A lot of detailed information regarding travel to Shirdi

Mumbai to Shirdi - Airport/Taxi/Bus/Trains and other important details::

Devotees going to Shirdi by Air from Mumbai:
The distance between Mumbai to shirdi is approx 260 kms. Mumbai airport is also the closest
international airport to reach shirdi. So Sai devotees who wish to come to india especially for shirdi
darshan can come to mumbai and then take a Bus ,taxi ,train or a flight to shirdi.The nearest airport to
shirdi used to be, Aurangabad ( 126 kms ) but very recently major steps have been taken to have the
airport close to the Samadhi mandir .The airport is scheduled to come up at Kakadi village, around 15
kilometres from Shirdi in Ahmednagar district. But As for now ,most devotees who travel from abroad
have to reach the Mumbai airport first . A few months ago Jagson airlines used to travel from Mumbai to
shirdi but it seems like they do not have that service anymore.I am not quite sure about what is going on
with the present situation but I am just leaving the link here.I don’t think that they r operating service
between Mumbai and Shirdi by air anymore but u never know if they would restart it so I am leaving this
link on this page http://www.jagsonairline.com/schedule.htm -

Devotees going to Shirdi by bus from Mumbai ::

The easiest way to get to Shirdi is by bus. It takes up to 7 hrs. If you fly into the Mumbai airport, hire a taxi
(the ones that are in lines at the very front of the airport) to take you to the Dadar Bus Stand. The cost is
about Rs.-150 to Rs.-200 (make sure they turn the meter on). There are also people who will try to
redirect you to their own "private" taxis. These "private" taxis charge between Rs. 400 to Rs. 600 just to
take you to the Dadar Bus Stand. At the Dadar Bus Stand, there are long lines of small ticket counters
that sell bus tickets to Shirdi. Preferably, try to get an A/C direct bus ( around Rs.-300 -however, the prices
keep changing with time so....this is just a rough estimate). If you are not able to get an A/C direct bus, get
a non-A/C direct bus (Rs.-150).[Prices may vary a little] Buses leave almost every 3 hours from Mumbai
to Shirdi. So your wait will not be long. The buses make about 2 stops for food. The restaurants are non-
vegetarian. So make sure you pack some snacks and bottled water for the trip. Keep an eye on your
luggage! Some buses goes to Nasik and then to shirdi others take a short cut avoiding nasik.Bus route -
Mumbai- Nashik- Niphad- Yeola - Shirdi. Distance between Pune to shirdi - 190 KmsBus route - Pune-
Kalamba- sangmner- Talegaon- shirdiDistance between Aurangabad to Shirdi 126 kms.Bus route -
Aurangabad- Vaijapur Yeola- Kopargaon-Shirdi. Try to get a bus that departs before 11am so you will not
arrive too late at Shirdi. There are buses to shirdi which starts even at 11 pm but if you are travelling alone
-Plz be aware that it is not safe specially for female Sai devotees .Ofcourse everyone says Saibaba is
there to protect. But still You also need to plan your trip safely.If your flight arrives late night to Mumbai
airport or too early in the morning, better stay in a friends house or in a hotel in mumbai . There are few
near the airport. I really don’t have any idea about the budget of the Hotels in mumbai. But they can be
quite expensive. If your flight arrives early morning 2 am to 4 am , wait in airport for 2 hours and then take
taxi to Dadar to take Bus to Shirdi.Theres a cabin inside airport campus itself to book taxi or you can
check http://www.merucabs.com/ .
For Private Bus (Volvos) Related queries ie - Bookings,Fares,Route,Pick-up/Drop Point -
http://www.redbus.in/
For State Transport Buses - http://www.shrisaibabasansthan.org/main_English/shirdi/how_to_reach.asp
Mumbai To Shirdi Route Map -
http://www.shirdihotelsonline.com/mumbai-shirdi-india-map/
Also check out the below link
http://www.travel.bixee.com/cheap/bus-tickets/from/Mumbai/to/Shirdi/20090428/None/1/0/0/#bus-
Mumbai-Shirdi-20090428--1-0-0-1
http://www.onlinebustickets.in/bus-from/shirdi-to-mumbai/

Devotees going to Shirdi by taxi/cab from Mumbai::

Hiring a car can take you shirdi with in 5 to 6 hours.Cabs from Mumbai to Shirdi cost abt Rs 3500 to 6000
INR for one way. ( approx 90 $ to 150 $ ) .. Must be within 12,000 R.s for two way if you return within a
day...I found these websites while browsing online- I have never used any of them for my travel nor do I
know anything much abt them but here r some links for you to check out
http://www.travelcool.co.in/MumbaiShirdiMumbai.aspx
http://classifieds.karnataka.com/bangalore/travels/travel-agentstour-operator/aurangabad-mumbai-shirdi-
nasik-pune.html
http://www.shirditaxi.info/
http://lucknow.quikr.com/c-Cars-Bikes-Rent-A-Car-Taxi-Services-MUMBAI-PUNE-SHIRDI-MUMBAI-TAXI-
CAB-09867306024-W0QQAdIdZ63353459
http://www.ecabs.in/SHIRDI/tabid/378/language/en-US/Default.aspx

Devotees going to Shirdi by Train from Mumbai::

