"OM SHREE SAINATHAYA NAMAHA",


FOR THIS ARTICLE BABA IS MY INSPIRATION,
ALL THE WORDS ARE MY PERSPIRATION,
FOR EVERY DEVOTEE OF EVERY NATION,
HAVING A LONG DESIRED DIVINE ASPIRATION,
TO GO TO SHIRDI IN THE VACATION.
SO, NOW MOVE ON... AS "SAI-EXPRESS" IS WAITING IN ANTICIPATION,
TO TAKE YOU TO "SAINAGAR" RAILWAY STATION !
OH, WHAT A MOTIVATION !!! - rOhit beHaL


THE FOLLOWING IS A SHIRDI TEMPLE GUIDE MAP EASILY AVAILABLE ON THE NET, BUT HAVE TAKEN THE LIBERTY TO MODIFY IT BY LABELING "A to Z" ALPHABETS AGAINST SMALL "x" MARKS TO ENABLE YOU TO FIND THE EXACT SPOT OF THE CORRESPONDING PLACE IN THE TEMPLE PREMISES.


"SHIRDI TEMPLE PREMISES GUIDE MAP"

A (On the Manmad / Nagar Main Road) - QUEUE FOR "MUKH DARSHAN" ONLY & ROAMING IN THE TEMPLE PREMISES EXCEPT LENDI BAGH & BABAS WELL.
A (On the Pimpalwadi Road) - DEVOTEES ENTRANCE NEAR MAIN GATE NO.2, FOR SAMADHI DARSHAN FOR ALL DEVOTEES WITHOUT PASSES.
THE ARROWS IN THE DARSHAN QUEUE HALLS - THE DIRECTION DEVOTEES HAVE TO MOVE TO REACH THE SAMADHI TEMPLE.
B - MAIN GATE NO.1.
C - THE P.R.O OFFICE.
D - MAIN GATE NO.2 (CLOSED...NOT USED NOW)
E - SHIRDI SANSTHAN`S BOOK STORE FOR SELLING BABA`S BOOKS, CALENDARS, VCD / DVD etc
F - THE "SHREE SAI SATYAVRAT POOJA HALL".
G - "SHREE SAI SANSTHAN EMPLOYEES CREDIT CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY LTD, SHIRDI" STALL.
H - DURING PEAK PERIODS, ENTRY GATE FOR N.R.I / FOREIGN NATIONALS / V.I.P`s.
I - SHOP SELLING POOJA ITEMS / MUSTARD OIL & SWEET PRASAD TOO.
J - HUGE WINDOWS FOR A VIEW OF THE DARSHAN QUEUE GOING DOWN THE STAIRS.
K - DURING PEAK PERIODS ITS THE SENIOR CITIZENS / AGED / PHYSICALLY DISABLED DEVOTEES SPECIAL ENTRY GATE.
L - MAIN GATE NO.3.
M - "THE SHREE SAIBABA SANSTHAN TRUST MOBILE CLOAKROOM".
N - "SAI-COMPLEX" COMMERCIAL SHOPPING COMPLEX.
O - "DAKSHIN-MUKHI MARUTI TEMPLE" (UNDER RE-CONSTRUCTION AS IN JUNE 2009).
P - ABDUL BABA`S COTTAGE.
Q - ENTRY FOR "MUKH DARSHAN" OF BABA`S IDOL.(ONE CANNOT GO TOWARDS BABA`S SAMADHI FROM HERE)
R - EXIT AFTER DARSHAN AND DURING OFF-PEAK PERIODS ITS THE SENIOR CITIZENS / AGED / DISABLED DEVOTEES ENTRY GATE .
S - DONATION OFFICE.
T - "ANNOUNCEMENT SECTION" - (FORMER UDHI / PRASAD DISTRIBUTION ROOM).
U - TELEVISION IN THE OPEN AIR THEATRE FOR DEVOTEES STANDING OUT TO HAVE LIVE DARSHAN.
V - WATER COOLER JUST BESIDES THE OPEN AIR THEATRE, FOR DEVOTEES TO DRINK THE BLESSED WATER OF BABA`S HOLY BATH.
W - REAR EXIT DOOR AFTER DARSHAN AND DURING OFF-PEAK PERIODS ITS THE ENTRY GATE FOR V.I.P PASS HOLDERS.
X - "SAIBABA`S MUSEUM'.
Y - UDHI / PRASAD DISTRIBUTION ROOM ( NEXT TO ABDUL BABAS / NANAVALIS / TATYAS SAMADHI ).
Z - MAIN GATE NO.4.

