SHIRDI IS 126 KMS FROM AURANGABAD AND IS LOCATED IN DISTRICT AHMEDNAGAR. EVERY ACTIVITY AT SHIRDI REVOLVES AROUND THE VAST TEMPLE COMPLEX DEDICATED TO SAI BABA. DEVOTEES START QUEUING UP IN THE EARLY HOURS OF DAWN TO CATCH A GLIMPSE AND SEEK THE BLESSINGS OF THE LIFE-SIZE STATUE OF SAI BABA.

          SAMADHI MANDIR OF SHRI SAI BABA WAS ACTUALLY OWNED BY A MILLIONAIRE FROM NAGPUR AND A FAMOUS SAI DEVOTEE SHREEMANT GOPALRAO HOWEVER, ACCORDING TO THE LEGENDS, BABA HIMSELF BECAME MURLIDHAR AND THE TEMPLE BECAME THE SAMADHI MANDIR.

          SITUATED ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ENTRANCE OF THE SAMADHI MANDIR IS DWARKAMAI, A MOSQUE. THIS WAS THE PLACE WHERE THE STAGE STAYED UNTIL THE END OF HIS LIFE. MAIN ATTRACTION OF THE SITE ARE THE OIL PAINTINGS OF THE SAGE.

          THE PLACE FROM WHERE SAI BABA FIRST CAME TO SHIRDI IN THE FORM OF A BAL YOGI (CHILD ASCETIC) IS KNOWN AS GURUSTHAN. A TEMPLE HAS BEEN CONSTRUCTED ON THIS SITE. THERE IS ALSO A SMALL SHRINE IN GURUSTHAN.

          AT A SHORT DISTANCE LIES BABA'S CHAVADI. BABA USED TO SLEEP HERE EVERY ALTERNATE DAY. THE CHAVADI IS DIVIDED INTO TWO PARTS. ONE PART OF THE CHAVADI HAS A LARGE PORTRAIT OF BABA ALONG WITH A WOODEN BED AND A WHITE CHAIR BELONGING TO HIM.

          THERE IS A MARUTI MANDIR LOCATED AT SOME DISTANCE FROM THE COTTAGE OF ABDUL BABA. THIS MANDIR WAS VISITED BY BABA FOR SATSANG WITH DEVIDAS, A BAL YOGI, WHO LIVED AT THE MANDIR TEN TO TWELVE YEARS BEFORE BABA ARRIVED. THERE ARE ALSO TEMPLES NAMED SHANI, GANAPATI AND SHANKAR THAT ARE WORTH VISITING.