Started on 09/06/16
Murali had planned this trip, with the most possible details. After office, we boarded VSV bus from Hyderabad to Shirdi. It was a sleeper bus, and it was my first long sleeper bus journey. It was comfortable though A/C made it not so comfortable, but the drive was smooth and we had a better sleep. We reached Shirdi in the morning 8AM, and we went to Sai Ashramm Bhakta Nivasa. It was a very clean, majestic compound for the devotee lodging. Our booked room was available after 11AM, so we took bath in an adjacent bath room. And planned to visit Saptasrungeswari Temple. It was 140 KM from Shirdi. We booked a cab, and after having lunch in Ashram, we started off. The lunch prasad was very good. Simple food, but tasted yummy and hyginic. It costed Rs 10 for rice, Dal, two curries, chapati and roti - that too unlimited.
One thing was visible in this areas, the water scarcity. Lots of tankers were visible on the roads. On the way to vani, we saw the parched regions, it appeared very dry and not much greenery, and after few km, we crossed Godavari. It looked like a small dried canal, with no water at all. Read a lot about marthwada region, and we witnessed this area. Later we were closing to Nashik, where we saw greenery, and lots of grape vineyards. Overall, the roads were good, except few stretches. After around 2 hours, we neared to those majestic hills and mountains. Our driver had shown us the temple hill. When we crossed Vani, it was cloudy, and the roads to the temple was very clean and wide. Adorned with greenery, it looked so beautiful. The car zipped through the mountain, and it was such a pleasant weather to accentuate the mood. Finally we reached at the valley, and the last stretch of Ghati road was yet to be driven.
We stopped for lunch, and then resumed out journey. It was not very steep, and with two hair-pins turns, one can get to the top. The views from the car got better and better, finally we reached on the top. It was not so clean on the hill top town . We parked the car, and could look the temple which was in the middle of of a sharp hill cliff. It was around 500 steps walk. There was a huge steep, and the temple was on the middle. It looked majestic. We visited the temple by walking those 500 steps, there was a good crowd, and people of all ages are thronging the divine place to seek blessings spotted as young as 4 months old to 70 years old lady. It took some effort reaching the top, and after a long wait, we had darsan. The moneys kept entertaining us through out. We went to a pond, and later to few scenic spots, from where we took few snaps. The view are astounding, it appeared as of Indian Grand Canyon without the Colorado. All three of us felt very young and had a very pleasant time with the cool breez taking away all our fatigue. Then we started off our back journey, and reached back at Sirdi around 9PM.
Few things to note, except BSNL, we didn't get any other mobile signal. And, throughout the drive, saw hundreds of bikers without helmets, with triple loads, and most driving like crazy as their last ride. I thought that it must be the divine blessings that keeps our roads safer.
Shirdi Day 2
We had a good sleep after a busy day. It was day break, and the light of the morning was alarmed us to wake up. We had one bathroom and one toilet. Considering the water scarcity in the region , we were considerate of it's smart usages. Then we found the knob of the flush was not working, later the staff briefed us that the flush water is recycled one. It was a good idea to use the bath room water to flush the toilet. Quick after bath, we started off for breakfast, and the counter had a long queue. The breakfast packet was Rs 5, again subsidized. As we had to go for darsan we took breakfast outside. We had both south Indian and north Indian options, we had paneer paratha. When we reached the gates of the temple it was around 9AM, and we had left all our belongings in room. We had just the wallet with us. After security check we were queued up on those darsan halls where it buffered up the devotees. There were enough fans and coolers, and security staff to guide. It was a long and slow moving, and finally after two hours wait, we reached the temple. They offered prasad packets for every visitor. The temple was simple yet elegant. As a first time visitor, I liked it. They didn't allow us to spend anytime there. We visited all other places of importance. We are done around 12.30PM. We thought to have prasad in the prasadalaya. We were told its nearby. As we didn't have our chappals, it was a painful walk on the cement or tar road under the peak midday sun. Literally it was burning, and we walked around 600mts to reach the main road. There are buses that take devotes to these places in between. Bit longer were the queues as thousands were there. We felt how luxurious to have any chapals, leave aside shoes.
We went to prasadalaya by a rickshaw. The real surprise lied there. In was amazed by the sheer size of it, and one place where thousands of people can eat at the same time. What a system that was. There were counters to purchase the tickets. But it was free that day. We got the tickets without much wait, and when we entered the hall, it was huge like a football stadium - literally and thousands of seats! It was such brilliantly organised, served to thousands in few minutes. We are done in 15 minutes, so were around hundreds of devotees. Just curious to see how they prepare food for thousands every day in and day out. It should be part of Limca book of world. After the lunch prasad we went to bhakta nivasa by auto. Later, we are all set to go to Shani Sighneswar temple.
There were many travel agency and independent taxi and shared taxis, we boarded onto one that stood just outside the ashram, and it started after it was full. It was a pleasant drive, without AC, and the wind was at the full swing. Weather was just fine with shreds of cloud. It stopped in a place where it served the sugar cane juice. The entire stretch of the road was filled with such centers.
