Shirdi Sai Baba darshan: passes, aarti, rules and the only official websites

How does darshan at Shirdi work, and where do you book it? Darshan of Sai Baba's samadhi in the general queue costs nothing. If you want a timed pass, a paid darshan pass or a seat at one of the four daily aartis, the Shree Saibaba Sansthan Trust (SSST) sells them in three places only: its booking portal online.sai.org.in, its official mobile app, and its counters in Shirdi. The trust names www.sai.org.in and online.sai.org.in as its only official websites, and its booking portal states that it does not authorise any agents to book darshan, aarti, rooms or donations. Everything below comes from the trust's own pages (checked 18 Oct 2026). Rules and fees change, so check the portal before you travel.

The four things to know before you go

1. Book on the trust's own sites. The trust's homepage warns of fake websites, fake phone numbers and fake map listings (more on this below).
2. Carry the same original photo ID you used to book. The booking forms warn that every devotee must show, at verification, the same original photo ID entered at booking, and that anyone whose ID doesn't match will be turned away.
3. A booking cannot be cancelled for a refund or moved to another day. The portal says no amount is refunded after a darshan or aarti booking is cancelled, and that a booked facility is not rescheduled in any case.
4. Named devotees on a booking must be 10 to 100 years old. Both the darshan and aarti forms reject ages outside that range, and the form will not accept a booking made up only of children.

Free darshan, paid darshan and aarti passes

What you want	Cost	Where to get it	What the trust's pages say
General darshan	Free	Join the queue at the temple	The FAQ gives the darshan queue's general hours as 6:00 am to 9:30 pm. The trust's homepage also links separate availability pages for free darshan and paid darshan on its portal.
Paid ("VIP") darshan pass	Paid; the portal shows the price when you book	online.sai.org.in, the official app, the PRO office in Shirdi, or the self-service kiosks	The FAQ says these passes are sold online and on the app, or in person at the PRO office. The trust's "New Initiatives" page says paid-pass kiosks with digital payment were opened at Gate No. 1 in April 2025, with more at the PRO office near Gate No. 6 and at the trust's accommodation sites.
Aarti pass	Paid; shown at booking	online.sai.org.in, the official app, or the PRO office	Aarti passes are booked separately from darshan passes, slot by slot, on the portal.

We have not printed fees here. The trust's portal shows the current price for each slot when you select it, and third-party travel sites often quote figures that may be out of date.

A note for the general queue. On its "New Initiatives" page, the trust says it now picks two devotees from the general queue to stand in the first row in front of the samadhi for the noon, evening (Dhoop) and night (Shej) aartis. You cannot book this. It is simply one way a devotee without a pass may end up at an aarti.

Recommendation letters do not skip the queue any more. The same page says VIPs carrying recommendation letters are now given darshan only in three set daily windows and must buy paid passes, with exemptions for certain office-holders and major donors.

How online booking works

On online.sai.org.in, open Darshan or Aarti and choose a date. The calendar marks dates as available, unavailable or "quota not released". Pick a slot, then enter each devotee's name, age, gender and photo ID. A single booking holds up to 10 people. The forms add two notes worth reading:

• Quota on an "unavailable" date may open up later if other devotees cancel.
• Every devotee must bring the original of the photo ID entered at booking.

How far ahead a date opens is shown on the portal's calendar ("quota not released" means not yet open). Passes are also sold in person in Shirdi, but booking online in advance means you are not relying on what is left on the day.

Cancellations. The portal's policy says booked facilities are not rescheduled and no amount is refunded after a darshan or aarti cancellation. Rooms are different: an accommodation booking cancelled at least two days before check-in gets a 75% refund.

The daily programme and the four aartis

The trust publishes this daily programme for the Samadhi Mandir (checked 18 Oct 2026):

Time	What happens
4:45 am	Temple opens
5:00 am	Bhupali
5:15 am	Kakad Aarti (morning)
5:50 am	Mangal Snaan (ritual bath) in the Samadhi Mandir
6:20 am	Aarti "Shirdi Majhe Pandharpur"
6:25 am	Darshan begins in the Samadhi Mandir
11:30 am	Dhuni puja with rice and ghee in Dwarkamai
12:00 noon	Mid-day (Madhyan) Aarti
4:00 pm	Pothi (devotional reading) in the Samadhi Mandir
At sunset	Dhoop Aarti
8:30 to 10:00 pm	Devotional songs and cultural programmes
10:00 pm	Shej Aarti (night)

The FAQ lists the same four aartis: Kakad, Madhyan, Dhoop and Shej. Dhoop Aarti follows sunset, so its clock time shifts through the year. The routine changes on festival days.

Festival crowds. The trust's main festivals include Ram Navami, Guru Purnima and Sai Baba's Punyatithi (the anniversary of his samadhi in 1918). On 18 Oct 2026, the trust's notice board listed lighting work for the Shri Saibaba Punyatithi Festival 2026 from 19 to 21 October 2026. Expect heavy crowds and changed timings that week.

Children, seniors and anyone who needs help

Children. Every person named on an online darshan or aarti booking must be between 10 and 100 years old, and a booking of children alone is refused. The forms do not explain arrangements for children under 10. If you are travelling with young children, ask the trust's helpdesk before you book.

