Shirdi Sai Baba Temple As Per Vastu & Fengshui .

The main temple the samadhi temple was originally known as buttiwada gopal butti a baba devotee constructed it as a shrine to lord vitthal . However the baba has to have told butti I will come to reside here one day . When baba passed away on oct 15 , 1918 his disciples decided to bury his mortal remains inside the wada ( abode ) . A white marble tomb and a life size statue of baba stand here today . Mumbai sculptor bhausaheb talim created this masterpiece installed in 1954 . The statue of lord vitthal has since been moved to dixit wada museum . Present day shirdi has grown around the shirdi sai baba sansthan located on busy ahmednagar manmad state highway making the temple the centre of the town . Most hotels have come up around the temple premises . The sansthan is about 2 km north east of the state transport bus stand . It is possible to see the shrines in and around the sansthan in a single day . But shirdi needs to be savoured peacefully with shraddha ( faith ) and saburi ( patience ) the twin virtues professed by baba . Four aarti take place in the samadhi mandir and one needs to experience as many of them as possible. There are many other shrines you can visit besides a library a museum and a beautiful garden . A large complex of administrative buildings and spiritual shrine the sansthan is an oasis of peace and cleanliness. The sansthan’s library shri sai vangmay kaksha is in shanti nivas the administrative building . Near the reception is a reading hall . You could fortify yourself with a hot cup of tea , coffee or milk at the 24 hr canteen also near the reception if ever there were an award for the most clean pilgrimage spot in india , shirdi would have been strong contender for the top place . Four main aartis are organized inside this temple which houses sai baba’s samadhi . While the distance from the entrance to the samadhi is about 800 m it has been punctuated with several benches so pilgrims may rest . Metal bar seperates neat rows for queues . There are washrooms on en route . We strongly recommend that visitors try to be present for inspiring kakad aarti at 5:15 am . A copy of the aarti booklet available at the sansthan book store will be handy . An aarti lasts for about 25 min . The kakad aarti timing also provides an opportunity to witness the baba ritual bath performed by the pujaris at 6 am . A small temple is built near the neem tree under which baba is said to have medidated . It houses a shivlinga and a photograph of baba . Thursday and fridays are popular in the shrine filled with the fragrance of incense that devotees light . Located just outside the samadhi mandir . Dwarkamai a dilapidated masjid to which baba would retire every other night must be seen too . It still houses the community fire ( dhooni ) where logs of wood burn 24 hrs a day supplying udi to baba’s devotees as it was during his lifetime. The udi is given the same way ( vibhuti ) sacred ash is given in the temple’s of southern india. One corner of the masjid has the grinding stone with which baba used to grind wheat for the poor who visited him everyday. A chawadi a small town structure is where the baba’s is said to have rested every alternate night . Today it houses two large images of baba . Location both are about 20 steps from the side exit of the gurusthan . This is the home of one of baba’s most ardent followers and houses some interesting memorabilia. It is a small green colored cottage . Located opp chawadi . This charming compact museum has rare black and white photographs of baba . It also displays his kafni ( long robes ) leather padukas his chillum ( smoking pipe ) gramophone records water tumblers cooking utensils and bathing stone . Located almost at the center of the sansthan’s complex .The samadhi of the the babas four key lifetime associates tatya patil kote , maharaj kumbhar , pv padmanabha aiyyar and nanavall have been constructed adjacent to reception area of the sai baba sansthan . This is a serene spot . Location to the west of sansthan’s complex . Baba has said to have spent a lot of time in the garden called lendibagh. It’s now beautifully landscaped . Here too is the well that baba used known as shivadi. An akhand deep ( continously burning lamp ) glows under the pipal tree that baba planted here . Location at the entrance of the sansthan . This small temple where baba said to have halted on his first visit to shirdi . As you enter exit from the extreme right hand corner of the sansthan you will be on a street full of souvenir stores . The shirdi sai store diagonally opposite to dwarkamai stocks a wide variety of related items . The sai baba sansthan offers a range of accommodation at saiprasad 1 , saiprasad 2 , atithee griha , bhakta nivas a new facility about 2 km from the temple. Bhakta nivas has a pretty landscaped garden with illuminated fountains . Upasani Maharaj Ashram ( 6 kms south ) upasani maharaj was babas contemporary and follower . His samadhi and that of his disciple godavari mata are located inside the quite ashram .