part 1

Major Festivals

The three main festivals in Shirdi, of two to four days each, are Ramnavami (March/April), Gurupoornima (July), and Vijayadasami (September/October). In Shirdi, these festivals are celebrated with great passion, verve and heartfulness. Thousands flock to bathe in the grace which seems to flow especially freely at such times. 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 (chariot). The Samadhi Mandir remains open all night during one of these days, with the upper section of Dwarkamai being open the previous night, and there are all-night bhajan and qawali sessions at various locations around the village, including Lendi Gardens. Printed programmes with full details are available from the Sansthan. On the special atmosphere that prevails at such times.

Ramnavami

In 1897, Gopalrao Gund proposed holding an urs in Shirdi as an expression of his gratitude to Baba for having been granted the birth of a son after many childless years. Baba gave his permission for the celebration and fixed the day for Ramnavami. This was an ingenious touch of Baba's. Urs is a Muslim festival honouring a Muslim saint (usually one who has passed away); by holding the urs on the day of a Hindu festival, the two communities were brought closer together in a natural yet remarkable way. The festival gradually grew in importance and in 1912 some devotees asked Baba if they could celebrate Ramnavami, since it fell on the same day (Ramnavami is the anniversary of Lord Rama's birth). Baba agreed and the festival was held in grand style. From that day, says the Sri Sai Satcharitra, "the urs was transformed into the Ramnavami festival".

In Shirdi, two locally historic rituals are carried out during this festival: the sack of wheat that is kept in Dwarkamai is changed and the old one taken to Prasadalaya to be used there, and secondly, the Dwarkamai flags are replaced. When the urs was first celebrated, Gopalrao Gund prevailed upon

his friend to supply a flag for the procession. This was Damu Anna Rasne of Ahmednagar who had similarly been blessed by Sai Baba with sons, having come to Baba for this purpose on the recommendation of Shama's father-in-law. In addition, Gund asked Nanasaheb Nimonkar to supply a second flag with embroidery. This was also done and both flags (described as "huge" by M. W. Pradhan, who saw them) were taken in procession through the village and fixed at the two corners of the mosque. Descendants of these two devotees continue this tradition and flags are brought and offered at Baba's samadhi before being taken on a grand procession. The procession begins - as it did in Baba's time - at the house of the three carpenters who did the bulk of the repair work on the mosque (Tukaram, Gabaji and Kondaji, the first of whom personally served Baba for several years). In the evening, the descendants of Abdul Baba perform a traditional "sandal procession", finishing at Dwarkamai and applying the sandalwood paste to the nimbar there.