Shirdi – The abode of Shri Sai Baba has always been on my must-visit list of pilgrimages. As per popular Hindu belief, no pilgrimage can ever be accomplished without the divine grace of God, hence I awaited my opportune time to visit this ultimate pilgrimage for all Sai devotees.

Having lived in Delhi all my life, I had no clue of Maharashtra and this trip to Shirdi felt impossible. I regularly read the Sai Charita so I could please my lord Sai to grace me with a trip to Shirdi. This small village is close to Nasik in Maharasthra and a trip to Shirdi needs little planning especially if you are traveling on a tight schedule. Therefore, I had to do my share of research on ensuring I have a comfortable journey to my destination.

These days, you can book your trip to Shirdi online but not many companies offer complete online solution, you do have to do your share of running around to reach a main city like Mumbai or Pune and than book yourself on a Volvo or take a taxi to Shirdi. There are other rail options available, but I chose to go to Mumbai and than an onward journey to Shirdi on Taxi as I had limited time available and also as I had my sister and her family as company.  

Shirdi – A small village is today a well-known destination on the pilgrimage map for devotees of all religions. Sai Baba came to Shirdi as a small boy in the beginning of 18^th century and lived here till he took Samadhi in 1918. While he was alive, he used to bless all who came to visit him and performed miracles to uplift the poor and the needy. Even though it’s been years since he took Samadhi, yet his power and miracles can be experienced by Sai’s devotees around the world. 

Having read Sai Charita, the Bible and Geeta for all Sai’s devotees, I was eager to visit Shirdi and see the Dwarkamai, Sathe’s vada, Sai’s Samadhi Mandir, the Neem tree where he used to sit, the dhuni that is still burning since Baba’s time. Moreover, yes, I wanted to experience his magical charm on my trip. Though people may term it as a coincidence but I like to believe its magical blessings of Sai, my trip to Shirdi was most comfortable, very delightful and an experience of a lifetime. Even though we landed on a Thursday, which is the day of Chavadi procession at Shirdi and considered most auspicious day for Sai’s darshan, we had a smooth entry into the Mandir. It was sheer luck that we met a person who was a printer in Mumbai and told us that if ever we visited Shridi, he would make excellent arrangements, little did he knew our purpose of coming to Mumbai was to go to Shirdi and he helped us with excellent arrangements for Darshan.

Sai Baba strongly believed in the uniformity of all religious sects. He followed both Hindu and Muslim rituals. Till today, his daily prayers are performed in together by Muslims and Hindus in their respective style with the same pomp and show as was customary in the days he walked this earth. It was a magical experience to gaze at his milky white form at his temple in Shirdi.

Now, I will always await the time when I am called by Baba to his divine abode – Shirdi, to experience the peace and ever-lasting blessings of Sai.

Jai Mata Di!

For most North Indians just like me, Vaishno Devi trips are annual must dos. As a kid, I have grown up visiting the shrine once every year. My earliest memory of visiting the shrine was when I accompanied my parents and our extended family to offer prayers at the Vaishno devi shrine. This was a special trip to offer our prayers to the Goddess for blessing my parents with a son and offering the newborn’s hair by shaving them in front of the deity. Hindus believe in offering one’s hair or of newly borns to their tutelary deity as a mark of sacrifice or respect.

Since my childhood, I have been fortunate enough to visit the Vaishno Devi shrine almost annually. I have literally seen the place develop in front of my eyes. However, something’s haven’t changed like the crowd, the langar served by Tseries, the old dhabas, countless pony owners, the pitthus who carry children back and forth, the long wait at the bhawan, and the same old restrooms and shops offering refreshments to the pilgrims.

My usual trip to Vaishno Devi begins from Delhi to Jammu by road or train and than taking a taxi to Katra.  At Katra, where we usually reach in the morning, we straight away take a quick shower at a local hotel or rest house and collect the passes for the darshan from Katra. Once refreshed after a meal at one of the dhabas or new restaurants that have come up at Jammu, our aim is to start walking up as the distance from Katra to bhawan is around 14 kilometers. The Vaishno Devi shrine is located right on top of a mountain and it usually takes 5 hours to reach the shrine on foot. As for me, I have done this distance on foot, bare foot, pony and the latest was by a helicopter which was very convenient and fast yet it was not as fun-filled and satisfying as my earlier trips.

Being an ancient temple Vaishno Devi is considered to have a strong divine power that grants the wishes of all devotees. Pilgrims from far flung places visit the shrine to offer their prayers at the Goddesses feet. On reaching the bhawan, the loud chants of “Jai Mata Di” just mesmerize the pilgrims and the whole place echos with devotional chants of devotees. Loud claps, chanting and mesmerized pilgrims just wait for their turn to bow in front of the deities inside the bhawan. The darshan of the three pindis of the goddess, or the three avatars of Goddess Sherawali Mata blesses the devotes with countless wishes and fulfills the desires of all.

What I have missed most over these years during these trips are two things – one is of course my mother and second is the old entrance to the bhawan. Earlier entrance was a very narrow cave where a person would barely sit and slide inside. This old guffa (cave) was filled with chilled water that percolated from the mountains and led upto the pindis. It is believed that it was here in this guffa, Goddess Vaishno Devi ran into while she was trying to hide from the demon Bhairon, and it is this place where the Goddess had slain the demon.

A trip to Vaishno Devi is truly an experience of its kind. The high mountain, bare foot climb, cool breeze, the chanting of “Jai Mata Di”, the melodious songs all through the way, countless refreshments, ponies and helpers, the nostalgic feeling of being there in the past just takes my spirit into a different realm altogether. As I bow to the deity and offer my prayers in remembrance, I wish all atleast one trip to the shrine in their lives.

In the end, let’s say a loud jaikara to Sherawali in the customary fashion. Jaikara Sherawali da bolo sache darbar ki – JAI!