PUNE SHIRDI SHANISINGHNAPUR NASIK TOUR

PUNE SHIRDI SHANISINGHNAPUR NASIK TOUR

The trip to Pune was planned based on an offer by Air Asia in January 2017 wherein the return fare was only Rs.2400/-.  Without knowng much about the various places to see, I had made the trip to be of 3nights/4days.   Then I wanted to make a plan for going to Shani Singnapur and Nasik Trimbakeswar temple, which I had in mind for quite sometime.  I finally made the trip with the plan to have darshan at Shirdi, Shani Singhnapur, Trimbakeswar and also other temples in Nasik with a day in each.    Thus with the flight reaching on 30th June 2017 at 14.30hrs, I had contacted a travel at Pune for a oneway trip to Shirdi and at a cost of Rs.2500/- (Would have been more justified with 4 people going in the cab) as I had booked online for the night arti (shej) at Shirdi on 30/6.  My flight reached in time and the taxi driver had contacted me in the morning itself and had given his details.  Hence there was no problem and I asked him whether he can stop at Ranjangaon on the way, to have darshan at Siddhivinayak temple which he readily agreed.  Thus starting at 3 pm from the Pune Airport, had darshan at Ranjangaon Ganapathy at 04.15 pm and reached Shirdi at 07.10 pm. 

A blog post on the temple of Ranjangaon Ganapathy is at:
http://sarayutoayodhya.blogspot.in/2017/07/mahaganapathy-ranjangaon-maharashtra.html

The authorities at Saibaba Mandir, Shirdi guided me to go to the Gate No.3 for the night arti and I had to report between 9.30 and 10.15 pm.  There were around 200 people who had booked for the night arti at the Samadhi Mandir. The people were asked to wait in a hall and lined up to go the samadhi mandir at around 10.30 and later the arti started at 10.45 pm and was for a period of 45 minutes.   The entire gathering participated in singing the Keertan. Prasadham was given at the exit gate .  Blog posting on shirdi has been done separately at -

http://sarayutoayodhya.blogspot.in/2017/07/saibaba-mandir-shirdi.html

Next day, on 1st July morning at 6 AM, I took a cab which runs on sharing basis to Shani Singhnapur at Rs.150/- per head for onward and return with a waiting at Shingnapur for 30 minutes.   Sad part was taking bath and going with wet clothes is no more being followed after successful(?) entry of women into the area of the idol and also no abhishekam is performed by devotees as decoration of flowers is full at all times.  However arrangements have been made to pour oil on a tank nearby premises of the idol.  The entire journey of up and down took 4 hours.

                                                     Shani Singhnapur

On return I had time and took the opportunity to see all places connected with Sree Saibaba.   In the premises of the Mandir, Dwarakamayee, Guru sansthan, chavadi etc and also the house of Laxmibai Shinde and also Sree Katobha temple.  On a private bus (Neeta Travels) which started at 03.30pm at Shirdi, I reached Nasik at 6.10 pm and stayed in a hotel near New Bus Stand of Nasik. Nasik has 4 bus stands, old and new CBS, Mela bus stand and Nasik Mahamarg. New CBS and Mela are side by side and connected by a passage at the rear.  

On 2nd July morning at 6.00 AM, I took a cab on sharing basis at Rs.50/- for dropping at Trimbakeswar temple, which is at a distance of 38 kms from Nasik.  
The entire day from morning and until I left at 14.00 hrs, it was raining.  Small protective equipments were of no avail and got fully drenched.  Had darshan at Trimbakeswar and also had been to Godavrikund and Gangagodavari temple and Parasuram temple.  Returned to bus stand and took a bus to new CBS nasik. All other activities were connected around Panchavati and thus moved to Panchavati Ramkund by an auto.  Had darshan at Kabaleeswarar temple and Seeta Guffa nearby.  After darshan, I was able to get an autorickshaw and the driver Sri Rahul was very helpful in showing all other places of Nasik, in fact he acted as a guide also.  He had taken me to Bhaktidam, a new temple, Maruti Katiya temple, Sita apharan mandir, tapovan, Parnasala and sangam of Kapila and Godavari river, Someshwar, Pandaleni caves, Muktidam and left me back at New CBS.  3 people can travel in his autorickshaw and he had charged me for the trip Rs.900/-.  It helped me take the bus to Pune, which started at 2.00 pm from Mela Bus stand, an A/C bus of MSRTC which they call as Shivreni service.

The incoming bus came late and thus had a delayed start of 15 minutes.  The bus which was supposed to reach at 6 pm had a delay of 2 hours due heavy traffic between Narayangaon and Manchar.  A separate blog posting has been done for Nasik under the caption Nasik and Ramayana at -

http://sarayutoayodhya.blogspot.in/2017/07/nasik-and-ramayana.html

The night stay at Pune was at a hotel which was 2.5 kms away from Shivajinagar bus stand.   On 3rd Morning, I had booked bus for Pune Darshan from the MSRTC from Deccan Gymkana.  Though the bus should have completed the entrir programme by 5 pm, it was getting delayed and I left halway at 4.15 pm and left fr airport and reached at 05.30 pm.  The places seen during this trip are:Lokmanya Tilak Museum, Kelkar Museum, Shaniwarwada, Agakhan Palace, Tribal Museum, Southern Command Museum, Shiva temple connected with Shinde and gardens.  They had snake park in the itinery which i had skipped to reach airport in time.

The entire tour would have been more comfortable had it been covered in 4nights/5 days.  If Aurangabad also is included to see Ajanta and Ellora, it should be for a minimum of 5nights/6 days.  

The Nasik trip among these was unforgettable and I have posted a separate blog on the same.