Murali had planned this trip, with the most possible details. After office, we boarded VSV bus from Hyderabad to Shirdi. It was a sleeper bus, and it was my first long sleeper bus journey. It was comfortable though A/C made it not so comfortable, but the drive was smooth and we had a better sleep. We reached Shirdi in the morning 8AM, and we went to Sai Ashramm Bhakta Nivasa. It was a very clean, majestic compound for the devotee lodging. Our booked room was available after 11AM, so we took bath in an adjacent bath room. And planned to visit Saptasrungeswari Temple. It was 140 KM from Shirdi. We booked a cab, and after having lunch in Ashram, we started off. The lunch prasad was very good. Simple food, but tasted yummy and hyginic. It costed Rs 10 for rice, Dal, two curries, chapati and roti - that too unlimited.
One thing was visible in this areas, the water scarcity. Lots of tankers were visible on the roads. On the way to vani, we saw the parched regions, it appeared very dry and not much greenery, and after few km, we crossed Godavari. It looked like a small dried canal, with no water at all. Read a lot about marthwada region, and we witnessed this area. Later we were closing to Nashik, where we saw greenery, and lots of grape vineyards. Overall, the roads were good, except few stretches. After around 2 hours, we neared to those majestic hills and mountains. Our driver had shown us the temple hill. When we crossed Vani, it was cloudy, and the roads to the temple was very clean and wide. Adorned with greenery, it looked so beautiful. The car zipped through the mountain, and it was such a pleasant weather to accentuate the mood. Finally we reached at the valley, and the last stretch of Ghati road was yet to be driven.
We stopped for lunch, and then resumed out journey. It was not very steep, and with two hair-pins turns, one can get to the top. The views from the car got better and better, finally we reached on the top. It was not so clean on the hill top town . We parked the car, and could look the temple which was in the middle of of a sharp hill cliff. It was around 500 steps walk. There was a huge steep, and the temple was on the middle. It looked majestic. We visited the temple by walking those 500 steps, there was a good crowd, and people of all ages are thronging the divine place to seek blessings spotted as young as 4 months old to 70 years old lady. It took some effort reaching the top, and after a long wait, we had darsan. The moneys kept entertaining us through out. We went to a pond, and later to few scenic spots, from where we took few snaps. The view are astounding, it appeared as of Indian Grand Canyon without the Colorado. All three of us felt very young and had a very pleasant time with the cool breez taking away all our fatigue. Then we started off our back journey, and reached back at Sirdi around 9PM.
Few things to note, except BSNL, we didn't get any other mobile signal. And, throughout the drive, saw hundreds of bikers without helmets, with triple loads, and most driving like crazy as their last ride. I thought that it must be the divine blessings that keeps our roads safer.
Shirdi Day 2
We had a good sleep after a busy day. It was day break, and the light of the morning was alarmed us to wake up. We had one bathroom and one toilet. Considering the water scarcity in the region , we were considerate of it's smart usages. Then we found the knob of the flush was not working, later the staff briefed us that the flush water is recycled one. It was a good idea to use the bath room water to flush the toilet. Quick after bath, we started off for breakfast, and the counter had a long queue. The breakfast packet was Rs 5, again subsidized. As we had to go for darsan we took breakfast outside. We had both south Indian and north Indian options, we had paneer paratha. When we reached the gates of the temple it was around 9AM, and we had left all our belongings in room. We had just the wallet with us. After security check we were queued up on those darsan halls where it buffered up the devotees. There were enough fans and coolers, and security staff to guide. It was a long and slow moving, and finally after two hours wait, we reached the temple. They offered prasad packets for every visitor. The temple was simple yet elegant. As a first time visitor, I liked it. They didn't allow us to spend anytime there. We visited all other places of importance. We are done around 12.30PM. We thought to have prasad in the prasadalaya. We were told its nearby. As we didn't have our chappals, it was a painful walk on the cement or tar road under the peak midday sun. Literally it was burning, and we walked around 600mts to reach the main road. There are buses that take devotes to these places in between. Bit longer were the queues as thousands were there. We felt how luxurious to have any chapals, leave aside shoes.
We went to prasadalaya by a rickshaw. The real surprise lied there. In was amazed by the sheer size of it, and one place where thousands of people can eat at the same time. What a system that was. There were counters to purchase the tickets. But it was free that day. We got the tickets without much wait, and when we entered the hall, it was huge like a football stadium - literally and thousands of seats! It was such brilliantly organised, served to thousands in few minutes. We are done in 15 minutes, so were around hundreds of devotees. Just curious to see how they prepare food for thousands every day in and day out. It should be part of Limca book of world. After the lunch prasad we went to bhakta nivasa by auto. Later, we are all set to go to Shani Sighneswar temple.
There were many travel agency and independent taxi and shared taxis, we boarded onto one that stood just outside the ashram, and it started after it was full. It was a pleasant drive, without AC, and the wind was at the full swing. Weather was just fine with shreds of cloud. It stopped in a place where it served the sugar cane juice. The entire stretch of the road was filled with such centers.
