Sai Baba Mandir, Delhi

Being one of the oldest and prominent temples in New Delhi, Sai Baba Temple is located on the Lodhi Road, near Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. The temple is a beautiful sacred place decorated with gorgeous idols of deities, which leave the devotees spellbound. As the temple is built along the roadside, it attracts several devotees daily. Visiting the place one could feel a sacred haven, a tranquil space that helps one to get relief from the hustle of the fast city life.

The temple is quite simple from the outside but majestic inside. Devotees from all across the city come here to offer a chadar (blanket) flowers and prasad (prayer food). Thursdays are much celebrated here as the temple is visited by a large number of people.

One can experience the Kakad Aarti, Noon Aarti, Shej Aarti, and Dhoop Aarti every day. So, Sai Baba temple is a popular tourist attraction in the city and those seeking blessings can head here for a spiritual experience.

History

Shirdi Sai Baba was a renowned saint who was born on 15th October 1918 and later went on to be known as a spiritual guru, fakir, and yogi. He preached the goodness of life, forgiveness, peace, charity, love for God and that God came in different images and hence worshipped accordingly.

Shirdi Sai Baba always tried to bring unity and peace amongst the Hindus and Muslims. He was a highly regarded Saint who preached the word of God derived from both the Holy books of the Quran and Bhagavad Gita. He was often seen performing rituals of both these religions and lived in a Mosque and was buried in a Temple.

The members of the Sai Baba community wanted to construct a Memorial in the honor of Shirdi Sai Baba and bought a plot addressed 17, Institutional Area, Lodhi Road in New Delhi. Two Businessmen, Shri Bhag Chand Taneja and Shri Krishan Chand Dhawan assisted in the construction of the memorial followed by Shri R. S. Sharma, Shri S. C. Gupta, and Shri M. M. Lal who helped achieve the dreams of the Sai Baba devotees in Northern India.

The foundation stone was laid in August 1972 and the progress of the construction was supervised by M/s Pardhan Ghosh & Associates under the care of Mr. Chitnis who was the main contractor. The Sai Baba Mandir near Lodi Road is another prominent religious center in Delhi, dedicated to the Indian spiritual leader Sai Baba. Counted amongst the oldest shrines in the city, the temple is quite simple from outside but majestic inside. There are air conditioners installed in the main hall and a golden crown embellishing the main statue. Devotees from all across the city come here to offer a chadar, flowers, and sweets.

There is a sizable number of devotees thronging the shrine on Thursdays, with food being distributed amongst the poor and beggars.

Architecture

The Sai Baba Temple is the oldest and most popular temple amongst the many Shirdi Sai Baba temples scattered across the city. It lies on a busy junction of Lodhi road in New Delhi and is easily accessible via local taxis and auto-rickshaws.