How To Reach Shirdi
Planning A Trip To Shirdi? Here are some guidelines on how to reach Shirdi
The holy town of Shirdi is located in the district of Ahmednagar in Maharashtra. Ahmednagar, which is the largest district in Maharashtra, is bordered by the districts of Solapur, Osmanabad, Nashik, Aurangabad, Pune, Thane and Beed. The pilgrimage centre of Shirdi sees a steady flow of pilgrims visiting the town almost through the year. Shirdi is easily accessible from all cities of Maharashtra, including Mumbai (266 km), Pune (207 km), Nashik (90 km) and Ahmednagar (83 km) and to the rest of the country by air, road and railways.
Shirdi has its own airport and railway station and a good connectivity by road as well. The most ideal way to reach the town would be by rail.
By Air
Photograph by timesofindia.indiatimes.com
The nearest airport is Sri Saibaba International Airport, at Kakadi to the southwest of the town of Shirdi. Domestic flights from Mumbai, Indore, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Delhi and Kolkata cater to Shirdi. There are taxis outside the airport that can be hired to reach the temple. Alternately there are government ac buses that could take you from the airport to the Shirdi Bus Station, from where you could walk to the Mandir.
The nearest international airport at Pune caters to flights from most Indian cities as well as international flights to Dubai, Sharjah, Frankfurt and Abu Dhabi. The most economical way to reach Shirdi from Pune airport would be by bus.
By Rail
Photograph by indiarailinfo.com
Sainagar Shirdi Railway Station on the Puntamba Shirdi link connects Shirdi to the Manmad Daund line of the Solapur Division of the Central Railways. There are daily, weekly and bi weekly trains to Shirdi from Mumbai, Pune, Vijayawada, Secunderabad, Chennai, Mysore (via Bengaluru), Tirupathi and New Delhi. Sainagar Shirdi Railway Station has been upgraded with all modern passenger friendly services including a food plaza, lifts and WiFi.
Sainagar Shirdi Railway Station is about 3 km from the Shirdi Sai Baba Sammadhi Mandir. Sri Sai Baba Sansthan Trust runs buses from the railway station to the Mandir. Otherwise there are auto rickshaws, shared jeeps and cabs near the railway station that can be hired for a drop near the Mandir.
By Road
Photograph by slts.in
Shirdi lies on the Manmad Ahmednagar highway and has frequent intrastate bus services from all parts of Maharashtra including Nashik , Kopergaon, Mumbai, Pune, Aurangabad and Ahmednagar and interstate bus services from Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Indore etc. There are either private and state owned buses with a multitude of comforts that come with ac sleepers or seaters, non ac sleepers or standard buses.
One of the best options that pilgrims usually prefer doing is driving to Shirdi from cities like Mumbai or Pune or from the cities of Aurangabad or Nashik that are located quite close by. The road from Mumbai through the Eastern Express Highway and Ghoti Sinnar are beautiful hill caped roads that are a delight to drive through.
Getting Around
Photograph by tripadvisor.in
Shirdi is a small town and there are most places you can get around on foot. If you would prefer a vehicle, taxis can be booked for a pilgrimage tour about the town. You could even arrange for a taxi to take you on a tour beyond the outskirts of Shirdi where there are umpteen places to be visited.
Local buses run from Shirdi to the towns in the neighbourhood and you can hop onto one of these buses when you are out sightseeing around Shirdi. There are auto rickshaws and share autos that you could hire for a trip from the railway station or bus stand to your destination as well as for travelling round town.
