Famous Sai Baba Templesप्रसिद्ध साईं बाबा मंदिर

Sai Baba's Mahasamadhi was in Shirdi in 1918, but his devotees have carried his worship far beyond Maharashtra. Today there are Sai temples in almost every Indian city and in many towns and villages, as well as in other countries where Indian families have settled. Many follow the Shirdi pattern of worship, with the four daily aartis, the Thursday gathering and the major festivals. This page describes a few of the best-known Sai temples in India. It does not list addresses or timings; please check them locally before visiting.

Shri Sai Baba Samadhi Mandir, Shirdi

The first and most important place of Sai worship is the Samadhi Mandir at Shirdi, where Baba's body rests. Around it are Dwarkamai, the mosque where he lived and where his dhuni still burns, the Chavadi, Gurusthan and Lendi Baug. The complex is managed by the Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust, Shirdi, and draws pilgrims from all over the world, especially on Thursdays and at Ram Navami, Guru Purnima and Vijayadashami. A full guide is on the Shirdi page, and current darshan and aarti timings are on the Trust's official site sai.org.in.

Shri Sai Baba Mandir, Lodhi Road, New Delhi

The Sai Baba temple on Lodhi Road, also known as Sai Memorial, is one of the best-known Sai temples in North India. It is a large and busy temple in the heart of New Delhi, and on Thursdays long queues of devotees come for darshan, aarti and prasad. It is a well-loved gathering place for Sai devotees from across the city.

Shirdi Sai Baba Temple, Mylapore, Chennai

The Sai Baba temple in Mylapore, one of the oldest Sai temples in Chennai, was built through the efforts of the devotee B. V. Narasimhaswami, who did much to spread Sai Baba's name in South India. It is the headquarters of the All India Sai Samaj, the organisation he founded to share the life and teachings of Sai Baba. The temple is especially crowded on Thursdays.

Sai Baba Temple, Dilsukhnagar, Hyderabad

The Sai Baba temple at Dilsukhnagar is one of the most popular temples in Hyderabad. Large numbers of devotees visit on Thursdays, and morning and evening aartis are held in the Shirdi style. Festivals such as Guru Purnima and Ram Navami are celebrated here.

Sai temples in other places

Beyond these well-known temples, there are countless Sai mandirs in neighbourhoods, housing societies and villages across India. Many were started by small groups of devotees who met to sing bhajans on Thursdays. Some keep a dhuni and give udi, some hold a palkhi procession on Thursdays as in Shirdi, and many organise group readings of the Sai Satcharitra and community meals at festivals. Your local Sai temple is often the best place to join in the aarti and to meet other devotees.

Visiting a Sai temple

• Thursday is the main day of worship, so expect larger crowds then.
• Common offerings are flowers (often yellow), a garland, incense, sweets or fruit; many temples also accept offerings of food for distribution.
• Join in the aarti if you can; the Shirdi aartis are sung in most Sai temples.
• Dress modestly, follow the temple's own rules, and be patient in queues.
• Devotees keeping the nine Thursday vrat often visit a Sai temple on each Thursday if they can.