| Temple Timings & Daily Activities | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| TheAbhishek Pooja the timing is as below | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1st Batch : 7.00 am to 8.00am | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2nd Batch : 9.am to 10.00 am | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3rd Batch : 12.30pm to 1.30 pm | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Note: amount payable for Abhishek Pooja is Rs 101/- only | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| When Baba was alive | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In the beginning Baba used to sit under Neem Tree which is now located in Gurusthan. He used to water the trees and flowers. He used to give UDHI (Holy ash) to needy people and recover their diseases. As years passed hundred and thousand devotees started streaming to Shirdi and a small village started changing into a holy pilgrim place. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Dhuni (sacred fire place) |  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shree Sai Baba used to get up early in the morning and used to seat near the Dhuni (sacred fire place) facing south. In the meantime Baba’s devotee Madhav Phasle would carry out his usual services that of cleaning the Masjid, replacing the fuel in the Dhuni. Sometimes Baba used to mutter words like “Yade Hag”. Then Kakad aarti used to be offered by the devotees. Baba’s devotee Madhav Phasle used to offer bucket full of water to wash his mouth and face. He had a peculiar way of batheing, normally he used to sit on a plank and bathe. During this time some of the Baba’s devotees had seen him vomiting/removing his intestine out and cleaning it thoroughly with water and place them on a small shrub to dry and he would swallow them again. Baba always wore a garment made of coarse whitish (Kafni) and tied a small piece of cloth around his head. Very rarely Baba tied lungi around his waist, and after washing his Kafni with water, he dried it above the sacred fire and wore it. Usually he changed the Kafni. In every two or three months but whenever he decieded to change the Kafni, Baba sent for the Tailor and told him to get a Kafni. When he brought it he used to pay the tailor more than its worth, normally he used to throw the old Kafni in the sacred fire and bowed his head (did namaskar) or would distribute it to some of his devotees. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Bhiksha (Alms) |  Baba was Cooking Food | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Daily approximately at 7:30 a.m Baba used to go out to ask “Bhiksha” (Alms). Generally he used to visit only selected five houses. While going out for seeking “Bhiksha” Baba would fold a garment over his shoulders in the form of a bag which dangled below his left arm as shown in the picture and holder a tin mug in his other hand and he called out “Mother please give me roti” He used to receive all the types of food like milk, roti, vegetable, etc all mixed in the mug. After returning from Masjid he used to put small roti’s and rice in the sacred fire and and rest of the food in a uncovered mud pot. He never kept any food stored for the next meal. There was no restriction for the cats, dogs or even the beggars for talking this free food from the pot. Baba never cared for the taste of the food while eating. Approximately at 9’oclock Baba used to go to stroll in Lendibaug, which is now known as “Nanda Deep” (sacred lamp). Baba’s devotees offered him pots full of water and placed them near Baba. Then Baba would go on pouring water in various directions. What that and why Baba did that still remains a mystery. Approximately at 10’oclock Baba used to return back to Dwarkamai during this time various devotees visited Dwarkamai to give various services to him some of his devotees started pressing his legs, offered garlands, worship, applied tilak on his forehead etc, many a times Baba used to demand Dakshina (monetary gift) from the devotees (because would like to remove their difficulties ). He used to offer blessings by removing diseases, giving rebirth or solving their problems of life. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 sometimes near outer wall |  Babusaheb Dixit and Tatya Patil | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Approximately at 3 p.m visitors started coming to Masjid, some of them use to carry out bhajans, kirtans and some came to solve their problems or to get rid from their sorrows and pains . In the evening Baba used to walk in the front yard of the masjid and stood sometimes near outer wall and used to chit-chat with the passengers or people passing by, then approximately at 5’oclock he again went to Lendibaugh along with Babusaheb Dixit and Tatya Patil and returned back to Dwarkamai. At the time of sunset Sajaarti (evening aarti) was carried out. After the aarti Baba used to offer Dakshina from Rs.4/- to Rs.55/-. Then he used to take dinner at 9 p.m. On 10th October 1909, Baba started sleeping at chawdi and sejaarti started. He used to sleep at Chawdi along with number of white colored bedsheets one above the other and always kept a lamp burning near him. Before going to bed he used to inform Tatya Patil to go home and meantime please take care of me. In Dwarkamai sometimes Baba used to sleep on suspended plank approximately 7 to 8 feet above ground and about 1 to 2 feet below the roof, which was, tighten with a thin strip of cloth. This cloth was very thin it was difficult to hold the weight of the plank also. People wondered that how Baba used to climb and get down but no one were able to see Baba doing so. In dwarkamai their was a brick on which Baba used to take below his head, this brick was very dear to him and cried when it broke. BABA spend his life throughout in shirdi. He never left shirdi during night time. Lots of people began to harres and were not ready to help him. After doing some miracles people began to harres and were not ready to help him. After doing some miracles people started worshiping him. But he always says "I am a servant of God". He solves the problems and give guidelines to whomsoever approaches to him, some of them are been given futrue guidelines by him. He has removed some of them from the mouth of death. He has given wealth, child, happiness, blessing, etc. During this time BABA had his important devotees like Sir Madhav Rao Deshpande, Mr. Tatya Patil kote, Dr. Pillay, Mr. Pilagi Gurav, Mr. Hari Sitaram Dixit, Mr. Anna Saheb Dobolkar, Mr. Dadasaheb Khaperde, Mr. Shagun Meru Nayeke, Mr. Babu Saheb Butte, Mr. Bahu Saheb Dhumal, Mr. Madhav Faslee, Mr. Babasaheb Dave Mamledar, Mrs. Radhakrishna Mike and Mr. Damu Anna Rasne. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Having a Darshan or a look at Shri Saibaba, when in Shirdi is heavenly in itself. The sheer calmness and serenity that peeps through the white marble statue of this saint hypnotizes you and initiates you into a mystical and spiritual journey that imparts a new meaning to your existence.
With thousands of devotees that queue up to have a look at this heavenly visage, the timings for Darshan are fixed by the Sai temple authorities. You must get acquainted with this before you go for a darshan of Shri Sai Baba.
Samadhi Temple that houses the statue of Shri Saibaba opens for public Darshan at 5am, when the temple opens. You need to be there well before 4am since a long queue is already there for a moment's glance of Sai Baba. It is the time when "Utha utha Sakala Jana" a melodious prayer is played on audio cassette. Exactly at 5.15am Kakad arati begins as a request to Lord Sai to wake up and give His merciful glances to His devotees.
After the Kakad Aarati, the Samadhi and the Idol of Shri Sai is offered Mangal Snan (Holy bath) with milk, curd, honey, sugar, ghe and warm perfumed water. After this Baba is offered Shodashopachar pooja leading to aarti. From 7.10am you can have full darshan of Shri Saibaba and also make offerings such as flowers, garlands, coconut, sweets, etc. Saibaba darshan continues till 11.45am.
Between 12 and 12.30pm Mahadhyan aarti or Noon arati is performed. After this aarti, once again Sai darshan begins and devotees line to have a glance of Sai Baba. Darshan continues through Dhup aarti or Sunset aarti. The timings of Dhup aarti changes as per the orientation of Sun and thus it changes through different seasons.
After Dhup aarti, at around 10am Shej aarti is done, which is the preparation for Saibaba to retire for the day. The temple is closed by 10.20pm. You can have regal darshan of Saibaba's padukas or sacred footwear on Thursdays and on special days. During these times a majestic procession is held in all pomp and show with Saibaba's padukas kept along with his portrait is carried in a royal palanquin from Samadhi Mandir to DwarkaMai and Chawri.
Here is the daily program at Sai Temple at Shirdi. The worship schedule at Saibaba temple begins early in the morning that continues till late in night. The daily worship program includes various rituals and rites that go into invoking Saibaba, and the congregation of devotees who seek the blessings of Shri Saibaba. Dwarkamai, Gurusthan and Chavdi get open for the devotees at 4.30am and the Samdhi Mandir opens at 5am. With this temple is ready with prays and other rituals invoking Saibaba of Shirdi. At 9pm Chavadi and Gurusthan close. At 9.45pm the upper part of Dwarkamai closes. And finally at 10.45pm the Samadhi temple is closed till the next day.