Sai Nagar Shirdi Railway station :A new Railway station has been build in shirdi called Sai Nagar. Its just
3-4 kms from the Main saibaba temple in shirdi.
Go to this link to find the fares and seat information for trains going to Shirdi.On the upper left hand
corner, choose from the from and to station options and press search trains. For example if u r in Mumbai,
type that and for shirdi -type , -Sainagar
http://indiarailinfo.com/train/2896
also www.indianrail.gov.in/index.html &
http://www.trainenquiry.com/ to check for train seat bookings or availability.
For booking train tickets online
http://www.irctc.co.in/
You can also go to
http://www.irctc.com/
http://www.yatra.com/
http://www.cleartrip.com/

Driving directions from Mumbai to Shirdi::

http://www.oktatabyebye.com/travel-directions/driving-directions-from-Mumbai-to-Shirdi.html
 Travel to Shirdi from Chenna via Pune / via Aurangabad/ vis Mumbai/ via Delhi
Chennai to Shirdi by Air -
Via Pune -

There are Daily flights between Chennai and Pune - 1hour 40minutes Non stop or Via stopovers at Mumbai /
Bengaluru / Hyderabad or Delhi which can take between a couple of hours to almost 10hours with a change of the
onward aircraft depending upon the Airline.

The price range for Delhi-Pune flights can range from Rs.2,900/- to Rs.11,000/- one way journey / per person &
mostly all major Frills/No-frills Airlines fly this route.

Domestic airport in Pune is about 231kms from Shirdi.

Distance: 189 kms. | Approx. Time: 4 Hrs.

Road Directions - Take NH 4 out of Pune city for Chinchwad , At Chinchwad, Turn Right on NH 50 for
Raghurajnagar(Khed) , Continue straight on NH 50 for Naraingaon via Manchar ,

Keep going north on NH 50 for Sangamner , At Sangamner, Take right on the State Highway for Shirdi (50 km)

Via Aurangabad -

( IXU - Chikkalthana Airport ) Aurangabad is at a distance of 150kms, which is connected by all the major towns of
India. There are daily flights of Kingfisher, Indian &
Jet Airways between Chennai and Aurangabad but none are direct, all go Via stopover at Mumbai / Hyderabad
/ Bengaluru / Delhi / Cochin or Vishakhapatnam, depending upon the Airline, which can take between a 5hours
to almost 12hours with a change of the onward aircraft.
The price range for Chennai-Aurangabad flights can range from Rs.5,500/- to Rs.11,000/- one way journey / per
person
.
From Aurangabad to Shirdi Distance: 130 kms. | Approx. Time: 4 Hrs.
Road Directions - Start From Aurangabad and Take SH 60, Continue on Pune Road SH 60 cross Pandharpur
Total 58 Km, Take SH 10 via Shrirampur Total 112 Km ,
Turn Right Take SH 2 Go 19 Km, Continue on SH 2 via Rahta Pimplas Total 130 Km to Shirdi

Via Mumbai -
From Mumbai travel down to 296kms to reach Shirdi. Mumbai has both international and domestic airports that grant
connectivity to the world.

An article was posted earlier about the details of Air/Road/Train travel from Mumbai to Shirdi trip....can refer to
that.

Via Delhi -
 Delhi has both international and domestic airports that grant connectivity to the world.
An article was posted earlier about the details of Air/Road/Train travel from Delhi to Shirdi trip....can refer to that.

Chennai to Shirdi Train Routes

Author: shirdi hotels online - C.Venkat Raman
• Saturday, March 28th, 2009

http://www.shirdihotelsonline.com/category/shirdi-map-chennai-shirdi-india/

Chennai to Shirdi Distance - 1200 Kms ( approx )

Chennai to Pune by train and from Pune to shirdi by bus

The best way is take any train which goes to Mumbai via Pune. Get down in Pune railway station, ask for
Shivaji Nagar bus stand. From here there are various Bus to Shirdi. If you dont get shirdi bus, please go
to Ahmadnagar and from there to shirdi. This is the safe way for women , children and old people.

Short Cut - if you feel secured , Try to get down in Daund station and travel to Ahmadnagar by
bus :

You can get down in a station called Daund which comes a couple of hours before Pune station, This is a
small train junction. Once you get down in daund , walk out of the railway station, there will be few
autos…ask them to take you to the junction where 3 roads meet. This is where Ahmadnagar and shirdi
bus comes.

The auto takes just 10 minutes to reach this point where three roads meet. You have to wait in the corner
and look for Nagar bus ( Ahmadnagar ) which takes you to Ahmadnagar bus stand. From Ahmadnagar
there are frequent Bus to Manmad which stops in shirdi or direct Shirdi Bus.

Shirdi Map - It shows Bus route from chennai to Shirdi.

For Map route of Chennai to Shirdi - http://www.shirdihotelsonline.com/category/shirdi-map-chennai-

shirdi-india/

or
Below are Four options also posted by Mr.Venkat Raman on 15 :12: 2007
( http://www.starsai.com/chennai-shirdi-train-travel/) to reach Shirdi from Chennai ( timings
might change any time,do not take our information as the last word as its only approximate ).
You can reach shirdi by taking first train to Bangalore or Solapur and from there take the second
train to Kopergoan .
OR travel by train to pune or get down in a station before pune called Daund , from there travel
by Bus to Shirdi.
Kopergoan is the nearest station to shirdi situated 17 kms from shirdi. If you reach kopergoan
station, you can take a share auto to shirdi from there.

