Shirdi witnesses surge of Sai devotees, Shri Saibaba Temple administration gears up to welcome New Year 2026
Shri Saibaba Temple in Shirdi is fully prepared to welcome the New Year 2026 and bid farewell to 2025. Due to the Christmas holidays and the weekend, Shirdi is experiencing a massive influx of devotees, and the entire town is immersed in devotion to Sai Baba.
The streets, intersections, and lanes of Shirdi are overflowing with this sea of devotees. Lakhs of devotees from across the country are arriving in Shirdi during the holidays. According to available data, more than one lakh devotees visited Sai Baba's Samadhi on December 25 alone. The weekend holidays have further increased the crowd.
Eight-day special festival underway
The Saibaba Sansthan is celebrating an eight-day special festival from December 25, 2025, to January 1, 2026. The main attraction of this festival will be the three days from December 30th to January 1st. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Sansthan, Goraksh Gadilkar, said that various religious and cultural programs will be organized during this period.
Temple to remain open all night
On the occasion of welcoming the New Year, the administration has taken the important decision to keep Sai Baba's Samadhi temple open throughout the night of December 31st so that every devotee visiting Shirdi can have darshan.
Cultural programs will be presented on the main stage outside the temple complex on the night of December 31st. All systems of the institution are working on a war footing to facilitate the devotees.
Devotees have to wait for 6 to 7 hours to have darshan
The crowd is so large that devotees are having to wait for 6 to 7 hours to have darshan (viewing) of Sai Baba's Samadhi. However, despite standing in line for hours, there is no decrease in the enthusiasm of the devotees.
Special teams deployed
Considering the increasing crowd, the Saibaba Sansthan administration has made comprehensive and vigilant arrangements. Special teams have been deployed for the accommodation, darshan, health, and security of the devotees. The police and temple administration have jointly prepared a security plan, and it is expected that similar heavy crowds will continue for the next few days.