
Samadhi Mandir of Shri Sai Baba was actually
owned by a millionaire from Nagpur, a famous Sai devotee Shreemant
Gopalrao. Gopalrao wanted to keep an idol of Murlidhar here.
However, Baba himself became Murlidhar and the Mandir became
the Samadhi Mandir of Baba. The Mandir is built with stones
and Baba's Samadhi is built with white marble stones. railing
is built in marble around the Samadhi and is full of ornamental
decorations. In front of the Samadhi are two silver pillars
full of decorative designs. Just behind the Samadhi is Sai
Baba's marvelous statue made of Italian marble, which shows
him seated on a throne. This idol was made by the late Shri
Balaji Vasant. This statue was installed on 7th October 1954.
Above the statue is an open, silver umbrella. The front of
the Mandir has an assembly hall where about 600 devotees can
be accommodated. Here is a showcase where various things handled
by Baba are kept. On the first floor of the Mandir are pictures
that depict Baba’s life. The daily routine of the temple
starts at 5 o'clock in the morning with Bhoopali, a morning
song, and closes at 10 o'clock in the night after the Shejarati
is sung. Only on three occasions the temple is kept open overnight
i.e. on Gurupoornima, Dassera, and Ramnavami. Every Thursday
and on each festival, a Palakhi with Baba's photo is taken
out from the temple.
Dwarkamai
Shri Sai Baba came to
Shirdi with a marriage procession. He stayed at Dwarkamai till
the very end of his life. Dwarkamai is situated on the right
of the entrance of Samadhi Mandir. Here he solved problems of
the people, cured their sickness and worries. Before Baba's
arrival in Shirdi, Dwarkamai was an old mosque in a dilapidated
condition. Baba turned it into Dwarkamai and proved that God
is one. The first level of Dwarkamai has a portrait of Baba
and a big stone on which Baba used to sit. This level has two
rooms. One contains the chariot and the second a palkhi. Just
in front of the room where the chariot is kept is a small temple.
A saffron flag flies over it. The second level of Dwarkamai
has a square stool made of stone, which Baba used for taking
a bath. The main attraction of this place is the oil painting
of Shri Sai Baba sitting in a carved wooden shrine. This level
also has the grinding stone and the wooden vessel called Kolamba
in which Baba used to keep the Bhiksha brought from the village.