1. Train Number : 1042 - Mumbai express - 11.45 Morning departure in chennai

- Reaches Solapur nextday at early morning at 5.30 AM
wait in Solapur railway station for few hours...then take next train as below
Train Number 2627 ( Karnataka Express ) starts at At 7.25 A.M in Solapur and reaches
Kopergoan at 1.40 A.M.( afternoon 13.40 )
Take a auto from Kopergoan and reach shirdi within 20 minutes.

_________________________Option 2 to travel to shirdi by train__________________

2. Train Number : 2164 - Chennai express - 7.00 Morning departure in chennai

- Reaches Pune early morning ( Night ) at 2.30 AM
wait in Pune railway station for few hours...then take next train as below
Train Number 2779 ( Goa Express ) starts at At 4.15 A.M in pune and reaches Kopergoan at
9.15 A.M.
Take a auto from Kopergoan and reach shirdi within 20 minutes.
You can also travel from Pune to shirdi by Bus around 160 Kms 5-6 hours journey or get down
in a station before pune called Daund, go to a 3 road junction by auto from daud station, from
there take bus to reach Hanumanthnagar and from there travel to shirdi by bus.

_________________________Option 3 to travel to shirdi by train__________________

3.Train number 2639 - Brindavan express - Departure from chennai early morning and
reaches Bangalore at 1.30 Afternoon. ( 13.30 )
wait in Bangalore railway station for few hours...then take next train as below
Train number - 2627 - Karnataka express - 19.20 evening departure from Bangalore reaches
Kopargoan the next day afternoon at 13.40
Take a auto from Kopergoan and reach shirdi within 20 minutes.

_________________________Option 4 to travel to shirdi by train__________________

4.ONLY ON SUNDAY :
 Train number - 2007 - Shatabdi Express departure from chennai at 6..00 A.M , reaches
Bangalore at 11.A.M
wait in Bangalore railway station for few hours...then take next train as below ( Only sunday
train )
Train Number 6502 - SBC - ADI express - Starts at 13.30 ( Afternoon ) reaches Kopergoan
on Monday morning at 10.50
Take a auto from Kopergoan and reach shirdi within 20 minutes.

**********************************************
Return Journey - Three ways to return from Shirdi to chennai

Shirdi to Chennai : Trains returning back from shirdi

Bus from Shirdi to Pune :

You always have option to return from Shirdi by bus to Pune ( 6 hour journey ) and catch your
train from pune to chennai , bangalore ,hyderabad or any destination as per your needs. There are
also frequent Bus to Mumbai ( 8 hour journey ) incase you wish to return by Air or have booked
a return train from Mumbai. Its always good to take return journey from Pune as its nearest
destination. Similarly you can also reach pune by train from any place and take bus to shirdi.
There are also bus to Bangalore and Hyderabad but this is long distance and not at all advicable
for few people.
Be clear about this info : There are very good Bus frequency from Shirdi to Pune and also
Shirdi to Mumbai. The charges will be around 200 to 400 rupees . Do not think you must only go
by train to pune to catch the return train. If you plan to stay in shirdi for more than a day, as soon
as you reach shirdi, get bus tickets from any travels in shirdi back to pune for your day of return.
Its a 6 hour journey from shirdi to pune. So to catch night train you can start from shirdi around 2
or 3 in the afternoon and reach pune by night 10 - 11 o clock. Have your dinner in any hotels
opposite to railway station and wait for your train.
In any case we have provided the option to travel by train itself to pune also.

1. Train Number : 1334 - Shirdi fast passenger - Departure at evening 17: 20 from
Kopergoan , reaches Pune at 23 :00 night.
wait in Pune railway station for few minutes.....to take next train
Train Number 2163 ( Chennai Express ) starts at At 00..10 ( 12.10 mid night ) from Pune
and reaches Chennai at 19.30 ( Next day evening )
Important : be very careful when you book tickets in above trains : If you book for shirdi to pune
for example on date 1st of the month, then you must book ticket for train number 2163 dated 2nd
of that month because it starts after 12 o clock at night , so it becomes next day )

_________________________Option 2 for return journey to chennai__________________

2.Train number 2780 - Goa express - departure at 11.20 from Kopergoan - reaches Pune at
16.30 .
Wait for few hours in pune railways station.......
Train number 1041 - CSTM Chennai express - departue at 18.10 from Pune - Reaches
chennai at 16.45 Next day evening.

_________________________Option 3 for return journey to chennai__________________

3. Only on Wednesday train :

Train number 6501 ADI - SBC Express - Departure at 8.25 from Kopergoan and reaches
Bangalore at 4.45 A.M early morning of next day.
Wait in Bangalore railway station for few minutes to take next train
Train number - 2608 - Lal Bagh express - Departure at 6.30 in the morning and reaches
chennai at 12.10 in the afternoon.

Its your responsibility to check with train timings and numbers.

See
www.irctc.com , www.yatra.com, www.Cleartrip.com also www.indianrail.gov.in/i
ndex.html & www.trainenquiry.com to check for train seat bookings or availability.

