Shirdi Festivals 2026

The four big festivals at a glance

Ram Navami at Shirdi (27 March 2026)

Ram Navami is a three-day festival in Shirdi, beginning on the morning of 26 March 2026 (Thursday) with a flag-hoisting at the Dwarkamai. The Samadhi Mandir is opened almost around the clock. At dawn on 27 March, a Ram-darbar of idols of Rama, Sita, Lakshman and Hanuman is set up beside Sai’s samadhi. The afternoon brings a vast palki procession around the temple lanes, with horses, brass bands and floral floats. By night, a literary discourse (kirtan) is held inside the Sabha Mandap.

Crowd tip: Ram Navami falls in the start of the Maharashtra summer. Carry water, an umbrella and electrolytes. Queues in the open courtyards can reach 6+ hours on the main day; VIP passes are highly recommended.

Guru Purnima at Shirdi (28 July 2026)

Guru Purnima begins with a pre-dawn abhishek of the Sai padukas at the Samadhi Mandir at 4 AM. Throughout the day, devotees take guru-diksha at Gurusthan, read chapters from the Sai Satcharitra and offer cooked food at the Prasadalay. The Sansthan organises a continuous “akhand parayan” reading of the Satcharitra in the Sabha Mandap. The night procession on the full-moon evening is unforgettable — the palki winds through silver-lit lanes accompanied by classical bhajans.

Crowd tip: monsoon is in full force; pack rainwear and waterproof bags. Carry the Aarti book in a polybag.

Sai Punyatithi / Vijaya Dashami (19 October 2026)

The Punyatithi is the most spiritually charged festival of the year in Shirdi. The night before (18 October 2026, Sunday), the entire town keeps a “ratri jagaran” — overnight vigil with bhajans. On 19 October, the day Baba left his body on Vijaya Dashami in 1918, an emotional morning Aarti is sung. The Samadhi is decked with white roses. A special Maha Aarti at noon is followed by a victory-procession on the streets — even though it commemorates Baba’s departure, it is celebrated as his “great victory” over the cycle of birth and death.

Crowd tip: This is the single most crowded day of the year. Walking distances inside the temple complex can take twice as long as usual. Children below five and the elderly are advised to take darshan during the days flanking the main date, not on the main day itself.

Datta Jayanti (23 December 2026)

The smallest of the four festivals, but spiritually rich. A Datta yajna with Vedic chanting is performed in the Samadhi Mandir from morning. The Dwarkamai dhuni is fed special offerings, and the Chavadi procession on this Wednesday evening is open to a much larger crowd than a regular Thursday. The weather is cool and pleasant — December is in fact one of the most comfortable months to visit Shirdi.

General tips for any festival visit

• Travel two days before or after the main festival date if your spiritual goal is depth, not crowd-experience. Aartis are still performed; the chaos is far less.
• Book refundable hotels at first, then confirm closer to the date as your travel firms up.
• Use cloakrooms aggressively — the Sansthan offers free shoe and bag deposit near the Samadhi Mandir gate.
• Eat at the Prasadalay — during festivals, it serves over a lakh meals a day, completely free.
• Keep an emergency contact list with the Sansthan helpline +91 2423 258500 and your hotel’s number.
• Wear the recommended dress code (see our Shirdi yatra rules).
• Pick up the official Sansthan festival schedule when you arrive — minor timings shift each year.