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Shirdi (शिर्डी)
Shirdi (शिर्डी) Location of Shirdi (शिर्डी) in Maharashtra and India
Coordinates	19°46′N 74°29′E / 19.77°N 74.48°E / 19.77; 74.48
Country	India
State	Maharashtra
District(s)	Ahmednagar
Population	26169 (2001)
Time zone	IST (UTC+05:30)
Area • Elevation	• 504 m (1,654 ft)
Codes • Pincode • 423109 • Telephone • +02423 • Vehicle • MH-17

Shirdi (Marathi: शिर्डी) is a town and falls under the jurisdiction of municipal councilpopularly known as Shirdi Nagar Panchayat, located in Rahata Tahasil (i.e. taluka) in Ahmednagar District in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is accessible via the Ahmednagar - Manmad State Highway No.10, approximately 83 km from Ahmednagar and 15 km from Kopargaon. It is located 185 km east of the Western Seashore line (the Ahmednagar - Manmad road), which is a very busy route. Shirdi is best known as the late 19th century home of the popular guru Shirdi Sai Baba.

Transportation

Shirdi is located approximately 296 km from Mumbai, capital of Maharashtra in India.It is called the Land of Sai.Helicopter services are available to Shirdi. The helipad is owned by Shri Sai Baba Sansthan Trust. One has to take the permission of the trust to land here. Shirdi now has a new railway station called "Sainagar Shirdi", which became operational in March 2009. Currently, one daily train, the Shirdi Fast Passenger, connects Shirdi railway station to Mumbai CST. Trains also run from Manmad station which is 83 km from the heart of Shirdi, alternatively from Kopargaon station which is 12 km from Shirdi, or Nashik city, which is 119 km from Shirdi or Nagarsol. Daund railway station is 200 km from Shirdi. Buses and taxis ply from these railway stations and locations to and from Shirdi. Shirdi can be reached by bus from any of the following cities in Maharashtra State (India): Mumbai, Pune, Vashi, Panvel, Thane, Nashik, Akluj, Dhule, Nagpur and Aurangabad. Currently, four-laning of State highway Nagar-Manmad highway is in progress on BOT basis and should be completed by Mid-2010. Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation has been assigned to execute the works of internal roads in Shirdi. Soon, Shirdi will have its own airport by 2012. It is to be located at Kakdi, some 14 km towards south-east of Shirdi. Land acquisition is in progress for the airport work.

Geography

Shirdi is located at 19°46′N 74°29′E / 19.77°N 74.48°E / 19.77; 74.48.^[1] It has an average elevation of 504 metres (1653 feet).

Demographics

As of the 2001 India census, the population of Shirdi stood at 26,169. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Shirdi has an average literacy rate of 70%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 76%, and female literacy is 62%. In Shirdi, 15% of the population is under 6 years of age. ^[2]. But, Shirdi being a pilgrimage centre, it also has a large amount of floating population. On any given day some 25,000 devotees come for darshan. On holidays the number reaches to about half a million people. Due to easy availability of jobs, a lot of migrant population, mainly of unskilled labourers from UP, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh etc. also reside here. They are not part of any census.

References

External links

• Directions To Shirdi

From Wikitravel

Shirdi is a town in the Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra in India. It is located 185 km east of the Arabian Sea shoreline. Shirdi was where the saint Sai Baba lived till his samadhi in 1918. Today, it is a pilgrimage center and millions of his devotees from all over the world come each year to pay their respects.

The best time of the year to visit Shirdi is January through March. April to June is the hot summer, followed by the monsoon. Pilgrim arrival peaks between September and November when many Hindu festivals occur. Baba's death anniversary is commemorated in the month of October, the exact date depending on the Hindu calendar.

Get in

By Bus

There are many buses connecting Shirdi to cities such as Mumbai, Hyderabad, Pune, Nashik. The road connectivity between Mumbai and Shirdi is good, except in certain stretches. Convenient overnight buses also ply this route. It takes around 7 hours from Mumbai to Shirdi.

• Shirdi is accessible via the Ahmednagar-Manmad State Highway No.10, approximately 83 kms from Ahmednagar and 15 kms from Kopargaon.
• It is approximately 240 km from Mumbai on the Eastern Express Highway.

By train

Trains from Mumbai, Pune and Nashik are available. Nearest Railway station is Shirdi Sai Nagar, Manmad and Kopergoan

By air

Shirdi has no airport. The nearest airports are at Nasik, Mumbai and Pune.

Get around

Shirdi is not a big town. As the town has grown around its main attraction - the Sai Baba temple - almost all major sights and sounds are all within walking distances from anywhere in Shirdi.

See

The main attractions are the Temple where Sai Baba's samadhi is located, the former dwelling place of Sai Baba called Dwarakamayi, and the place called Chavadi where Baba used to sleep. These 3 are located close to each other.

• Sai Baba Temple - Located at the heart of the town, this houses the samadhi (burial site) of Sai Baba. Entry is free, but the waiting time in the queue averages over an hour. The temple opens around 0400 hrs and stays open till about 2200 hrs. At the samadhi site itself, it is not possible to spend more than a minute simply because the priests usher people along so that everyone in queue manages a glimpse of the samadhi. In addition, the temple premises also has the samadhis of some of Sai Baba's most prominent devotees.

Mobile phones and cameras are prohibited within the temple premises.

• Dwarakamayi - Located adjacent to the temple complex, Dwarakamayi is the name of the mosque where Baba resided for an unbroken span of 60 years till his death in 1918. The structure has been renovated and houses the Dhuni the fire that Baba always kept burning. The flames are never allowed to die and the Dhuni today is the same that Baba lit over 100 years ago. Additionally, some of Baba's articles such as his grinding stone, fireplace, a stone on which he used to sit are located in the Dwarakamayi

• Chavadi - Every alternate day, Baba used to sleep in the Chavadi, a few meters away from the Dwarakamayi. Even today, on Thursday nights, Baba's footprints are taken in a ceremonial procession from Dwarakamayi to Chavadi.

Do

Apart from visiting the temple and other places connected to Sai Baba, there is precious little to do in Shirdi.

Buy

There are a large number of shops that sell trinkets and souvenirs - statues, magnets, stickers, books, photos of Sai Baba. Prices are generally negotiable.

Eat

Restaurants are liberally dotted over Shirdi. A variety of cuisines including Gujarati, Maharashtrian, South Indian, Continental are available. Most restaurants serve only vegetarian fare.

Drink

Cold drinks and bottled water are available in many local stores. Fresh coconut water is also available. However, liquor is not available in the town.

There is no dearth of accommodation in Shirdi. Hotels of all categories abound. However, not all of them are value for money so insist on checking the facilities in the room before paying. In peak season, it is advisable to have prior reservations, which can be made either over phone or through travel websites.

• Violent crime is not common in Shirdi.
• Beware of touts who will offer to help you find accommodation and take you on temple tours. While they do not charge for their service, they will expect you to purchase items from their stores as quid pro quo at inflated prices.
• Shirdi can be quite dusty, so those with allergies should carry along a dust mask.
• Bottled water is recommended over tap water for drinking purposes.

Contact

100 - Police

• Triyambakeshwar, one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of India, is just 50 km from Shirdi and it is worth a visitable place.
• Mumbai
• Pune