THE BLACK LINE DRAWN FROM GATE NO.4 CUTTING ACROSS LENDI BAGH UPTO THE EXIT AT MANMAD / NAGAR MAIN ROAD - STEEL BARRICADED PASSAGE SEPARATING LENDI BAGH FROM NANDADEEP.

CANDLES - PLACE IN NANDADEEP WHERE DEVOTEES CAN MAKE WISHES & LIGHT CANDLES.



MAIN GATE NO.1
ON THE WEST SIDE IS "GATE NO.1" ON THE MANMAD / NAGAR MAIN ROAD AND IS USED ONLY AS AN ENTRY GATE INTO THE TEMPLE PREMISES AND OR FOR BABA`S MUKH DARSHAN i.e., DARSHAN OF BABA`S FACE FROM A DISTANCE ( FROM, NEAR THE RAISED PLATFORM BEHIND IN THE TEMPLES SANCTUM).
AFTER, ENTERING THRU GATE NO.1, ONE CAN FREELY ROAM IN THE TEMPLE PREMISES i.e, CAN TAKE UDHI, SEE ABDUL BABA`S / TATYAS & NANAVALIS SAMADHI, SAIBABA`S MUSEUM AND CAN GO STRAIGHT UP TO DWARKAMAI BUT CANNOT GO TO LENDI BAGH OR BABA`S WELL.
THIS GATE NO.1 IS OPPOSITE THE TEMPLES P.R.O OFFICE AND BESIDES NANDA-DEEP.
ONE CANNOT MAKE AN EXIT FROM THIS GATE.


MAIN GATE NO.2
ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE TEMPLE, ON THE PIMPALWADI ROAD, IS MAIN GATE NO.2 WHICH WAS EARLIER USED AS AN ENTRY & EXIT GATE BUT AT PRESENT IS CLOSED & NOT IN USE.
INSTEAD, JUST BESIDES IT ON THE PIMPALWADI ROAD ITSELF IS THE ENTRY GATE FOR ALL DEVOTEES WITHOUT ANY PASSES.
THIS ENTRY TAKES ONE DIRECTLY INTO THE FIRST WAITING HALL FROM WHERE THE DARSHAN QUEUES, AFTER MOVING ALONG THROUGH SPIRALING LONG STRETCH OF STEEL BARRICADED HALLS & BY STAIRS UP & DOWN, FINALLY LEADS UPTO THE SAMADHI OF BABA.


MAIN GATE NO.3
ON THE EAST SIDE, IN THE LANE GOING INSIDE FROM THE PIMPALWADI ROAD IS "GATE NO.3" WHICH IS USED MAINLY FOR EXIT OUT OF THE TEMPLE PREMISES TOWARDS DAKSHIN MUKHI HANUMAN TEMPLE & BABA`S SHRI CHAVADI.
IF ONE ENTERS THROUGH THIS GATE, ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE COMES THE "MUKH DARSHAN" ENTRY WHILE ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE IS AN ENTRANCE USED FOR THE SENIOR CITIZENS SPECIAL ENTRY DURING PEAK PERIODS.
THIS GATE IS ALSO USED AS AN ENTRY FOR SENIOR CITIZENS / PHYSICALLY DISABLED & AGED DEVOTEES WHO ARE UNABLE TO WALK.
LUCKY TIP - ONE NORMAL ADULT IS ALLOWED TO ESCORT THEIR AGED / HANDICAPPED DEPENDENT FAMILY MEMBER BY THIS GATE & A DEPENDENT KID CAN ALSO GO ALONG IF HE / SHE HAS NO ONE ELSE TO ACCOMPANY HIM / HER.
IF LUCKY ENOUGH,
THEN N.R.I & FOREIGN NATIONALS CAN TOO MAKE AN ENTRY BY THIS GATE IF THEY SHOW THE GUARDS THE PROOF OF THEIR NATIONALITY OR NRI STATUS i.e., PASSPORT COPIES etc


