Khandoba Temple - Shirdi

After spending the night in Shirdi, we proceeded towards our next destination, Nashik, in the morning. We stopped at the Khandoba Temple; one of the main temples in Shirdi which is situated on the main road.

Khandoba Temple entrance, Shirdi
[ Khandoba Mandir entrance, Shirdi ]

The place is very significant as it was here that the temple head priest Mhalsapati had first spotted Baba and said ‘Yaa Sai’ meaning ‘Welcome Sai’ in Marathi. The name stuck to Him and people started calling Him Sai Baba.

Idol of Shri Khandoba
[ Idol of Shri Khandoba, Shirdi ]

The temple is dedicated to Lord Khandoba (Shri Martand Bhairav), an incarnation of Lord Shiva. He is considered to be the patron deity of Maharashtra and is also worshipped in the southern states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. This temple is among one of the 13 main temples of Khandoba, the main being at Jejuri near Pune.

Khandoba Mandir, Shirdi - Lord Khandoba's Horse
[ Lord Khandoba's Horse ]

Khandoba Mandir, Shirdi - Sai Baba's Padukas
[ Sai Baba's Padukas ]

In the temple room, there are idols of Lord Khandoba, Banai Devi and Mhalsai Devi. On the walls there are black and white photographs of Mhalsapati, his wife and their sons. Just outside the temple room, there are two small shrines, one housing the idol of Lord Khandoba’s Horse and the other Sai Baba and His Padukas. There is also a Banyan tree under which there is a small idol of Sai Baba.

A Banyan tree in the Khandoba Temple premises
[ A Banyan tree in the Khandoba Temple premises ]

A small idol of Sai Baba just beneath the Banyan tree in the Khandoba Temple premises
[ A small idol of Sai Baba just beneath the Banyan tree ]

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23 Comments

  1. Thanks for taking us to the Darshan of the place of Sai's First appearance. Nice post Arti..!

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  2. I enjoy looking at the photos you snapped.Lovely!

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  3. These all names looks very heard to me.
    Yes i heard them on the Sai Baba show that used to come sometime back on Star Plus Khandoba,Mhalsapati all.

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  4. Nice temple..i have heard abt this but never got a chance to visit this one...

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  5. Thanks for taking me to the place where Shirdi Sai was first sighted.. Nice post Arti. I did not visit this place in my Shirdi trip.

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  6. Great colorful pictures! I love the banyon tree, don't think I've ever seen one before! I don't think we have them in this country. What are those long stringy things on it?? Does it bloom?

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  7. Nice snapshots (as always).. Merry christmas.

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  8. The Banyan tree is much respected and venerated in Hindu culture. We find this tree invariably planted in front of many temples.

    The long stringy things are the hanging roots which grow down into the soil forming additional trunks... The Banyan tree lasts very long and can grow very wide and huge!!

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  9. Nice information. I liked the small idol of Sai baba under the tree.

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  10. I especially loved the picture of the tree. I was also going to ask about the long 'stringy' things, thank you for that answer.

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  11. Thank you for sharing your visit to this temple! It is beautiful.

    There are a few banyan trees growing here in Ft Myers Florida (they were imported by Thomas Edison, the inventor, who had a winter home here). They seem to be doing well!

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  12. Beautiful temple Arti..I especially found the Paduka picture very precious!


    US Masala

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  13. Another lovely post. Thanks.

    All the best, Boonie

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  14. loved the post in totality,info in it and the pictures are so beautiful.
    Ah! one more things I would like to say

    ''CONGRATS''

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  15. Great pics. I missed this place.

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  16. Hey!

    Thanks for the pics, I've been to Shirdi but didn't see this place. Lovely pics...:)

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  17. Thanks for giving a glimpse of an offbeat temple

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  18. Nice post Arti. I had visited the Khandoba temple at Jejuri near Pune. That was an amazing experience too especially with the color of haldi all around.

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  19. yelkot yelkot jai mallhar.. sadancha yelkot.. jai khandoba, jai jai sai :)

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  20. Thanks Arti, for sharing such wonderful pics...really gives me a feel of being there..Om Sai Ram....Sabka Malik Ek :)

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  21. "You will have sudden gain of a thing which was missing for many days. You will experience the same on Sunday. Visit Khandoba temple. You will gain from trees and land." - See more at: http://www.oursaibaba.com/#sthash.ZF1uPJgO.dpuf

    thats how I visited your page here...thanks a lot for sharing such beautiful pics...really felt like being there..Sai baba sabka bhala kare...Om Sai Ram :)

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