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Pune to Shirdi: A Perfect Road Trip to a Holy Land
With the weekend just around the corner, it is high time you should plan a road trip (by your own car or rent a car) to somewhere far away from the noise of the city. And, if a religious trip excites you and you want to spend some spiritual time with your friends and family, Shirdi is the place to be. Touted as one of the holiest and spiritual sites in India (thanks to Sai Baba temple), the journey from Pune to Shirdi in itself is a perfect blend of good religious talks and spirituality.
And Here Begins Your Spiritual Journey
Sai Baba temple is a revered shrine at Shirdi, which invites thousands of pilgrims throughout the year. There happen to be three different routes to reach Shirdi from Pune: one via NH60, another via NH61 and the last one via Ahmednagar- Pune Highway.
Even though each of these routes takes almost the same journey time, the preferable one is via NH 60 due to better and faster moving traffic. Another thing to note is that Sai Baba temple is usually crowded by a plethora of pilgrims on Thursdays and weekends; so if you wish to avoid the crowd, pick some other days of the week. Moreover, prefer monsoon or winter as a time for a visit, for driving during other months tends to be more hot and humid.
Enjoy the Local Delicacies along the Way
Since the journey takes about five good hours, taking care of your tummy would be your priority. Right? Well, don’t worry! There are multiple street vendors, restaurants and eateries (especially vegetarian Maharashtrian delicacies) spread across the route that you wouldn’t find yourself struggling with a hungry stomach, even if you are traveling in the night.
Spellbound Pit Stops for Everyone to Enjoy
With an approximate of five to six hours drive, you will maneuver through exquisite pit stops of Kavnai Fort, Igatpuri and, wait for it, Wet ‘n’ Joy Water Park.
So, basically the journey is just not limited to adults or religious populace, it has something to offer for your little ones too. Kavani Fort is the best place for climbing as it takes about an hour to reach the top of the fort. Therefore, if you are a fan of trekking, do check out this place.
There are many other religious points of interest that you might want to explore. One such place is Dwarkamai, a mosque where Sai Baba inhabited for most days of his life. Other than Dwarkamai, Lendi garden is someplace that you sure would certainly want to check out.
A Prayer You Should not Miss!
All the way to your route, you will find various temples and churches which are sure to keep you in a perfect religious spirit. The morning 5:30 prayer is quite famous among pilgrims. So you might want to consider driving overnight to avoid missing the heavenly morning prayer. Since the roads are in pretty good shape, traveling overnight wouldn’t be much of a problem. However, as the highway ends and you enter the last leg of your journey towards Shirdi, you might discover the roads to be poor and patchy. So, drive carefully.
Well, the winter is here and, there is no better time to travel and, especially, to pamper the elder ones in your family with a beautiful religious trip to Shirdi. So book a car and begin your journey today!