For Private Bus (Volvos) Related queries ie - Bookings,Fares,Route,Pick-up/Drop

Point - http://www.redbus.in/
For State Transport
Buses - http://www.shrisaibabasansthan.org/main_English/shirdi/how_to_reach.asp
For Cab Bookings - www.merucabs.com

Ps- Air or Rail Fare / Timings / Routes / Time-table mentioned above is always
subject to change.

Delhi to Shirdi By Air

Via Nashik -

(ISK) - Gandhinagar Airport, Nashik is the nearest to Shirdi. At present, Kingfisher Airlines is the only airline
which flys daily to Nashik via stopovers at Mumbai / Ahmedabad / Hyderabad / Bengaluru / Kolkata or Indore,
with Fares ranging from INR Rs.6.000/- to Rs.11,000/- one way journey / per person but has long stopovers.

From Nashik to Shirdi Distance: 120 kms. | Approx. Time taken: 3.5 Hrs by road.
Road Directions - Start From Nashik, Take Pune Road NH 50 , Continue on NH 50 towards Sangamner 67 Km ,
Take SH 10 Towards Shirdi 53 Km

Via Aurangabad -

( IXU - Chikkalthana Airport ) Aurangabad is at a distance of 150kms, which is connected by all the major towns of

India. There are Daily flights between Delhi and Aurangabad - Non stop 1 Hr 50 Min or Via stopover at Mumbai /

Jaipur or Hyderabad which can take between a couple of hours to almost 12hours with a change of the onward

aircraft , could be ATR too.

The price range for Delhi-Aurangabad flights can range from Rs.4,800/- to Rs.10,000/- one way journey / per person

& mostly all major Frills/No-frills Airlines fly this route.

From Aurangabad to Shirdi Distance: 130 kms. | Approx. Time: 4 Hrs.

Road Directions - Start From Aurangabad and Take SH 60, Continue on Pune Road SH 60 cross Pandharpur
Total 58 Km, Take SH 10 via Shrirampur Total 112 Km ,

Turn Right Take SH 2 Go 19 Km, Continue on SH 2 via Rahta Pimplas Total 130 Km to Shirdi

Via Pune -

There are Daily flights between Delhi and Pune - 2 Hours Non stop or Via stopovers at Mumbai / Nagpur / Indore /

Bengaluru / Hyderabad or Chennai which can take between a couple of hours to almost 10hours with a change of
the onward aircraft , could be ATR too.

The price range for Delhi-Pune flights can range from Rs.5,000/- to Rs.11,000/- one way journey / per person &

mostly all major Frills/No-frills Airlines fly this route.

Domestic airport in Pune is about 231kms from Shirdi.

Distance: 189 kms. | Approx. Time: 4 Hrs.

Road Directions - Take NH 4 out of Pune city for Chinchwad , At Chinchwad, Turn Right on NH 50 for
Raghurajnagar(Khed) , Continue straight on NH 50 for Naraingaon via Manchar ,

Keep going north on NH 50 for Sangamner , At Sangamner, Take right on the State Highway for Shirdi (50 km)
 Via Mumbai -

From Mumbai travel down to 296kms to reach Shirdi. Mumbai has both international and domestic airports that grant

connectivity to the world.

An article was posted earlier about the details of Air/Road/Train travel from Mumbai to Shirdi trip....can refer to that.

Delhi to Shirdi By Road

Shirdi can be reached by taking a Bus from almost all major cities of Maharashtra. Shirdi is on the Ahmednagar-
Manmad Highway, 250 km from Mumbai and 75 km from Nashik. MTDC runs buses from all major destinations.

Road Directions from Mumbai to Shirdi -

Continue on Eastern Express Highway (NH-3) - towards Shahapur (73 Km), Continue on NH 3 – towards
Igatpuri (52 Km) over Kasara Ghat ,

Continue on NH 3 – towards Nashik (47 Km) , At Nashik, take NH 50 – towards Sangamner (67 Km) , At
Sangamner, take SH 10 – towards Shirdi (53 Km)

OR

Go Straight along Eastern.Express Highway towards Thane and NH3 connecting Nashik. After Kasara
Ghat and Igatpuri on NH3, Turn Right to Ghoti. Go via Ghoti village[approx.15-20 mins].. Cross the
railway tracks. There will be roughly 25 mins of rough driving, after which the road smoothens out onto
another smaller highway leading to Sinnar. Turn Right from Sinnar to go straight to Shirdi. Try and avoid
going all the way to Nashik on NH3 as that route will take an hour more.

New Delhi to Shirdi by Trains.

Author: shirdi hotels online

• Saturday, March 28th, 2009

Sai Ram friends,

This Approx Distance from New Delhi to Shirdi is 1200 Kms, I have included very few trains which

goes from New Delhi to Shirdi. You can search for trains which goes to following stations near shirdi.

1.Kopergoan - 15 kms

2.Mammad - 40 kms

Register in www.irctc.com /

www.indianrail.gov.in/index.html

or www.yatra.com and

www.Cleartrip.com

check for trains which goes from New Delhi to Goa,Bangalore etc. This way the trains will cross

Manmad or Kopergoan stations.