MAIN GATE NO.4
ON THE SOUTH SIDE IS "GATE NO.4" WHICH IS MAINLY USED FOR SOUTH EXIT OUT OF THE TEMPLE PREMISES.
TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THIS EXIT THERE ARE SHOPS WHICH LEAD UP TO DWARKAMAI WHEREAS THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THIS EXIT THERE ARE SHOPS WHICH LEAD
UP TO THE MANMAD / NAGAR MAIN ROAD.
THIS GATE NO.4 IS ALSO USED AS AN ENTRY, WITH A STEEL BARRICADED PASSAGE SEPARATING LENDI BAGH AND NANDADEEP IN SUCH A MANNER THAT IF DEVOTEES ENTER BY THIS GATE THEN THEY WILL AUTOMATICALLY MOVE TOWARDS LENDI BAGH, BABAS WELL AND THEN STRAIGHT OUT OF THE TEMPLE PREMISES TO THE MANMAD / NAGAR MAIN ROAD.
SO, IF FROM LENDI BAGH IF ONE WANTS TO GO TO NANDADEEP, THEN THEY WILL HAVE TO GO STRAIGHT OUT OF THE TEMPLE PREMISES AND THEN AGAIN ENTER THE TEMPLE FROM GATE NO.1 FOR NANDADEEP.
THIS GATE NO.4 IS BANG OPPOSITE THE SAMADHIS OF NANAVALI / ABDUL BABA / & TATYA PATIL.


"DARSHAN PASSES"

DURING OFF-PEAK PERIODS.
AT NORMAL TIMES, WHEN THERE IS NOT MUCH RUSH OF DEVOTEES IN THE TEMPLE...
THE N.R.I`s / FOREIGN NATIONALS & THE V.I.P`s CAN APPROACH THE P.R.O. OFFICE DIRECTLY TO ARRANGE FOR THE DARSHAN PASSES FOR WHICH THEY WILL HAVE TO SHOW THE ORIGINAL OR COPIES OF THE PROOF OF THEIR NATIONALITY i.e, PASSPORT / GREEN CARD OR ANY OTHER PROOF OF RESIDENCE TO THE SANSTHAN'S P.R.O OFFICER (FOR SAFETY REASONS THEY SHOULD CARRY COPIES OF THEIR ORIGINAL PROOF OF RESIDENCE DOCUMENTS).
WHEREAS, THE V.I.P`s WILL HAVE TO SHOW A REQUEST FOR DARSHAN PASSES LETTER FROM ANY GOVERNMENT OF INDIA AUTHORITY OR ANY HIGH RANKING INDIAN OFFICIAL etc.

DURING OFF PEAK PERIODS, NORMALLY, THE N.R.I`s / FOREIGN NATIONALS TOGETHER WITH THE SENIOR CITIZENS / AGED / DISABLED ARE ALLOWED ENTRY DIRECTLY INTO THE SAMADHI SHRINE BY THE SPECIAL GATE BANG OPPOSITE THE FORMER UDHI DISTRIBUTION ROOM (MARKED AS "R" IN THE ABOVE TEMPLE MAP) .
WHILE THE V.I.P`s HAVE TO ENTER BY THE REAR EXIT DOOR OF THE SAMADHI SHRINE (MARKED AS "W" IN THE ABOVE TEMPLE MAP)
IF THE V.I.P IS A SENIOR / DISABLED THEN EVEN HE /SHE CAN GO FOR DARSHAN WITH THE OTHER SENIOR CITIZENS FROM THE SENIOR CITIZENS ENTRY GATE.

