I have come across the Shirdi Sai Baba online darshan booking, and I do not have a clue what this is about. Please, can someone explain what the Shirdi Sai Baba online darshan booking is about? When we go for the actual darshan is there some big queue? It would be my first time going to Shirdi to the Sai Baba Mandir, so it would be good to get all the details about visiting the Mandir.
Hello there! Welcome to the forum! Online booking for Shirdi Sai Baba darshan was introduced by the Shri Sai Baba Sansthan Trust. It is an efficient way for devotees to save time instead of lining up for hours in the temple. It's very simple as well, you only need to go to the official website of Shirdi Sai Baba and click on the Online Services. From there, you need to register yourself as a new user and fill in the necessary information. Make sure you prepare the following beforehand: Valid Email Address Personal Details (Name, Address and Contact Number) Your Photo - Maximum of 250 KB and Valid Formats are JPEG, BMP, PNG, GIF & JPG ID Proof - Voter ID, PAN Card, Passport, Ration Card & Driving License You can choose what time slot you want for the darshan. All details and the darshan pass would be sent to your email address and mobile number so make sure they're working. This booking costs Rs. 100 per person. Once you reach the temple, you would undergo biometric scanning before entering the gates. Make sure you go to the temple on the allotted time as you'd only be allowed entry during the time given to you. If you booked online, you won't have to stand for queue for more than an hour. If you didn't book for an online darshan, the queue depends on the rush during that day. Thursday is Sai Baba day so the queues are longer. Similarly on an occasion like Guru Purnima, the queue can take longer, sometimes even to 4 hours or more. On weekdays, queues might be shorter at 1 hour to 2 hours. Here are some other information that you might need before going to the temple: Shoes, mobile phones and cameras are not allowed in the temple premises. It's best to leave them in your hotel's safety deposit locker, your car or even at the lockers in temple. There are plenty of accommodation options near the temple. Some are even managed by the Sansthan Trust. There are budget, mid-range and luxury hotels all around so you have plenty of choices. Offerings like garlands, cloths, flowers and coconuts aren't accepted during aarti, holy bath and ceremonial worship. Offerings are only accepted during the darshan hours. In the Samadhi temple, the queue is separated into males and females. In Chawri, females are not allowed to enter the room where Sai Baba used to sleep. Here are the timings for the darshan: 5:40 am to 12:00 am and 1:00 pm to 10:00 pm. Here are the opening timings for the temple: Samadhi Mandir - 5:00 am to 10:30 pm. Dwarkamai Masjid, Chawri and Gurusthan - 5:00 am to 8:30 pm. Here are the timings for the aarti: Kakad Aarti - 4:30 am to 5:00 am. Mid Day Aarti - 12:00 pm to 12:30 pm. Dhoop Aarti - 5:00 pm to 5:30 pm. Evening Aarti - 10:30 pm to 10:50 pm. For those who booked for the online darshan, be there for queuing an hour before your scheduled time. I hope this helps.