List of few trains from New Delhi to Kopergoan

1. Train number - 2628 - karnataka express

New Delhi to Bangalore will Half few minutes at Kopergoan . The Map below shows the approx route of

this Train journey from Delhi to shirdi.

Most train takes the following route from New Delhi

New Delhi - Mathura - Agra - Gwalior - Jhansi - Bhopal - Bhurhanpur - Jalgoan - Manmad -

Kopergoan

2. Train Number 2680 - Goa express from Nizamuddin

Goa express also comes from Delhi via Kopergoan.

***********

Return journey - Shirdi To Delhi trains

1. Same train goes back to Delhi from Kopergoan station. Karnataka express - Train No 2627

2. Goa express - 2779 - Kopergoan to Delhi

 *****************

Friends , At present am able to list only above 2 important trains. You can check in Indian railway

reservation for other options.

1. Delhi to Nasik trains

Two hour journey From Nasik many buses are there to shirdi apart from trains but mostly these trains

are always full as it comes from Punjab via delhi.

Try this train which comes to Manmad station

Train No. 2618 Mangla LKDSP Express

From Nizamuddin ( NZM ) to ernakulam .

It halts at Manmad and also Nasik. Get down at Manmad and take bus just an hour journey to Shirdi.

2. Delhi to Pune trains - from Pune go to Shivaji nagar bus stand and get Shirdi Bus ( 5 hour

journey )

3. Delhi to Mumbai trains - From mumbai buses can be got from dadar, borivali,andheri etc to

shirdi ( 7 to 8 hours )

Shirdi Map - Delhi to Shirdi : http://www.shirdihotelsonline.com/category/shirdi-map-delhi-shirdi-

trains/

Google Map shows Bus route . I have tried to make it approx for New Delhi to Shirdi train route based
on Karnataka express.

New Delhi - Mathura - Agra - Gwalior - Jhansi - Bhopal - Bhurhanpur - Jalgoan - Manmad - Kopergoan

For Air/Train/Bus Bookings, Seat Availability, Route - www.yatra.com

Ps- Many Travel/Tour Operators do provide Delhi-Shirdi Bus/Taxi/Air Packages but plan your
trip with them after due Diligence as I have never used any such services nor can comment
anything about them. Also, the Fares / Timings mentioned above are always subject to change..
For detailed travel from Chennai egmore to Shirdi and return …………………………
…

SPECIAL WEEKLY TRAINS WITH NEW ROUTES : Chennai Egmore-

SHIRDI-Chennai Egmore
CHENNAI: Taking into account the increased number of rail passengers, the Southern
Railway is exploring new inter-zonal routes to run summer specials.

Contrary to the approach of operating specials trains to destinations falling under the zone,
the Southern Railways is exploring the option of successfully operating special trains from
Chennai to places like Jaipur (North), Bilaspur (South-East-Central)

and Shirdi (Central), which fall under the other zones of Indian railways.

While the Chennai Central-Jaipur-Chennai Central and Tirunelveli-Bilaspur-Tirunelveli is

operating as weekly specials,

it is exploring another weekly special, the Chennai Egmore-Shirdi-Chennai

Egmore.

The Central Railway will run Special Trains between Chennai Egmore and Sainagar Shirdi to
clear the extra rush of passengers.

The halts will be at Perambur, Arakkonam, Renigunta, Koduru, Razampeta, Nandalur,

Cuddappah, Kamalapuram, Yerraguntla, Muddanaru, Kondapuram, Tadipatri, Gooty,
Guntakal, Adoni, Mantralayam Road, Raichur, Krishna, Yadgir, Wadi, Gulbarga, Solapur,
Kurduwadi, Daund, Ahmednagar, Belapur, Puntamba stations.

The 0677 Special -

Departs Chennai Egmore on every Tuesday at 15.00 hours from 21.4.2009 to 23.6.2009
(10 trips)

( ie April 28, May 5, 12, 19, 26, June 2, 9, 16 and 23 )

& Arrives Sainagar Shirdi at 16.45 hours next day.

The 0678 Special -

 Departs Sainagar Shirdi on every Thursday at 08.00 hrs from 23..4.2009 to 25.6.2009
(10 trips)

( ie April 23, 30, May 7, 14, 21, 28 and June 4, 11, 18, 25 )

& Arrives Chennai Egmore at 11.45 hrs next day.

Composition : 1 AC 2-tier, 2 AC 3-tier, 13 Sleeper Class, 3 General Second Class &

2 Luggage–cum–brake van Coaches.

Advance reservation for the above trains will commence on 15.4.2009.

Train Time Table - 27 halts between Chennai Egmore and Sainagar

Shirdi

Make sure to visit the official site and double-check the timetable.