ALSO, APART FOR DARSHAN PASSES, ONE CAN CONTACT THE SANSTHAN P.R.O. OFFICE FOR ANY GUIDANCE AND OTHER INFORMATION TOO.


DURING PEAK PERIODS.
WHEN THERE IS A HUGE INFLOW OF DEVOTEES IN THE TEMPLE....
DURING FESTIVALS & OCCASIONS / SATURDAYS & SUNDAYS / OTHER PEAK PERIODS NO DARSHAN PASSES ARE ISSUED WHAT-SO-EVER, DUE TO THE HEAVY RUSH OF DEVOTEES.
SO, ONE WILL MOSTLY FIND THE DEPARTMENT WHICH ISSUES DARSHAN PASSES, IN THE P.R.O OFFICE, CLOSED.


SO HOW DO THE N.R.I`s OR FOREIGN NATIONALS OR V.I.P`s GET AN ENTRY DURING PEAK PERIODS?

WELL, THE TEMPLE GUARDS ARE QUITE UNDERSTANDING, SO IF THE N.R.I`s / FOREIGN NATIONALS SHOW THEM THEIR PROOF OF NATIONALITY,
THEY WILL BE ALLOWED TO ENTER THE TEMPLE NOT DIRECTLY, BUT BY A SEPARATE ENTRANCE BY WHICH THEY WILL BE CUTTING OUT QUITE A LARGE PORTION OF THE DARSHAN QUEUE.
THE V.I.P`s TOO CAN SHOW THE SPECIAL PASSES REQUEST LETTER OF ANY GOVERNMENT OF INDIA AUTHORITY / ANY HIGH RANKING INDIAN OFFICIAL etc TO THE TEMPLE GUARDS SO AS TO BE ALLOWED A SPECIAL ENTRY.
P.S - THE ONUS LIES WITH THE GUARD TO ALLOW OR REJECT ANY DEVOTEES REQUEST FOR ENTRY THROUGH THE SPECIAL GATE.

MOSTLY, THIS SPECIAL GATE FOR THEM IS THE GATE OPPOSITE THE THREE TEMPLES OF LORD SHANI / LORD GANESHA & LORD MAHADEV (MARKED AS "H" ABOVE IN THE TEMPLE MAP).
HOWEVER, THIS GATE MAY DIFFER DEPENDING UPON THE DEVOTEES RUSH AT THAT GIVEN PERIOD.
BUT IF THE N.R.I / FOREIGN NATIONAL OR THE V.I.P IS A SENIOR / AGED / HANDICAPPED THEN THEY ALSO DO NOT NEED ANY SPECIAL PASS AS THEY CAN ENTER THE TEMPLE BY THE SPECIAL ENTRY GATE MEANT FOR SENIOR CITIZENS (MARKED AS "K" ABOVE IN THE TEMPLE MAP).
THIS GATE MAY ALSO DIFFER DEPENDING UPON THE DEVOTEES RUSH AT THAT GIVEN PERIOD.


FOR DARSHAN PASSES / GUIDANCE ONE CAN CONTACT THE P.R.O OFFICE DIRECTLY :

IN SHIRDI -

Executive Officer,
Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust, Shirdi
Post. Shirdi 423 109 Tal. Rahata,
Dist. Ahmednagar (Maharashtra)
Phone : +91-2423-258500 ( I.V.R )
Fax No. Office:+91-2423-258870 & P.R.O.Office : +91-2423-258770


