SHIRDI SAI DARBAR

Sai Baba of Shirdi also known as Shirdi Sai Baba  was an Indian guru, yogi, and fakir who is regarded by his Hindu and Muslim devotees as a saint.

No verifiable information is available regarding Sai Baba's birth and place of birth. Sai Baba's real name is unknown. The name "Sai" was given to him upon his arrival at Shirdi, Sai Baba remains a very popular saint, especially in India, and is worshipped by people around the world. He is claimed to have had no love for perishable things and his sole concern was self-realization. He taught a moral code of love, forgiveness, helping others, charity, contentment, inner peace, and devotion to God and guru. Sai Baba's teaching combined elements of Hinduism and Islam: he gave the Hindu name Dwarakamayi to the mosque he lived in, practiced Hindu and Muslim rituals, taught using words and figures that drew from both traditions, and was buried in Shirdi. One of his well known epigrams, "Sabka Malik Ek " ("One God governs all"), is associated with Islam and Sufism. He always uttered "Allah Malik   " ("God is King").

Long time ago, at the beginning of eighteenth century a young bearded man with sparkling eyes took shelter in a mosque, in Shirdi Village (of Maharshtra State, In India) . Nobody knew from where this stranger had come who hardly spoke a word and stayed there.

Gradually the curious villagers started offering food to the man, but he never asked anything from them. Sometimes he shared his food with animals. Soon the young fakir, as he was started to be addressed, started expressing his view points with few elderly villagers. His simple language of expression and his special power of solving the problems of the poor,needy and destitute,soon made this less known fakir, known as Shri Sai Baba. As the days passed, devotees started streaming into Shirdi in ever growing numbers. The village was fast becoming a centre of pilgrimage. As gifts and presentations flowed in, the pomp and ceremony of Sai worship were evolving. Everyday Sai Baba would be a pauper having distributed all among the needy and the poor. But Sai Baba's life of a Fakir remained calm, undisturbed, unaltered and therein is the saint's Spiritual glory.

People also realized that this "Baba" was no ordinary person but a person with extraordinary godly powers. Such powers are not known or present in normal human beings. Baba preached his principle of love and faith in humanity to all his disciples. He always felt anguished over the fact that all those who came to him were more for their own personal problems and not for attaining the ultimate goal of reaching God which he felt could be attained only by true servicing of humanity.

Sai baba strongly believed in uniformity of religion and he never distinguished anyone on the basis of caste, creed or religion. He always made it a point not to return empty handed those who had come to him in their hour of need and grief. He performed miracles to alleviate the suffering of poor people. On one occasion he restored the eyes of a blind elderly and in another occasion he lighted a lantern with water when there was no oil to burn it.

As all good things have to end ultimately "Baba" also left his body on his own will on 15th Oct. 1918, leaving his millions of believers and followers crying. His body was laid in the Samadhi Mandir called "Buti", which he had asked his disciple to build before his death.

Samadhi Mandir

Samadhi Mandir was originally built by a Nagpur millionare,a devotee of Baba, Bapusaheb Buti, and was called Buti Wada. Sai Baba's Body was interred in the site reserved by Buti to build a Krishna temple and Baba's Samadhi has come up here. The Samadhi has been built with white marble stone. Around the Samadhi railing,one can see ornamental decoration. In front of the samadhi are two pillars with decorative designs in silver. Also in front are two marble padukas of Baba and also the brick which was broken and led Baba predecting his death, is kept near the samadhi. Just behind the samadhi is Baba's Statue ,made of Italian marble. It shows Him seated on a throne with his right leg thrown on the left in the familiar posture which thousands of devotees all over the country know and worship . The statue was made by late Balaji Vasant alias Babusaheb Talim who made it out of a sheer sense of gratitude. The idol was installed on October 7, 1954 by Swami Saisharanand, an ardent devotee from Ahmedabad.

Chavadi

At a short distance from the Samadhi Mandir is Baba's CHAVADI. Baba used to sleep here every alternate day. The Chavadi is divided into two parts. One part of the Chavadi has a large portrait of Baba along with a wooden bed and a white chair belonging to Him. Baba, along with His nearest followers, used to stay here on alternate nights. Because of this reason, this place has achieved a great importance. Every Thursday the Palakhi from DwarkaMai arrives here. Baba's Photograph, His Paduka (sandals), and Satka are kept in the Palakhi. The chair, on which Baba used to rest, and the bed, on which Baba had His last bath, are also kept in this temple.

Dwarkamai

Shri Sai Baba came to Shridi with a marriage procession. He stayed at Dwarkamai till the very end of his life. Dwarkamai is situated on the right side of the entrance of Samadhi Mandir. Here he solved problems of the people, cured their sickness and worries. Before Baba's arrival in Shridi, 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.

Khandoba Mandir
This temple is situated on the main road. In front of this temple Baba was welcomed by Poojari Mhalsapati, of this temple, saying "Aao Sai", when Baba stepped in Shridi. In this temple there are icons of Khandoba, Banai and Mhalsai.

Guru Sthan

Sai Baba first came to Shirdi 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