Chennai Shirdi Special/0677 - Avg Speed: 51 km/hr

25 hrs 45 min - 1209 km - 27 halts - Climbs: 501m

Departs @ 03:00PM/Tue - Chennai Egmore/MS

Arrives @ 04:45PM +1 night/Wed - Sainagar Shirdi/SNSI

Station Arrives Departs Halt Day# Distance Speed Elev

Chennai Egmore/MS 03:00PM 1 0 - 8m
Perambur/PER 03:22PM 03:25PM 3 min 1 12 33 7m
Arakkonam/AJJ 04:25PM 04:30PM 5 min 1 75 63 91m
Renigunta Junction/RU 05:45PM 06:05PM 20 min 1 147 58 113m
Koduru/KOU 06:43PM 06:45PM 2 min 1 188 65 215m
Razampeta/RJP 07:10PM 07:12PM 2 min 1 221 79 144m
Nandalur/NRE 07:25PM 07:27PM 2 min 1 232 51 143m
Cuddapah/HX 08:10PM 08:15PM 5 min 1 272 56 146m
Kamalapuram/KKM 08:35PM 08:37PM 2 min 1 296 72 141m
Yerraguntla/YA 08:51PM 08:53PM 2 min 1 311 64 171m
Muddanuru/MOO 09:05PM 09:07PM 2 min 1 327 80 194m
Kondapuram/KDP 09:35PM 09:37PM 2 min 1 351 51 214m
Tadipatri/TU 10:05PM 10:07PM 2 min 1 379 60 243m
Gooty/GY 11:15PM 11:17PM 2 min 1 427 42 370m
Guntakal Junction/GTL 11:45PM 11:50PM 5 min 1 455 60 453m
Adoni/AD 12:30AM 12:32AM 2 min 2 507 78 420m
Manthralayam Road/MALM 01:30AM 01:40AM 10 min 2 548 42 334m
Raichur/RC 02:10AM 02:15AM 5 min 2 576 56 404m
Krishna/KSN 02:40AM 02:42AM 2 min 2 601 60 357m
Yadgir/YG 03:30AM 03:32AM 2 min 2 645 55 369m
Wadi/WADI 05:30AM 05:40AM 10 min 2 684 20 431m
Gulbarga/GR 06:15AM 06:18AM 3 min 2 720 62 458m
Solapur Junction/SUR 08:30AM 08:40AM 10 min 2 833 51 463m
Kurduvadi/KWV 09:40AM 09:42AM 2 min 2 912 79 516m
Daund Junction/DD 12:00PM 12:10PM 10 min 2 1021 47 522m
Ahmadnagar/ANG 01:42PM 01:45PM 3 min 2 1105 55 650m
Belapur/BAP 03:00PM 03:03PM 3 min 2 1172 54 541m
Puntamba/PB 03:45PM 04:00PM 15 min 2 1192 29 501m
Sainagar Shirdi/SNSI 04:45PM 2 1209 23 509m

For Chennai-Shirdi Rail Route Map - http://indiarailinfo.com/train/map/2293/779/6721

Karnataka to Shirdi - Garib Rath Special Trains

The Hindu - Karnataka
Friday, May 15, 2009
Staff Correspondent

HUBLI: The railways have decided to run a Weekly Garib Rath Special from
Yeshwanthpur (Karnataka) to Shirdi to clear the extra rush during summer, a press
release said.

Route :
Train No.0685 will leave Yeshwanthpur at 7.30 a.m. on Tuesdays, commencing from May 19
and arrive at Shirdi station at 8 a.m. the next day.

The last weekly Garib Rath special from Yeshwanthpur will be on June 30.

Return Direction
In the return direction, train No.0686 Shirdi-Yeshwanthpur Garib Rath weekly special will
leave Shirdi at 6.20 p.m. on Wednesdays, commencing from May 20 and arrive at
Yeshwanthpur at 8 p.m. the next day.
 The last special from Shirdi will be on July 1.

Halts
The train will halt at Doddaballapur, Hindupur, Dharmavaram, Anantapur,
Guntakal, Bellary, Toranagal, Hospet, Gadag, Bagalkot, Bijapur, Solapur, Daund,
Ahmednagar, Belapur and Pantumba, the release added.

The train will have 18 coaches, comprising 16 3-tier A.C. high capacity coaches
and two generator cars, the press release stated further.

Special Trains between Shirdi and Visakhapatnam

Sainagar Shirdi - Visakhapatnam Bi-weekly specials number - 0868 will be run.
Booking opens for 0868 from 18.5.2009.

CR TO RUN VISAKHAPATNAM-SAINAGAR SHIRDI BI-WEEKLY

SPECIAL TRAINS

Central Railway will run Bi-Weekly Special Trains between Visakhapatnam and Sainagar
Shirdi to clear the extra rush of passengers.
The details of these special trains are as under:

Route to Shirdi - 0867 Special will leave Visakhapatnam on every Wednesday & Saturday
at 05.30 hrs from 20.5..2009 to 27.6.2009 (12 trips) and arrive Sainagar Shirdi at 11.00
hrs next day.

Return from Shirdi - 0868 Special will leave Sainagar Shirdi on every Thursday & Sunday
at 18.20 hrs from 21.5.2009 to 28.6.2009 (12 trips) and arrive Visakhapatnam at 22.45 hrs
next day.

Halts: Duvvada, Rajhmundry, Vijayawada, Secunderabad, Bolarum, Kamareddi,

Nizamabad, Basar, Nanded, Purna, Parbhani, Jalna, Aurangabad, Nagarsol, Manmad,
Kopargaon, Puntamba.

Booking opens for 0868 from 18.5.2009.

Composition: One AC-2 Tier, One AC-3 Tier, 8 Sleeper Class, 6 General Second Class and 2
General Second Class cum brake vans.

