Situated at a distance of 300 km from Mumbai, Shirdi is known for its impeccable temples that witness crowds frequently on its premises. But apart from temples, this place also houses attractive tourist spots such as cultural heritage sites, shopping malls, amusement parks and many more! So, if you thought that this place is just home to several temples, then you are wrong. There is so much more you can explore here on your vacation that you will be spoilt for choices.
My last trip to Shirdi was made quite in a hurry. We (me and my family) just had a day to cover the alluring locations of the town. So, we booked one of the best Bangalore to Shirdi flights in October from a top-rated website and availed of their best deals on booking. We conducted enough research, planned our itinerary, booked our hotels and got ourselves prepared for the spiritual sojourn. This is how we planned our trip from the next morning.
Breakfast at Sai Bhog Restaurant
Although our hotel had a nice in-house restaurant, we wanted to try the best breakfast in town from Sai Bhog Restaurant. Serving some of the best South Indian, Chinese and Asian delicacies, Sai Bhog is one of the splendid spots where you can begin your day with a wholesome breakfast. Since we had a lot of plans to execute ahead, we wanted to go light on our meals. Therefore, we ordered idli and plain dosa for our breakfast and the amount was just perfect in comparison to the prices. After relishing our meals and taking some selfies together, we went ahead with the next plan and i.e. worshipping the deity at the Shirdi Sai Baba Temple.
Worshipped the deity at the Shirdi Sai Baba Temple
The deity of Sai Baba within the temple
There could be no better start to the day than by seeking blessings from Sai Baba at the Sai Baba temple.Situated in Ahmednagar, this temple has a charm of its own. Here, you can take part in their ‘aartis’ divided into three-time slots from 4.30 am to 5.00 am, 12 pm to 12.30 pm and 10.30 pm to 10.50 pm. Since we arrived at around 10 am, unfortunately, we could not attend the aartis but had a great time admiring the shrine which is quite famous in town. The place has a rich spiritual significance and is a perfect spot to rejuvenate the soul from within.
Soaked into the essence of Shani Shignapur
The deity of Shani Shignapur on the platform
Our next location was Shani Shignapur. If you are in Shirdi and do not plan to visit Shani Shignapur, then there is something major you are missing out on. Every local to tourists know this place for its incredible historical essence. This temple is set on an open-air platform and the mail idol featured by Shani Mahadev rests at the centre of the platform. Built-in black stone at a height of 5.5 feet, this temple holds immense value in the hearts of the people for its positive aura. My mother loved the deity and was not quite willing to leave the place. And to be honest, neither were we. The charm of the place was quite tempting and it was difficult for us to leave the place too soon. But since we had more places to cover, we set out, had our lunch in the nearby food stall and went to the next place in the checklist.
Explored Sai Heritage Village park
The view of the Sai Heritage village
Back in 2014, this Heritage Village park was built and today serves as an important tourist spot in Shirdi. The reason being the theme that runs in the park. This place boasts several statues that showcase different life events of Sai Baba from medicating the poor people to serving food to the needy. We learned so much about him and the impact he had on other people’s lives and felt quite fortunate to have been able to visit this place.
Admire the beauty of Lendi Baug
Sai Baba statue at the Lendi Baug
After spending a lot of time exploring the Sai Heritage Village park, we headed towards Lendi Baug. A renowned garden in town, this place also holds great importance as Sai Baba used to spend a lot of time in this garden. He used to admire the plants, water them daily and relax under the neem tree. As we reached, we understood why this place has all the hype. The tranquil aura, the positive vibe and the pollution-free environment are quite refreshing to the soul. You can come here to ease your mood or release your tension amidst the beauty of nature. Besides, you can also visit the Deepagraha where Sai Baba used to light candles every day. Since we visited here during the evening, it was 8 pm by the time we decided to leave the place. So, we planned to have dinner at the Rajdhani Restaurant before heading to the hotel
Had dinner in Rajdhani Restaurant
Rajasthani Thali at Rajdhani Restaurant
After a tiring day, a Rajasthani thali was all that we needed to soothe our tired selves. So, we ordered one and were quite impressed with the amount. We had to share to finish all the delicacies. Needless to say, Rajdhani Restaurant has always impressed its visitors with their best hospitality services and good quality food. And therefore, we had a great time dining here at economical rates.
Now you know how we planned our sojourn to this wonderful location in the Ahmedabad district. So, if you want to visit Shirdi, then do not delay. Pack your bags, follow our guide and you will cover all the important locations seamlessly in 24 hours.