Holidaying in Shirdi, a soul-refreshing experience

There are many ideal places where you can spend a relaxing spiritual vacation that will not just refresh your mind and body, but will also provide you with a break from the mundane daily life, which pretty much has sucked up the juice in you. Holidays are always anxiously awaited by all, and it is a good thing to spend the holidays in one of the holy places in the country, amidst the spiritual vibe, amidst the simple minded people, and amidst the solemn temples and mystical shrines. India is a highly religious country and has an almost infinite number of spiritual places and pilgrimages, thus at times it gets a bit difficult to decide on the holy place that you want to visit.

If you are an ardent follower of Sai Baba, there is perhaps no other better way to spend the holiday other than spending it in the abode of the revered saint himself, that is Shirdi. Even if you are not the devoted follower of the saint, a visit to the place is certainly going to leave an everlasting impression on you. Besides, it is the best way to learn about the saint’s life and how he devoted his entire life in the service of the needy and poor.

Being the most cardinal pilgrimage amongst the Sai followers, there is a large mass of pilgrims and tourists flocking to the place. The fact that it is well connected to metropolitans like Pune and Mumbai makes it easily accessible. Backpackers who are travelling from distant cities and states could reach Pune first via trains or flights, and hire one of the cabs from pune to shirdi. There is a good availability of cabs and private taxis from Pune to the holy town and the road is full of interesting tourist spots thus making the journey a sweet experience.

It is perfectly right to say that Shirdi is the holy grail of the entire Sai universe and the presence of the saint is prevalent all over the place. It is the place where Sai Baba spent a large part of his life continuously working or the well being of the poor and needy. Plus, it is also the place where he finally attained the Moksha in 1918. The Samadhi Mandir, more or less the heart of the place, generates huge amount of interests. It is here the mortal remains of the saint are kept and every year thousands of pilgrims throng to the temple just so that they can catch a glimpse of his remains. While you are here, it is also expected that you visit Gurusthan, the place where the saint was first spotted underneath a neem tree. The tree still stands at the place and just adjacent to it a large portrait of the saint is placed. The other significant places that are worth visiting: Chavadi, Dwarkamai Masjid, Lendi Bagh, Dixit Wada Museum, etc.

To sum up all, if you are craving for a relaxing and undisturbed vacation, visiting Shirdi will provide you with a soul refreshing experience. Simply, book a taxi, say taxi from mumbai to shirdi, or a flight or a train and get into the place and spend a wonderful holiday that you have been looking for from a long time.

Pratima is a travel writer and loves to visit different places India. She is an avid traveler herself, and whenever she has the opportunity she flews to the destinations that she has listed in her travel log.