Tour Map & Driver Recommendation

A devotee recently visit Shirdi and with the help of the book managed to visit all the places around Shirdi. To her surprise most locals and drivers were clueless about these places. So we request her to share her insights and recommendations for other devotees.

A Tour Around Shirdi: Following Vinny Ma’s Footsteps, Inspired by Nikhil Kripalani

Before starting your tour around Shirdi, you must contact a local cab or auto driver familiar with the area's landmarks, as not all drivers know the places mentioned in guidebooks.

Initially, I reached out to my hotel’s travel desk, which quoted a fare of Rs. 3,000 for a trip covering around 35-40 km with stops at several sites. I felt this was overpriced for the distance and decided to explore local options.

Since we couldn’t verbally communicate the exact order in which we wanted to visit the sites, we created a route map based on the details from the book. We then explained this route to a cab driver. After some negotiation, an auto driver offered to take us on the trip for Rs. 1,500, while a cab driver quoted Rs. 1,700. We choose to travel by cab as it is a more comfortable option.

Our journey began at the Khandoba Temple in Nimgaon, which was undergoing construction or renovation. Despite this, we managed to have a darshan. A short drive brought us to Dengle Ji’s home, where we visited the Sai Baba temple located within the premises. From there, we headed approximately 13 km to Korhale Temple, taking a left turn from the Khandoba Temple.

At Korhale Temple, we saw the original Padukas of Sai Baba, which was installed by Vinny Maa, as described in the book Ambrosia in Shirdi. After spending some time there, we followed the same route to Sakori village to visit the samadhi of Upasani Maharaj, a disciple of Sai Baba.

The site also houses the single-head Dattatreya Temple and Bapu Saheb Jog's samadhi, all in one location. We spent around 20-30 minutes exploring these sacred places and learning about their historical significance.

From Sakori, we travelled about a kilometer to the Veerbhadra Temple. Although at first, we couldn't find the exact location of the Idgah of Jawahar Ali, then we discovered an open space enclosed by boundary and it was locked.

Our next stop was Jeweller Lane, opposite the Veerbhadra Temple, where we visited Kushalchand’s home, the Maruti Temple, and the Ves of Rahata. Kushalchand’s home remains in its original state, providing a glimpse into the past and making it a must-visit destination.

We continued our journey to the Kalpavriksha Tree, this sacred holy tree is 200 to 250 years old and is standing in a garden. Sai Baba was always ushered in, led, and escorted by a symphony orchestra from this point to the Late Kushalchandji’s residence.

Following this, we visited the Biroba Temple, located about 5 km from the Kalpavriksha Tree. Our final stop was the Samadhi of Sivanesan Swamiji, 1.5 km from the Biroba Temple. After this spiritually enriching experience, our driver dropped us near the main temple.

During our tour, the use of QR codes helped us navigate to each site with ease. I highly recommend keeping this book handy throughout your visit to Shirdi. Ensure your phone is fully charged, and remember to ask for permission before taking pictures, as photography is prohibited in some places.

For those interested in a similar tour, I’m sharing the phone number of our driver for reference. Feel free to contact him to arrange your own journey through Shirdi’s spiritual heritage.

Cab Driver's Recommendation Aditya Dhobale Mobile:085518 92172