Overview Shirdi is that mystical magical town near the holy city of Nasik, close to Mumbai. This hallowed town exudes such intense devotion, that even the casual visitor is bound to be charged with fervour. Shirdi was the abode of the saint Sai Baba, who lived here for eighty years - and died here over eighty years ago. It is said that Sai Baba himself calls his devotees to Shirdi and that his blessings can heal even the deepest wound. The town is tiny - just 2 square km of main street and a labyrinth of by-lanes - but packs in much passion. Pilgrims throng for a brief "darshan" at Samadhi Mandir, the shrine of Sai Baba where his mortal remains were interred. The queues outside the mandir are endless, the throng inside is maddening, and the devotion intense. Next to the shrine is the peaceful Masjid where Sai Baba spent most of his life. The sacred fire called "dhuni" still burns here and its ash or "udhi" is smeared on devotees. The Chavadi is a small building where Sai Baba used to spend every alternate night. CLIMATE: Pilgrims flock to Shirdi at any time of the year. Shirdi has a dry climate that swings to extremes, from a high of 40° C in May, to a low of 7° C in January. But the monsoon months - June to August - are pleasant, with scanty rains. Though the shrine is open though the week, Thursday is Sai Baba's special day. FESTIVALS: The most important festivals and events that are celebrated in Shirdi are Guru Poornima, Dusshera, and Ram Navami. These are the only days when the Samadhi Mandir of Shirdi opens for the whole night. Every Thursday, a palakhi bearing a photograph of the sage is taken out from the temple. EXCURSION: There are several places to see and visit near Shirdi too. 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 here. Shirdi Sai Baba Attractions and Places to Visit in Shirdi Samadhi Mandir Samadhi Mandir of Shri Sai Baba was actually owned by a millionaire from Nagpur and a famous Sai devotee Shreemant Gopalrao. He wanted to keep an idol of Murlidhar here. However, according to the legends, Baba himself became 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 assembly hall also houses a showcase having various items used by the sage. 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 Situated on the right side of the entrance of the Samadhi Mandir is Dwarkamai, a mosque. This was the place where the sage stayed until the end of his life. Main attraction of the site is the oil paintings of the sage. Gurusthan The place from where Sai Baba first came to Shirdi in the form of a Bal Yogi (child ascetic) is known as Gurusthan. A temple has been constructed on this site. There is also a small shrine in Gurusthan. Chavadi At a short distance lies Baba's Chavadi. Baba used to sleep here every alternate day. 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. Cottage of Abdul Baba There is a cottage of Abdul Baba, an ardent devotee of Shri Sai Baba, in front of the Chavadi. Photos and various items that were handled by Sai Baba and Abdul Baba are there in the cottage. Maruti Mandir There is a Maruti Mandir located at some distance from the cottage of Abdul Baba. This mandir was visited by Baba for the sat-sang with Devidas, a Bal yogi, who lived at the Mandir ten to twelve years before Baba arrived. There are also temples of village deities named Shani, Ganapati, and Shankar that are worth visiting. 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. Other sites to visit are Datta Mandir and Khandoba Mandir. How to Reach Shirdi By Air Nearest airports are Mumbai (260 km), Pune (185 km), and Aurangabad (125 km). Flights for all the major cities in India and abroad can be taken from Mumbai. By Rail The nearest railway station is Manmad (60 km) on the Central Railway, which is connected to many parts of the country with express trains. Most of the trains touching Nasik Road railway station also touch Manmad. By Road Shirdi is very well connected by a network of roads and road transport to all major towns of Maharashtra and surrounding areas.
