Shirdi Sai Idol made By Balaji Vasant (1954)

THANKS GIVING NOTE:- We always pray to our baba in SHIRDI for some or the other reason but might have THANKED THE ONE WHO MADE SUCH A WONDERFUL & BLISSFUL IDOL....The idol of our Baba is a marvelous statue made up of Italian marble built by Late Balaji Vasant in 1954....

Shirdi Saibaba Sanathan 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.