"Meanwhile, the 0117-0118 Mumbai CST-Shirdi Weekend Special train

which reaches Shirdi in just 7hrs from Mumbai has been extended

for another six trips from April 24 to May 29, with bookings beginning from
April 14."

Things to know during your travel to Shirdi:

A majority of the people do not speak English inside or outside of the Temple Complex at Shirdi. Most of
the people who speak English are the ones who run the larger hotels. Purchase anti-diarrheal
medications before you leave to Shirdi. The Temple Complex has two main places for you to keep your
shoes (cost is 1 rupee). If you are wearing chappals or sandals, you have to store them at a separate
shoe counter. This is perhaps the most confusing part of the ashram. I would suggest you buy some
cheap sandals, mark you name on them and find a place to put them in case you get confused about the
shoe counters. Just remember where you put your sandals, because when you come out of from the
Darshan area, you are on the opposite side of the Temple Complex. I was not able to find any sort of
public internet facilities when I was at Shirdi. Shirdi does have telephone services for local, state and
international calls. When booking a return bus ticket to Bombay, make sure you get the earliest bus (it
takes 7 hours to get to Bombay) and make sure the bus is A/C (costs around Rs.-300-400). Try to sit on
the left hand side of the bus so you can keep an eye on your luggage, which is stored in a compartment
below the bus. The boys who sell flowers, pictures and statues can be very stubborn and will literally
follow your for hours. If you would like to help them out (most are very poor), make your purchases a few
hours prior to leaving Shirdi. Otherwise, you will attract large groups of sellers. A small bundle of roses
(about 3-4 roses tied together) costs Rs.-3, if you would like to offer flowers in the temple.

Inside The Temple::

Once you go inside the Temple for Darshan, you can expect long lines if it is a Holy Day or a thursday or
a weekend. Otherwise, you will not have to wait long at all. Avoid Holy Days (the lines are extremely long
and the wait can easily exceed 5 hours). You can expect police officers and Temple workers to be
screaming loudly at people to hurry up and move forward. I would suggest you get in the furthest left-hand
side line. In that line, you can touch Sai Baba's actual samadhi and the silver chappals that are located
there. You can offer flowers and there are places where you can offer money. As soon as you offer your
flowers and touch his samadhi, kindly leave the area. Winters are the best season to visit Shirdi. The
months from September to April being the ideal period. The daytime temperature is pleasant during this
period, making the days excellent for visiting the tourist attractions of the town. The summers can get very
hot (May-August). Make sure you drink bottled water.

Map of temple complex can be found at :

http://www.shrisaibabasansthan.org/main_English/shirdi/map.asp
The temple premises of Shri Saibaba is spread in approximately 200 sq. mtrs.It is situated in the heart of
Shirdi village and is a major center of pilgrimagefrom all over the world.On an average, daily 20,000
devotees visit Shirdi village, to have the Darshan of Shri Saibaba. In the festival season, more than
1,00,000 devotees visit the Temple everyday.The Temple premises is renovated in the year 1998-99 and
now is equipped with all necessary facilities like, Darshan Lane, Prasada (Lunch and Dinner), Donation
Counters, Prasad Counters, Canteen, Railway Reservation Counter, Book Stall etc. The Accommodation
Facilities are also provided by the Sansthan.
http://www.shrisaibabasansthan.org/main_English/shirdi/accommodation.asp
Places To Visit In Shirdi::
Sai Baba's place Shirdi (Maharashtra State) is a very sacred, powerful and important place of pilgrimage
in India.
Khandoba Mandir: This place is near Shirsainath Hospital. Baba stepped here in Shirdi at the foot of
banyan tree near Khandoba Temple along with Chand Patil's wife's nephew's marriage party. The then
Pujari Mhalsapati welcome Him by calling "Ya Sai".
Gurusthan Mandir: This is the place where Baba first appeared to the world as a boy of 16 years & this
place is supposed to be Baba's Gurusthan. the famous Margosa (Neem) tree is here. it has a reference in
Shri Sai Sat-charita. Devotees claim that their ailments are cured by burning incense here on Thursday &
Friday. So dont forget to burn incense there even if it is not a thursday or friday.
Sai Baba's Samadhi Mandir: This is the place where Sacred Body of Baba is resting in Samadhi. The
articles handled by Baba are preserved & displayed here in a special showroom. All rituals consisting of
Pooja. Abhishek & daily four Aratis are performed here. The Samadhi Mandir of Shri Sai Baba was
actually owned by a millionaire from Nagpur and a famous Sai devotee Shreemant Gopalrao, also known
as 'Butti Wada'. He wanted to keep an idol of Murlidhar there. However, according to the legends, Sai
Baba manifested himself as Murlidhar and the temple became the Samadhi Mandir of Baba. The
Samadhi of Baba is built with white marble stones. The railings around it are full of ornamental
decorations. The idol of Baba is a marvelous statue made up of Italian marble built by Late Balaji Vasant
in 1954. The temple has an assembly hall for about 600 devotees. The first floor of the temple has the
pictures depicting the life of the saint. The temple opens on 5 AM with morning prayers and close down at
10 PM with night prayers.
Dwarkamai (Masjid): Baba stayed at this place continuously for 60 years. Innumerable devotees got
blessing of Baba here. The Shila (Stone) on which Baba used to sit is located nearby. Also Sacred Fire
(Dhuni) lit by Baba is ever burning here. Baba used to give Sacred Udi (Ash) to the devotees to solve
their problems in life. Udi distributed to the devotees now is only from this Dhuni. Baba used to cook food
here for distribution to devotees. Main attraction of the site is the oil paintings of the sage. If possible, try
to read Shri Sai Satcharitra over here. You will find a lot of peace with in you after you do that.
Chawdi Mandir: On every alternate day Baba used to proceed in procession from Dwarkamai to this place
at night & halt & sleep here. Now also on every Thursday Palanquin procession of Baba's Photo. Holy
Padukas & Satka is taken to this place between 9.15 p.m. & 10.00 p.m. 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.
Lendi Baug: At some distance from Gurusthan, there is the Lendi Baug. This garden was made and
watered daily by Baba himself. It got its name from a nullah (a drain), which used to flow there. Baba used
to come here every morning and afternoon and take rest under a neem tree. Baba dug a pit, 2 feet deep,
under the neem tree and kept a deep (a lighting object) lit in that pit. An octagonal deepgriha (lighthouse)
called Nanda Deep has been built in marble stone in memory of this place. It constantly burns in a glass
box. On one side of the deepgriha is a pipal tree and on the other side is a neem tree. There is also Datta
Mandir in this garden & Shri Sai Baba's deloyed Horse 'Shamkarna'(Shamsunder) is taking Eternal Rest
here. There is also a well here called as 'Baba's Shivdi'.
Other Places: The Samadhis of Shri Tatya Patil Kote, Shri Bhau Maharaj Kumbhar, Shri V.Padmanabha
Iyer, Shri Nanawali & Shri Abdul Baba who were ardent Bhaktas closely associated with Shri Sai Baba
during His life time are located in Sansthan premises near lendhi Baug.
In addition 3 other Temples are in Temples premises complex : 1) Shri Ganesh Temple, 2) Shri Shani
Temple & 3) Shri Mahadev Temple
Nearby Sites:
Situated around 5 km from Shirdi is Sakori. The place is home to the Upasini Maharaj. Shanisinghnapur is
70 km from Shirdi. A temple devoted to Shani is located there.

