Shirdi

Shirdi (pronunciation (help·info); also known as Sainagar) is a town and pilgrimage site in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Shirdi is located in the Rahata taluka of Ahilyanagar District. It is most well known for being the home of the 19th-century Indian saint Sai Baba.

## Contents

* 1 History
* 2 Demographics
* 3 Transportation
* 3.1 Train
* 3.2 Air
* 3.3 Road
* 4 References
* 5 External links

## History

Sai Baba with some devotees

In the mid-1850s, a young Sai Baba arrived and settled in Shirdi, then a small village. Although he was initially denounced by the villagers as a madman, over the following decades, he became a prominent spiritual figure, drawing both Hindu and Muslim devotees from the surrounding areas. Following his death in 1918, his remains were placed in Buti Wada, which eventually grew to become what is known today as Sai Baba's Samadhi Mandir or Shirdi Sai Baba Temple.[1][2]

## Demographics

As per the 2011 Indian census, the population of Shirdi stood at 36,004. Males constitute 53% of the population, and females make up 47%. Shirdi has an average literacy rate of 70%, which is higher than the national average of 59.5%. Male literacy is 76%, and female literacy is 62%. 15% of the population is under six years of age.[3]

Being one of the most famous pilgrimage sites in India, Shirdi receives a large number of tourists every day. Around 60,000 religious visitors visit the Samadhi Mandir daily.[4]

## Transportation

### Train

The Sainagar Shirdi railway station became operational in March 2009. As of 2011, there are trains from Chennai, Mumbai, Visakhapatnam, Kakinada, Vijayawada, Hyderabad, Mysore, among others.[needs update]

### Air

Shirdi Airport was inaugurated by then-president Ramnath Kovind on 1 October 2017. Major destinations from Shirdi Airport include the airports of Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Mumbai. The airport is located in Kakadi, in the Kopargaon tahsil area, 14 km southwest of Shirdi.[5] The construction, according to the original plans, was completed in February 2016, and the first trial flight took place on 2 March 2016.[6] In July 2019, the state government approved extending the runway from 2,500 metres (8,200 ft) to 3,200 metres (10,500 ft), building a new terminal to boost hourly passenger capacity from 300 to 1,000, and adding night-landing facilities.[7]

The nearest major airports are at Aurangabad and Pune, 115 km (71 mi) and 186 km (116 mi) respectively from Shirdi.

### Road

Shirdi is accessible via National Highway 160, which runs through Maharashtra and Karnataka. Furthermore, the town is also accessible via State Highway 10, which runs south through Pune, Ahmednagar, Nashik, and Dhule districts.

## References

1. ↑ Rigopoulos, Antonio (9 March 1993). The Life And Teachings of Sai Baba of Shirdi. SUNY Press. ISBN 9781438417349.
2. ↑ "Shirdi Sai Baba". https://www.britannica.com/biography/Shirdi-Sai-Baba.
3. ↑ "Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999.
4. ↑ Dasgupta, Ranjan (23 May 2023). "At Rs 900 crore, Shirdi temple's earnings top pre-Covid levels". https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nashik/at-900cr-shirdi-temples-earnings-top-pre-covid-levels/articleshow/100433618.cms.
5. ↑ "Shirdi airport work in full swing: Official". The Times of India. 2 July 2010. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/Shirdi-airport-work-in-full-swing-Official/articleshow/6117173.cms.
6. ↑ Yogesh Naik (3 March 2016). "First trial flight touches down at Shirdi airport". Mumbai Mirror. http://www.mumbaimirror.com/mumbai/others/First-trial-flight-touches-down-at-Shirdi-airport/articleshow/51232066.cms.
7. ↑ Sengupta, Joy (9 September 2019). "Shirdi airport takes step forward to bag 24x7 tag". https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/shirdi-airport-takes-step-forward-to-bag-24x7-tag/articleshow/71039884.cms.

## External links

* Shirdi travel guide from Wikivoyage
* Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust, Shirdi's Official Website
* Visitors guide

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