Travel Experience – Shirdi Sai – 1 Dec -4 Dec 2015
Travelled to Shirdi by Goa Exp (12780) on 1 Dec 15. Leaves Nizamudin at 1500 hrs and reaches Manmad / Kopargaon between 10 and 11 next morning. Taxi charges from Manmad to Shirdi are Rs700. From Kopargaon, auto charges are Rs 300. Distance from Manmad to Shirdi is about 75 km. From Kopargaon 30 km. Time taken is 1.30 hrs and 30 minutes. Train journey between Manmad and K Gaon is about 40 minutes.
Travel by 3 AC in GoaExp was not...
more... bad. This was cleaned by private company staff at two places. Travelers have also improved a bit and most try to keep the train clean except toilets. Food and beverages are available and cleanly packed. Experience of bio toilets has completely failed. Bio toilets are always dirty to the brim. Earlier toilets could still be used in dirty condition. Now travelers refrain using bio toilets, and look for other toilets going to other compartments.
Stayed Hotel Sai Kanahyia, just 200 meters from the Mandir. This is located on a road near T junction of Hotel Tulsi, Gate 3 of the Mandir. Sai Kanahyia has been a good experience. Very neat and clean. Non AC room for Rs 900 per day. Food /tea available across the road-reasonably priced. There are whole lots of restaurants near Mandir. Sai Kanahyia is starting its own restaurant in matter of days. Hotel staff was helpful and courteous.
Mandir Darshan can be had either by booking through internet – Aarti Rs 500, Darshan Rs 100. One can also have Darshan in queue without booking. Sr citizens and government officers can go to PRO’s office near gate no. 1, on the highway and Mandir Road corner. They have to produce ID proof and Rs 500 / Rs 100. They are issued a priority entry slip which enables them entry through a shortcut. Thursdays and Fridays are comparatively crowded. So are the other festival days.
Mandir Shani Shingnapur is about 70 km. Taxi charged Rs 1100 for up and down journey. Takes 1.30 hrs each way. Though not compulsory, one may take ‘ Tel, Kale Til ’ etc and black thread to Mandir. These are available market outside Mandir. Mobile can be taken inside. Wearing belt or other leather items are not allowed.
On return, Hotel Mauli Prasad, about 6 km from Shingnapur was good experience. Had Kadhi Pakori and rice were fabulous. Bajra Bhakri (roti) was delicious. And Chhach was excellent.
Return journey from Shirdi to Manmad was by a taxi, which charged Rs 500. On way, some 30 km from Manmad, bought Bhelpuri for Rs 20- a big packet. Excellent.
KarnatakaExpress time at Manmad is 2.45 pm. Halts there for 15-20 minutes. Though officially this is for 10 minutes. Everything stated above for GoaExpress is true of this KarnatakaExpress.