Hindu temple in Maharashtra, India
| Shri Saibaba Temple | |
|---|---|
 Shri Sai Baba Temple |
|
| Affiliation | Hinduism |
| District | Ahilyanagar |
| Deity | Hindu |
| Festivals | Gurupurnima,Ram navami, Punyatihi utshav |
| Ecclesiastical or organisational status | The Trust is registered as a public charitable trust under the Bombay Public Trusts Act, 1950 |
| Governing body | Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust, Shirdi, Trust |
| Status | Functioning |
| Location | Shirdi |
| State | Maharashtra |
| Country | India |
| Style | Wada |
| Date established | 1918 |
| Site area | over 200 acres |
The Shri Saibaba Temple, Shirdi, also known as Shri Saibaba Samadhi Mandir is a prominent Hindu temple complex located in Shirdi, Ahilyanagar district,Maharashtra, India. Dedicated to the 19th-century saint Sai Baba of Shirdi, it is one of the most visited pilgrimage sites in India, attracting millions of devotees annually from India and abroad.
Shri Sai Baba, a revered spiritual leader regarded by his followers Belived to be incarnation of god dattatrey , lived in Shirdi for most of his life until his death in 1918. After his Mahasamadhi (passing), his mortal remains were interred in a shrine built on 15 October 1918, which later became the core of the present temple. The construction of the temple was initiated by Shreemant Gopalrao Buti, a wealthy devotee from Nagpur, who envisioned it as a Wada (residential mansion) for Baba. Today, this shrine is popularly known as the Shri Samadhi Mandir.
The temple complex spans over 200 square meters and consists of several sacred sites associated with Sai Baba:
- Samadhi Mandir – the main shrine housing Sai Baba’s mandir.
- Dwarkamai – the mandir where Sai Baba lived for over 60 years, now preserved with a sacred dhuni (fire which is Still Burning).
- Chavadi – the place where Baba used to sleep on alternate nights.
- Gurusthan – regarded as the spot where Baba was first seen meditating under a Neem Tree (The Tree is belived to be healing properties and its leaves are sweat) and considered a sacred place of baba’s spiritual guru.
- Lendi Baug – a garden developed by Sai Baba, featuring the sacred Nanda Deep (ever-burning lamp).
Rituals and worship
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Daily worship rituals include:
- Kakad Aarti (morning)
- Madhyan Aarti (noon)
- Dhoop Aarti (evening) and
- Shej Aarti (night).
- Sri Sai satnarayan pooja
- Sri Sai Abhishek pooja
- Pothi Reading
Special events include Rama Navami, Guru Purnima, Vijayadashami (Sai Baba’s Mahasamadhi day), and New year, which draw lakhs of devotees per year and records the highest in India.
The temple is managed by the Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust, Shirdi, one of the wealthiest temple trusts in India. The trust oversees not only temple operations but also charitable hospitals, educational institutions, dharamshalas, and social service initiatives in the region.
The temple is among the top and biggest pilgrimage destinations in India recorded as the highest footfall temple in India, with an estimated 60,000 visitors daily, rising to over 100,000 – 1,50,000 during festivals from across India and abroad. It is considered one of the richest temples in India by donations and offerings.
Shirdi is connected by Shirdi International Airport (14 km from temple), and by Sainagar Shirdi Railway Station. Regular buses and private vehicles connect Shirdi with Mumbai, Pune, Nashik and other major cities.
- Rigopoulos, Antonio. The Life and Teachings of Sai Baba of Shirdi. SUNY Press, 1993.
- “Shirdi Sai Baba temple sees millions of visitors every year.” The Hindu, 10 October 2018.
- Narasimhaswami, B.V. Life of Sai Baba. All India Sai Samaj, 1955.
- White, Charles S.J. “The Sai Baba Movement.” Journal of Asian Studies, Vol. 31, No. 4, 1972.
- “Sacred Sites of Shirdi.” Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust Official Website.
- “Guru Purnima draws lakhs of devotees to Shirdi.” Times of India, 9 July 2017.
- “Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust: Activities and Services.” Official Website.
- “Sai Baba temple among richest in the country.” The Indian Express, 2 January 2016.
- “Devotee donations cross Rs 500 crore mark.” Economic Times, 20 October 2019.
- “How to reach Shirdi.” Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation.