IN MUMBAI THEN -
(AT PRESENT SHIRDI SANSTHAN`S MUMBAI BRANCH DOES NOT ISSUE DARSHAN PASSES BUT IN TIME TO COME, THEY MIGHT ALSO DO SO)
Executive Officer,
Shri Sai baba Sansthan Trust, (Shirdi)
'Sai Niketan', 804-8,
Dr. Ambedkar Road, Dadar,
Mumbai - 400014
Tel : +91- 22 - 24166556/ 24161293
Fax: +91- 22 - 24150798


DARSHAN PASSES PROCEDURE :

ALL N.R.I`s / FOREIGN NATIONAL`s / VIP`s OR THE ONES REGISTERED FOR A PASS AT THE P.R.O OFFICE, CAN HAVE DARSHAN WITH SPECIAL PASSES ALSO CALLED THE V.I.P PASSES.
THESE PASSES CAN BE OBTAINED FROM THE P.R.O.OFFICE IN THE SHIRDI TEMPLE PREMISES ITSELF FOR WHICH ONE HAS TO GO IN ADVANCE ( SOONER THE BETTER...ATLEAST A DAY IN ADVANCE ) & GET HIS / HER NAME REGISTERED FOR THE PASS WHILST SPECIFYING WHICH AARTI PASSES ARE NEEDED BY HIM / HER i.e, KAKAD AARTI, MADHYAN AARTI, DHOOP AARTI OR SHEJ AARTI.

ALSO, TO BE SPECIFIED IN ADVANCE, IS THE NUMBER OF MEMBERS GOING TO ACCOMPANY HIM / HER ON THAT PASS, AS ACCORDINGLY ONLY THOSE NUMBER OF DEVOTEES WITH THAT MEMBER WILL BE GIVEN ENTRY FOR DARSHAN IN THE TEMPLE.
ANY EXTRA MEMBER OF THE PASS HOLDER IS REFUSED ENTRY FOR DARSHAN, IF NOT REGISTERED BEFORE HAND AT THE P.R.O.
THE NUMBER OF MEMBERS ACCOMPANYING ONE SINGLE PASS DIFFERS DEPENDING UPON THE RUSH BUT IS USUALLY BETWEEN 6-10 MAX.

IF THE N.R.I.`s WANT TO ARRANGE FOR PASSES BEFORE THEY TOUCH DOWN IN INDIA, THEY CAN CONSULT THE SANSTHAN P.R.O.FOR THE PROCEDURE IF POSSIBLE OR THEY SHOULD HAVE SOME REPRESENTATIVE IN INDIA OR SHIRDI TO ARRANGE FOR THE SAME BEFORE HAND.
P.S- THE P.R.O. IS NOT OPEN THE WHOLE DAY BUT HAS SPECIFIC TIMINGS, SO PLEASE ACCORDINGLY BE THERE TO ARRANGE FOR YOUR PASSES IN ADVANCE.

MY WISH - THE SYSTEM OF ALL DARSHAN PASSES SHOULD BE ABOLISHED WHAT-SO-EVER AND BE IT POLITICIANS / ACTORS / V.I.P`s / N.R.I`s / FOREIGNERS ANYBODY SO TO SPEAK, LET EVERYONE STAND IN THE NORMAL QUEUE FOR DARSHAN...AS PASSES IS DISCRIMINATING BETWEEN SECTS OF PEOPLE...A THING WHICH BABA NEVER PREACHED.
SO "DON`T GIVE PASSES BUT GIVE PREFERENCE"
ALL PHYSICALLY DISABLED / TERMINALLY ILL / AGED & SENIOR CITIZENS SHOULD BE GIVEN FIRST PREFERENCE FOR DARSHAN.

MY VIEW - KARMICALLY SPEAKING, THE PASS HOLDERS EAT AWAY SOME OF THEIR GOOD KARMAS BY ARRANGING A SMOOTH-n-EASY DARSHAN FOR THEMSELVES UP AGAINST THE OTHER DEVOTEES STANDING FOR HOURS IN QUEUE`S ONLY TO BE BACK-DROPPED DURING DARSHAN IN THE MAIN SANCTUM.