Staying in Shirdi :
Shirdi has a lot of good hotels as per one’s requirements.
5 Star accommodation : Sun-n-Sand hotel (http://www.sunnsandhotel.com/)
Mid-range luxury hotel : Sai Leela Hotel (http://www.hotelsaileela.com/)
MTDC Hotels : Pilgrims Inn Shirdi (http://www.maharashtratourism.gov.in/)
Hotel Utsav in Shirdi for short stays (http://www.hotelutsavshirdi.com/)
Shirdi Sai Sansthan’s Cheaper Accomodation : Shirdi Sai Sansthan provides cheaper accommodation.
For more details please visit the site
(http://www.shrisaibabasansthan.org/main_English/shirdi/shirdi/accommodation.asp)
For more hotels with their price details ranging from Rs 500 to Rs 4000:
http://www.holidayiq.com/Shirdi-Hotels-Resorts-Reviews-Rating-Tariff-550-20-yes-destination.html

Useful tips for travellers from foreign countries:

Special VIP Pass :
For overseas devotees, the Shirdi Sai Sansthan provides special passes, which can be obtained from the
PRO office, near to the Nanda-Deep.Foreigners can show their passports to get the VIP pass.
Ipods, Mp3 players,Cameras & Mobile Phones :
Photography/video shooting is not permitted in the temple premises, and the temple staff is quite strict
about this rule.Cameras and mobile phones are not allowed inside the temple. But there are locker
facilities available, for depositing the camera and mobile phones, within the temple complex. But if I were
you, I would just leave it in my hotel room or in my car.And specially your ipods and mp3 players, I got
stuck once for that so make sure all those hi tech stuff is taken care of before you decide to go to samadhi
mandir.

For more information about the temple log onto:

http://www.shrisaibabasansthan.org/
Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust, (Shirdi)
PO: Shirdi Tal. Rahata Dist. Ahmednagar
Pin-423109
Tel No:+ 91-2423-258500
Fax: office 91-2423-258870 & P.R.O, Office 91-2423- 258770.
E-mail: saibaba@sai.org.in
URL : http://www.shrisaibabasansthan.org/
http://www.sai.org.in/

Daily program schedule in Shirdi::

http://www.shrisaibabasansthan.org/main_English/shirdi/dailyprograms.asp

Important festivals in Shirdi with dates::

http://www.shrisaibabasansthan.org/main_English/shirdi/festivals.asp

Gurur Brahma Gurur Vishnu

Gurur Devoh Maheshwar;

Gurur Shakshat Parambramha

Tashmai Shri Gurur Veh Namah"

May the Merciful Sri Sai Baba always shower His grace on us and our families and remove our problems
and anxieties by giving us all - strength , goodluck, success and happiness with peace of mind.
Sai bhakt,
Deepa H
Blog dedicated to Shri Shirdi Saibaba : http://debu7366.blogspot.com/
Listen to Radio Shirdi Sai : http://sairadio.blogspot.com/
For free Sai Satcharitra books: http://www.saiseva.omsrisai.net/store/index.php
Saibaba temple directory: http://www.omsrisai.net/saitemples.php