Shirdi Sai Baba Darshan & Aarti Booking 2026: Timings, Paid Darshan Pass, Aarti Tickets and Stay
Last verified: September 2026. Ticket prices and quotas are set by the Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust and do change — confirm on online.sai.org.in before booking.
Shirdi gets 50,000 devotees on an ordinary day and well over a lakh on Thursdays, weekends and festivals. The free queue on those days can run four to eight hours. The Sansthan Trust’s online booking system exists to spare you that — but there is no “VIP darshan” in the way tour operators sell it. There is a ₹200 paid darshan pass, there are aarti passes, and there is the free line. This guide explains each one, how to book it yourself on the official portal without a middleman, and how to plan the rest of the trip.
Shirdi Temple Timings
The Samadhi Mandir does not close during the day. It opens for Kakad Aarti before dawn and shuts after Shej Aarti at night.
| Event | Time |
|---|---|
| Temple opens (Bhupali) | 4:00 AM |
| Kakad Aarti (morning) | 4:30 AM |
| Free darshan begins | Around 5:00 AM |
| Madhyan Aarti (noon) | 12:00 PM |
| Dhoop Aarti (evening) | Around sunset, 6:00–7:00 PM depending on season |
| Shej Aarti (night) | 10:30 PM |
| Temple closes | Around 11:15 PM |
Darshan continues through the aartis, but the queue halts while each aarti is performed (15–30 minutes). Dwarkamai, Chavadi, Gurusthan and Lendi Baug keep their own hours within roughly 5 AM to 9 PM.
Darshan Options: What Actually Exists
| Option | Cost | Wait on a normal day | How to get it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free darshan (Dharma Darshan) | Free | 1–3 hours weekdays; 4–8 hours Thursdays, weekends, festivals | Walk in via Gate 1 or 2 |
| Paid Darshan Pass | ₹200 per person | 30–60 minutes | Book online at online.sai.org.in, or at the counter (limited) |
| Aarti Pass (Kakad, Madhyan, Dhoop or Shej) | ₹600 per person | Seated inside the mandir for the aarti, then darshan | Book online, 60 days ahead — sells out fast |
| Senior citizens (65+), differently-abled, parents with infants | Free | Separate short queue | Show ID at the designated gate |
“VIP darshan” advertised by hotels and agents is usually a ₹200 pass resold with a markup, sometimes with a guide. Book it yourself.
How to Book on online.sai.org.in
- Go to online.sai.org.in (or install the official “Shri Saibaba Sansthan” app). This is the only official channel.
- Register with your mobile number, email and a photo ID (Aadhaar, Voter ID or passport). You’ll be asked to upload a passport-size photo — it prints on the pass.
- Log in with OTP and choose Darshan or Aarti.
- Pick the date and time slot. Booking opens 60 days in advance. Darshan slots for weekdays stay available for a while; aarti passes and Thursday slots go within hours of opening.
- Enter every member’s details. Each person needs their own ID — passes are name-specific and checked at entry.
- Pay online and download the e-pass. Carry it on your phone plus the original ID.
- On the day, go to the paid darshan entrance (Gate 4 area, follow signs) 20–30 minutes before your slot.
Passes are non-transferable and non-refundable. If your slot lapses you join the free queue.
Which Aarti to Book
Kakad Aarti (4:30 AM) — the most atmospheric. Baba is “woken” with bhajans; the crowd is small and mostly regulars. Worth the alarm.
Madhyan Aarti (12 PM) — shortest, easiest to combine with a day trip from Nashik or Pune.
Dhoop Aarti (sunset) — the busiest and most photographed (from outside; no photos inside).
Shej Aarti (10:30 PM) — Baba is put to rest; a quiet, unhurried end to the day. Good if you’re staying overnight.
Rules and What to Carry
- No phones, cameras, bags or footwear inside the Samadhi Mandir. Free cloakroom and shoe stand near the gates; the queue for both adds 10–15 minutes.
- Dress modestly. Not enforced as strictly as Tirupati, but shoulders and knees covered is expected.
- Children below 10 are discouraged from the paid darshan queue on rush days — check the portal’s current rule when booking.
- Udi (sacred ash from the Dhuni) and prasad are given at the exit; the Sansthan Prasadalaya serves a full meal for a nominal price, usually 10 AM–10 PM.
The Five Places Inside the Complex
- Samadhi Mandir — Baba’s tomb and the marble idol. This is what the queue is for.
- Dwarkamai — the mosque where Baba lived for six decades; the Dhuni (sacred fire) he lit still burns.
- Chavadi — where he slept on alternate nights.
- Gurusthan — the neem tree under which he was first seen as a young man.
- Lendi Baug — the garden he tended, with the Nanda Deep lamp.
All are within a short walk. Do them in this order, after darshan.
Where to Stay
Sansthan accommodation — Sai Ashram Bhakt Niwas (near the airport road), Dwaravati, and the older Bhakt Niwas complexes. Clean, cheap (₹200–₹1,500), bookable on the same online.sai.org.in portal, and by far the best value. Sai Ashram has a free shuttle to the temple.
Private hotels — Shirdi has everything from lodges to Sun-n-Sand and St Laurn. Book ahead for Thursdays and festivals; prices double.
How to Reach
- Air: Shirdi Airport (Kakadi), 15 km. Flights from Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru.
- Rail: Sainagar Shirdi station, 3 km from the temple; direct trains from Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru. Kopargaon (15 km) and Manmad (58 km) are alternatives on the main lines.
- Road: Mumbai 240 km (5–6 hours), Pune 185 km (4 hours), Nashik 90 km (2 hours), Aurangabad 120 km. MSRTC and private buses run round the clock from Mumbai and Pune.
- From Ahmedabad: about 480 km by road, or fly to Shirdi via Mumbai.
Best Time to Visit
October to February for weather. For crowds, any weekday except Thursday. Big festival dates: Ram Navami (March/April), Guru Purnima (July), and Vijayadashami / Punyatithi (September/October) — the temple stays open through the night on these, and passes are booked out weeks ahead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not as an official category. The Sansthan sells a ₹200 paid darshan pass and ₹600 aarti passes. Agents rebrand these as “VIP”.
₹200 per person for paid darshan; ₹600 per person for any of the four aartis. Free darshan costs nothing.
60 days before the date.
A limited number of paid darshan passes are sold at the counter, subject to availability. Aarti passes are effectively online only.
A photo ID is required for each person; Aadhaar is the most common. Passport for foreign nationals.
1–3 hours on weekdays, 4–8 hours on Thursdays, weekends and festivals.
Shirdi Airport, 15 km from the temple. Timings and prices verified against the Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust’s portal in September 2026. Spotted a change? Email info@themandiryatra.com.
Timings and prices verified against the Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust’s portal in September 2026. Spotted a change? Email info@themandiryatra.com.
Editor at The Mandir Yatra. Covers the Himalayan and northern yatras (Kedarnath, Vaishno Devi, Govardhan, Narmada Parikrama) and the southern and eastern temples (Tirupati, Kanyakumari, Srikalahasti, Draksharamam, Jagannath Puri, Kamakhya). Every guide is checked against the temple trust’s official schedule before publishing and carries a last-verified date.