SENIOR CITIZENS / AGED / PHYSICALLY DISABLED.
ALL SENIOR CITIZENS / PHYSICALLY DISABLED & AGED DEVOTEES NOW DO NOT REQUIRE ANY SPECIAL PASSES FOR DARSHAN AS THEY ARE GIVEN DIRECT ENTRY TO THE TEMPLE FROM A SEPARATE GATE BY WHICH THEY CUT OUT THE LONG STANDING IN QUEUES. THIS SPECIAL ENTRY GATE FOR SENIORS / AGED DEVOTEES CHANGES DEPENDING UPON THE INFLOW OF DEVOTEES.
IN NORMAL PERIODS, WHEN IT ISN`T MUCH CROWDED, THE SENIOR CITIZENS ARE ALLOWED DIRECTLY INSIDE THE MAIN TEMPLE BY THE ENTRY OPPOSITE THE FORMER UDHI DISTRIBUTION ROOM, NOW THE ANNOUNCEMENT ROOM.
BUT DURING HOLIDAY SEASONS / FESTIVALS & OTHER PEAK TIMES WHEN A LARGE NUMBER OF DEVOTEES TURN UP FOR DARSHAN, THE ENTRY GATE FOR THE SENIOR / DISABLED DEVOTEES CHANGES TOO i.e, AT PRESENT IT IS A GATE JUST BENEATH THE WIDE GATE NO.3 STRUCTURE ITSELF AND OPPOSITE A BLACK COLORED GRANITE NOTICE BOARD.
WHEN ONE ENTERS THROUGH GATE NO.3, ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE FALLS THE "MUKH DARSHAN" GATE & ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE WAS THE FORMER SHOE STAND AREA...AND JUST ADJACENT TO THIS FORMER SHOE STAND AREA IS THE SENIOR CITIZENS ENTRY GATE.

DURING PEAK PERIODS,HOWEVER, EVEN AFTER GETTING A ENTRY FOR DARSHAN FROM THE SPECIAL ENTRY GATE, THE SENIOR CITIZENS / AGED HAVE YET TO WALK DOWN A FEW STAIRS WHERE THEY JOIN THE PASS HOLDERS & THE REST OF THE OTHER DEVOTEES, WITH WHOM THEY THEN CLIMB UP A FEW STAIRS TO FINALLY REACH BABA`S SAMADHI SANCTUM.
AND THE QUEUE FOR THE SENIOR CITIZENS DEVOTEES STARTS FROM JUST OUTSIDE THE SQUARE WINDOWS (FROM WHERE ONE CAN SEE THE DARSHAN QUEUE GOING DOWN-STAIRS) OPPOSITE THE DONATION OFFICE.
IF THE SENIOR CITIZEN IS UNABLE TO GO ALONE DUE TO ANY DISABILITY OR ILLNESS OR IS ON WHEEL CHAIR THEN ANY ONE FAMILY MEMBER (YOUNG OR OLD) IS ALLOWED TO ACCOMPANY HIM /HER THROUGH THIS SENIOR CITIZENS GATE.
AND, IF THIS RESULTS IN ANY DEPENDENT MINOR WHO IS WITH THEM TO BE LEFT ALONE, THEN THAT MINOR TOO IS ALLOWED TO GO WITH HIS / HER FAMILY THROUGH THIS ENTRY.
BUT MIND YOU, THE GUARDS ARE QUITE SMART TO CATCH ANY SENIOR CITIZEN FAKING ANY DIFFICULTY TO WALK OR GO ALONE SO AS TO TAG ALONG A FAMILY MEMBER WITH THEM.

MY WISH - IRRESPECTIVE OF THE SEASON / TIME AND THE AMOUNT OF DEVOTEE INFLOW, ALL SENIOR CITIZENS / AGED / PHYSICALLY DISABLED DEVOTEES SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO ENTER BY THE GATE BANG OPPOSITE THE ANNOUNCEMENT ROOM (FORMER UDHI ROOM) LIKE BEFORE.