Shirdi

Our trip to Temples at Shirdi, Saneeswara temple and Panchavati, Thriyambakeshwar Temple etc., at Nashik in Maharashtra. (16th March to 19th March 2010)



Day 1---We (me and my wife) left Chennai by Indigo Airlines leaving Chennai at 5.40am on 16th March 2010 and reached Mumbai Air port at 7.25am enroute to Shirdi and Nashik. We had our breakfast at Santacruz airport and took a prepaid taxi paying taxi to reach Lokamanya Tilak Terminus (Kurla) train station to board Kamayani Express to Kurla at 12.40pm. We reached Manmad train station at 5.15pm (train was late by 15 minutes which is normal in India) . From Manmad , we started for Shirdi by an Indica car sent by Manager of Hotel Saish, at Shirdi where we stayed for 3 days. We reached Shirdi at 6.45pm and checked in the hotel Saish and immediately after our refreshment , set off to the Shirdi Saibaba Temple for Dharshan at 7.45pm with our family friend who has taken us quite near to the deity Sainathji for Dharshan. We were blessed to have good Dharshan of Sai Babaji on the auspicious day of Gudi Parwa (Maharashtra New year). The temple was very much crowded that day and with the help of our friend, we could get a good close Dharshan of the Deity. We returned back to the room at around 9.30pm after our dinner and took rest.



Day ---2 We got up early in the morning and set off to the Saibaba temple again to have a peaceful Dharshan. Unlike the previous day, we had much more calm atmosphere and wonderful Dharshan and invoked His blessings. We also visited Dwaraka Mai and Chawadi situated nearby.



We then had our breakfast in Hotel Jeevan at Shirdi at 9.30am and by11am left by an A/c Indica car for Shani Shingnapur for visiting the Saneeswara Temple. We reached Shingnapur at 12.30pm and I had a shower to wear a red coloured dhothi and headed off to the temple with drenched wet Dhoti (about half a Kilo meter away ) to offer Abhishekam to Lord Saneeswara. I poured the Til oil on the top of the God (in the form of a stone reportedly “The Saneeswara Deity”) on a raised platform. Ladies are not allowed to go near the Diety. We had a pradakshanam (went around the temple) and returned to Shirdi. We reached shirdi at 3.30pm and had our lunch at the same Hotel Jeevan in front of the Gate No 1 of the temple.



After taking rest in the afternoon, we visited Mahalakshmi, Durga Temple near Hotel Saish and strolled around the place for buying some novelties. We had our dinner at Hotel Jeevan which is good and hygienic to an extent, as compared to many other hotels in that region. We retired back into our hotel and took complete rest.



Day 3---- We had planned to go to Nashik enroute back to Mumbai / Chennai to visit temples at Mukthi dham,Thriyambakeshwara , Panchavati there. Accordingly, We have booked an A/c suite for our one-day stay in Hotel Hoysala at Nashik through my friend, at Shirdi and also arranged for a car to travel to Nashik (about 90 kms from Shirdi). We left Shirdi at 8.30am after our breakfast, and reached Nashik at 10.30am. We occupied the room in the above hotel and immediately left by the same car for Thriyambakeshwar temple (about 30 kms away from Nashik) and thereafter visited Panchavati temples at Godhavari River Bank. We returned back to the hotel at 3pm after our lunch.

We went for a walk around the place in the evening and had our dinner at a Hotel named Ruchi, which was not so good. We took good rest after hectic travel and visit of remote temples in Nashi .



Day 4--- We woke up early morning and went out for our breakfast .We left the Hotel at 8.30am to reach the Nashik Road Train station to go to Mumbai by Mahanagar Express in which we booked our return journey but since the train was reported to be late by 4 hours, I got the ticket changed with great difficulty to travel by Godhavari Express A/c chair car although I had A/c 2 Tier tickets. We reached Mumbai –Lokamanya Tilak Terminus (Kurla) train station and picked up a taxi from there (with great head ache of bargaining with the taxi wallas) to Santacruz Airport ( or Chatrapathi Shivaji Airport) and finally reached there by 3 pm after having my good lunch in Hotel Ramakrishna at Vile Parle, Mumbai. I had a tremendous relief of getting good South Indian food after starving without it during our journey in the internal remote regions of Maharashtra)



After spending about 4 to 5 hours in the Airport, we left by Indigo Airlines leaving Mumbai at 7.55 pm and reaching Chennai Airport at 10.10pm ( Arrival delayed by 15 minutes). We then reached home at about 11.15pm after sailing through the problem of getting prepaid taxis due to a long queue.





Taxi Fare Details



Manmad train station to Shirdi ---- Rs.800/- (all travel By A/c Indica car---65 kms)



Shirdi to Sani Shingnapur and Back-- Rs.800/- (150 kms)



Shirdi to Nashik, Mukthi dham,Thriambakeshwar,Panchavati temples -- Rs.1500/- (260 kms)



The pilgrimage was good and satisfactory as we were able to cover the temples as planned. However if the transportation sector–flight / trains and taxis follow proper time schedules especially with respect to the fares demanded both in Mumbai and Chennai (predominantly in all big cities/ though not in small towns in India) the travel and pilgrimage etc. will be of much more pleasant experience. This shall also urge us to promote the tourism industry to a very great extent by extending our co-operation.





N.Radhakrishnan,

Chennai.