Senior citizens and devotees with disabilities. The trust pages we read (FAQ, daily programme, booking forms and the "New Initiatives" page) describe no separate senior-citizen queue or pass. Some travel blogs say one exists, but we could not confirm this from the trust. Ask the PRO office or the trust's helpline before you travel rather than relying on second-hand claims.

First aid and medical help. According to the FAQ, first aid is available near Gurusthan, in the darshan queue and on the ground floor of Sai Niwas. Two trust hospitals run 24 hours a day.

Practical points from the trust's FAQ

• Lockers: the trust runs lockers for baggage and valuables at a nominal charge.
• Lost people or belongings: use the announcement centre near Gate No. 3 or the temple security department.
• Puja items: shops around the complex are not connected with the trust. The FAQ advises agreeing the price before you buy.
• Prasadalaya (dining hall): open 10:00 am to 10:00 pm.
• Parking: the trust announced free parking for all vehicles in its "New Initiatives" list.
• Other shrines in the complex and village: the FAQ lists the Samadhi Mandir, Gurusthan, Dwarkamai, the Hanuman (Maruti) temple, Chavadi, the Ganesha, Shani and Mahadev temples, Nanda Deep and the Gurudev Datta mandir.
• Getting there: the FAQ says Shirdi is on the Ahmednagar–Manmad road (NH 160), about 17 km from Shirdi airport and about 4 km from Sainagar station.

Official channels only: what the trust has said about fakes

These are the trust's own statements (checked 18 Oct 2026):

• Official websites: "the only official websites" for room booking, darshan booking, donations and allied services are www.sai.org.in and online.sai.org.in.
• No agents: the booking portal says the Sansthan "does not authorize any agents" for online bookings of darshan, aarti, accommodation, donations, membership or publications. The FAQ also says the trust has not permitted any agency or person to book its rooms or darshan passes.
• Fake sites and map listings: the homepage warns that several fake websites have posed as the trust's site and collected donations. It also says fraudsters have created duplicate Google Maps listings for the trust's accommodation that show their own mobile numbers.
• Phone: the homepage gives the trust's official number as 02423-258500 and warns that other numbers have been used to cheat devotees.
• Card details: the portal says the Sansthan never asks for card details, PINs, passwords, CVVs or OTPs over phone or email.
• Collections in Sai Baba's name: the trust says no other website, YouTube channel, temple or organisation is authorised to collect money or materials for pujas or offerings on its behalf. It also says the trust has no affiliation with other Sai temples, and that apart from Tata Sky, other channels' "live darshan" streams are not authorised. Its own official live darshan is linked from its homepage.

ProperPandit's guide to fake temple booking websites and how to find official sites covers the warning signs in more detail.

Who Sai Baba was, briefly

Sai Baba of Shirdi took samadhi in 1918 and is revered by devotees of many faiths. The trust's own history page says nobody knew his parents, birth or birthplace. It also says he lived in an old mosque, later called Dwarkamai, and allowed both Hindu and Muslim festivals to be celebrated there. People hold strong and differing views about his identity. This guide takes no side in those debates. The trust has also published a notice warning of legal action against anyone who publishes fictitious or false information about his name and biography.

Pairing the visit with Shani Shingnapur

Many pilgrims combine Shirdi with Shani Shingnapur, the Shani temple village known for its houses without doors. It is run by a separate trust, Shri Shaneshwar Devasthan, whose site is shanidev.com, so Shirdi passes and rules do not apply there. Its route page says that from the Manmad–Ahmednagar highway you leave at Rahuri, about 32 km from Shanishingnapur, and that from the Aurangabad–Ahmednagar highway you leave at Ghodegaon, about 5 km away. Shirdi itself lies on the Ahmednagar–Manmad road, so the Rahuri route is the natural link. Check that temple's own site for its timings and rules.

Questions people ask

Is there an entry fee for Shirdi darshan? No, the general queue is free. Paid darshan and aarti passes are optional.

Shirdi darshan pass kaise book karein? (How do I book a pass?) On online.sai.org.in or the trust's official app, or in person at the PRO office or the paid-pass kiosks in Shirdi. Do not use agents. The trust says it authorises none.

Can children get a darshan pass? Every person named on an online booking must be 10 to 100 years old, and a booking of only children is refused. Ask the helpdesk about children under 10.

What ID is needed? An original photo ID (the form lists options such as Aadhaar, PAN or driving licence) that matches the one entered at booking.

Can I cancel or change my aarti pass? You can cancel, but the portal says no amount is refunded and bookings are not rescheduled.

How much does Shirdi aarti booking cost? The trust does not publish a fee list on its main site. On the portal's aarti form, the total amount appears only after you pick a date, an aarti slot and the number of people (rechecked 25 Oct 2026). Its FAQ says aarti passes are sold only on online.sai.org.in, www.sai.org.in, the official app, or in person at the PRO office in Shirdi. Treat any fee quoted elsewhere as unofficial.

What are the aarti timings? Kakad Aarti at 5:15 am, Madhyan Aarti at noon, Dhoop Aarti at sunset and Shej Aarti at 10:00 pm, as published by the trust (checked 18 Oct 2026). Festival days differ.