Religious/ Spiritual

If we talk about Gods and Temples can miracles be left behind. Enter the exceptional Somaja Devi Mandir (Temple) where despite of the unbelievable claim of “Venom Neutralisation‿ it is pretty common to see serpentine queues of snake bite victims requesting the Goddess to extract the venom from them body and heal them. Tall claims, one may think but the confidence, faith and conviction with which the victims pray and undertake the arduous Pradakshinaas/ Dandvat (Circumventing the temple lying flat on stomach) is to be seen to be believed.

Adul Babba is one of Baba’s most fervent followers. The cottage has some interesting memoirs. The cottage is small and green colored. The cottage is located opposite the Chavadi.

The main room of the house has exhibits of Baba with Abdul. Also Baba can be seen with Swami Chinmayanand in a photograph. There also can be seen many more rare articles.

There is an alley behind Abdul Baba’s house which leads to Laxmibai Shinde’s house. Marthand a place where Baba installed a Ganesha statue can also be reached through the alley.

Sai Baba was first seen sitting under a Neem tree and the place was called Gurusthan. Later a temple was built at this spot which was renovated in 1941. This neem tree is where many devotees have been cured of their ailments.

Gurusthan is a place where Sai Baba was visible to the world for the first time. He was 16 years old then. There is a Neem tree which is quiet famous. It is the Margosa which is referred to in ‘Sai Sat-Charitra’. The devotees believe that if they burn incense sticks at Gurusthan they will be cured of their ailments.

Right from the beginning of his life Sai Baba had a habit of begging food from his neighborhood. Baba remembered the services that Laxmibai bestowed on him. Before Baba left his body, he gave Laxmibai Shinde a 5 rupee note. Then he gave Laxmi four rupees making the total to Rs 9. The figure indicates the nine types of devotion which is described in chapter 21.

Through this act Baba brought to the notice of Laxmibai Shinde the importance of the nine characteristics of a good disciple. Baba had given Laxmibai Rs 9 many times but the last gift of Rs 9 by Baba is always remembered.

During the last decade of Sai Baba’s life, he used to spend alternate nights at Chavadi. Thus the place became very important. Baba used to be taken in Procession from Dwarkamai to Chavadi.

Even today procession is taken on every Thursdays. The depiction of Sai Baba, which was placed on a silver stool in the right side of the Chavadi is now placed near his Samadhi. Also Baba’s footwear is placed near Baba’s Samadhi.

Dwarkamai mosque is located on the right side of the entrance of the Samadhi Mandir. The saint stayed in this place till his end. The place has many oil paintings of the saint. These paintings are the main attraction.

Dwarkamai is divided into two levels. The first level contains a portrait of Baba and a big stone on which the saint used to sit. The level has two rooms. One room has a chariot and the other has a palkhi.

The second level has a square stool which is made of stone. The stool was used by Baba when he used to have his bath.

The Jangli Maharaj Ashram is located on the Shirdi-Manmad State Highway. Jangli Maharaj Ashram is about seven kilometers from Shirdi. Spiritual guru Om Gurudev runs the ashram. The ashram has a co-educational residential school for children.

Jangli Maharaj Ashram conducts meditation classes and various other religious and educational fields regularly. On a day before the full moon day a program called Anugraha is arranged. The holy meeting goes on throughout the night in the presence of Sadguru Janglidas Maharaj.

Khandoba Mandir is near Shri Sainath Hospital. Khandoba is the presiding deity of the village. The Khandoba Temple is situated on the main road. The temple has icons of Khandoba, Banai and Mhalsai.

At Khandoba in Shirdi, Baba came along with a marriage party and he set his foot under a banyan tree. The priest at the temple welcomes Baba by saying "Aao Sai". The fakir without a name began to be called "Sai Baba" from then. Baba asked Upasani Baba to stay in the temple for some time doing nothing.

The temple is open for visitors from 5 am to 10 pm.

The temple was owned by Shreemant Gopalrao a Sai devotee from Nagpur. The temple itself is built with stones but Sai Baba’s Samadhi is built with white marble and is surrounded by ornamentally decorated railings. In 1954 Balaji Vasant sculpted a marble idol of Sai Baba sitting on a throne. This sculpture is seen inside the temple. Within the temple there is a hall for about 600 people and the first floor has a gallery of pictures depicting the life of the saint.

On Thursdays a special aarti is performed at the temple. Queues to attend this puja are very long and take more than 3 -4 hours.

During the days when Shri Sai Baba was living in Dwarkamai Masjid, he used to sleep in Chawri. This was on every alternate night between the years 1910 to 1918. This visit at Chawri on every alternate night was prefaced by a ‘palki’ progress. The procession was carried out with all royal appurtenances and Baba was accompanied from Dawakamai to Chawri.