Slideshow - 91st Punyatithi Celebration in Shirdi Photo Gallery

Photo Source: shrisaibabasansthan.org

Shri Sai Baba Sansthan Trust of Shirdi has chalked out a three –day programme to mark the 91st Punyatithi of Sai Baba from Sunday, 27th September. Like every year, this year also devotees from all corners of the world are expected to throng to Shirdi and the temple management has made very elaborate arrangements for lodging, boarding and spiritual uplift of the pilgrims.

Shirdi Sai Baba

The first day of the three day programme will begin with Kakad Aarati at 4.30 AM on Sunday, Sept 27. It will be followed by a procession through the town with Sai Baba’s portrait and the Holy Book Sai Satcharitra. The procession will start at 5 am.

Akhand Parayan (continuous reading) of Sai Satcharitra will begin in Dwarkamai at 5.15 am. It will continue through out the day and night. To facilitate this Dwarkamai will remain open for the whole night.

There will be holy bath of Shri Sai Baba idol at 5.30 am. Mid day Aarati will be at 12.30 pm and ‘Teerth Prasad’ will be distributed to the devotees. Doopaarti will be sung at 6.15 pm. And Shejaarti will be at 11 pm.

H.B.P. Manohar Bal Krishna Dixit from Aurangabad will sing kirtans from 4 pm to 6 pm on the stage in front of Samadhi. Between 7.30 and 10.30 pm, there will be Bhajan Sandhya by Shri Shubhram Bahal of Kanpur at the Sai ground. The procession of Saibabas palanquin will be taken out through the town at 9.15 pm.

Second day of the festivities will begin as usual with Kakad Aarati at 4.30am. The Akhand Parayan of Sai Satcharitra will conclude half an hour later at 5 am. The holy bath of Shri Sai Baba idol will take place at 5.30 am and immediately thereafter darshan will begin. The trustees and either devotees will follow the begging programme i.e. Bhiksha Zoli. Kirtan will be by H.B.P. Manohar Dixit at 10 am. Aradhan vidhi will be conducted at 12 noon. Mid day Aarati will be at 12.30 pm followed by distribution of Teerth Prasad.

Procession and the holy programme of Simmolanghan at Khandoba temple will take place at 5 pm. There will be Doopaarti at 6.15 pm. The dance programme on the holy songs by Nalini-Kamalini from New Delhi will be held between 7.30 pm and 9 pm. Ustad Mumtaj Husain Khan of will render Sahanai recital at Sai ground between 9.30 pm and 11 pm. Artists who have come to Shirdi will stage their programmes on the stage in front of Samadhi through out the night.

The main temple will remain open through out the night on Monday as it is the main day of the festival.

On the third and final day, holy bath will take place at 5.05 am and immediately thereafter darshan will be allowed. Rudrabhishek will be performed at Gurusthan at 6.45 am. Gopalkala kirtan by H.B.P. Manohar Dixit and Dahihandi programme at 10 am, Bhajans by noted singer Anup Jalota from 7.30 pm to 10 pm ( at Sai Ground), Doopaarti at 6 pm and Shejaarti at 10.30 pm will be the highlights of the day.

On all the three days of the festival, delicious food will be served by Shridi residents at the Prasadalaya.

-Asian Tribune -.