The Bandhavgarh National Park is a veritable crown of the rich wildlife heritage of Madhya Pradesh. It is located about 195 km off Jabalpur and 210 km off Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh. The exceptional characteristic of this park is that though it is smaller in comparison to Kanha or any of the other parks of Madhya Pradesh, it hosts almost the same number of tigers or any other wildlife species! Cozily nestled in the Vindhya mountain range of Central India, it is known for the Royal Bengal Tigers, cheetals, leopards, gaur, sambhar, and numerous other fauna species that can be found here. Medium-sized bison herds can be sighted in all their glory here. Bandhavgarh was the game reserve of the Maharajas of Rewa before becoming a national park in 1968. Though it started with just 105 square km of land, its territory was later extended by including two adjoining sal forests in 1986. Bandhavgarh is a typical moist, deciduous forest, so common to Central India. Most of the park area is covered with rich sal (Shorea robusta) forests, although at higher altitudes mixed forests and large stretches of bamboo and grassland can be found.
CLIMATE: The best season to visit this park is between November and June. The best time to visit the park is early in the morning or after 4 p.m., as it is during this time that the animals are most active and can be easily spotted. The park can be entered on elephant back or in a jeep or by car. A forest department guide always accompanies you, directing and telling about the flora and fauna of the park. EXCURSION: When visiting Bandhavgarh, there are not too many places that you can take a detour to. For, the only two urban habitations around Bandhavgarh are Katani and Umaria . Katni is located 120 km away and is a major junction on the South-Eastern Railways. Umari, on the other hand is located closer at a distance of just 32 km, and is and is usually the base for tourists who come to explore the park. It is also the nearest railhead to Bandhavgarh on the South-Eastern Railway. Tourists could also take a trip to Khajuraho and Jabalpur, as well as Bheraghat on the river Narmada, for all of these are located in about the same region.	Bandhavgarh Wildlife Sanctuary - Bandhavgarh
Attractions and Places to Visit in Bandhavgarh
Flora : The flora of Bandhavgarh is the typical moist, deciduous forest, which is common to Central India. Most of the park area is covered with rich sal (Shorea robusta) forests, although at higher altitudes you could also come across mixed forests comprising of sali, saj, saja, etc. Large stretches of bamboo and grassland are also distributed here. Fauna: The park boasts of a wide variety of game. Its main wild beasts are tiger, leopard, sloth bear, gaur, sambar, chital, muntjac, nilgai, chinkara, mountain gazelle, and wild boar. The gaur is usually spotted in March/April. The sambar and muntjac can be spotted in thick vegetation. It is estimated that there are around 60 tigers, over 4,500 sambars, and over 7,000 spotted deer in this reserve. The tigers, however, remain very elusive. The park is alos rich in avifauna and birds such as the green pigeon, crested serpent eagle, and variable hawk eagle are seen here. One may also encounter rhesus macaque, hyenas, porcupine, Steppe eagle, white-browed fantails, white-bellied grongo, Jerdon's leaf birds Malabar hornbills, blue-bearded bee-eater, and blossom-headed parakeets. There are also several cave shrines scattered around the park, with Brahmi inscriptions dating from the first century B.C. Bandhavgarh Fort: The Bandhavgarh Fort is located within the park and was built by the Maharajas of Rewa at a height of 800 m above the surrounding countryside. It offers a panoramic view of the wildlife preserve and is believed to be 2,000 years old. A stream called Charganga flows beside the fort. Statues and temples and a 10th-century rock statue of Lord Vishnu can be observed en route. A large number of Crag martins and blackbucks can be found around the fort.
How to Reach Bandhavgarh
Air : Khajurao at 230-kms is the most convenient airport connected by various domestic airline services with Agra, Delhi, Varanasi. Rail : The nearest railway station is at Umaria at a distance of 30-kms, it is on the Katni-Bilaspur section of South-Eastern Railway. Another convenient railway station Satna (117-kms) is on the Bombay-Howrah main line of the Central Railway. Road : Bandhavgarh National Park is situated on the Satna-Umaria & Rewa-Umaria highway. Some of the important road routes are: Khajuraho (via Satna)230-kms, Varanasi (via Rewa) 340-kms, Katni 75-kms, Rewa 115-kms, Umaria 30-kms, Kanha 250-kms. Madhya Pradesh State Transport Bus Services is also available from Rewa, Satna, Katni and Umaria.

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