The holiest Shirdi Sai Baba Temple stands among the most famous pilgrimages in India. Thousands of devotees visit Shirdi every day to seek the blessings of the revered Saint Sai Baba.
Sainath has healed the suffering ones and always served the impoverished during his lifetime. During his period in Shirdi, he himself used to cook and feed the starved ones as well as the animals. Carrying along with this rite of Sai, Shri Sai Baba Sansthan Trust, built up the famous Sai Baba Prasadalaya in 2009 in Shirdi. This Prasadalaya exhorts Sai’s principle of free food to all and is considered to be Asia’s largest Prasadalya.
The Infrastructure
Sai Baba Prasadalya is a huge dining room that has an area of 11,550 sq mt, located around the Shri Baba Samadhi Mandir. With a seating capacity of 3,500 disciples, an enormous arena has been established on the ground floor. Plus, two separate halls with seating facilities of 1,000 each have been built upon the first floor.
More than 50,000 adherents are served free food regularly through this kitchen, while during the festivals like Ram Navami, these numbers elevate to 75,000-80,000. Millions of rupees are spent carrying out this feast for the devotees of Sai Baba, who come from all around the world to have a glimpse of his divine land.
The Food at Prasadalaya
The food or Bhojan served at Prasadalaya is regarded as the Prasad of Sainath. Bhojan is first devoted to Sai and then to the proponents. The platter consists of dal, chapati, rice, two varieties of vegetables, and sweet. It is served at a very nominal rate of Rs. 10 for adults and Rs. 5 for the children. Besides this, the quality and hygiene of the meal are foremostly taken care of.
Moreover, Shri Sai Baba Sansthan Trust has also arranged another space that is well known as Annadaan Kaksh. It serves free meals to the visitors who are unable to pay for the charges. The Sai Baba Prasadalaya attempts to feed each and every follower of Sai, who visits Shirdi with the savory Prasad so that no one ever leaves hungry from the dwelling of their spiritual reverend.
Santhan Trust’s Prasadalaya Recognized for Excellence
- ISO Accredited: The Prasadalaya has achieved ISO certification for its high standards in food, facilities, and cleanliness.
- Book Sales: A book counter has been opened to sell books published by the Sansthan Trust.
- High Daily Service: It serves an average of 45,000 devotees daily, with a record of feeding 90,000 in a single day.
- Nominal Fees: To ensure sustainability, a nominal fee will be charged for all devotees, except VIPs who pay ₹50.
- Community Support: It provides free meals to old age homes, orphanages, deaf-mute students, and Sansthan Trust’s schools, as well as to patients and their relatives in Sansthan Trust-run hospitals.
- Breakfast Facility Time– 7 am to 10 am (₹ 5/-)
- Meal Facility Time– 10 am to 10 pm (Free)
- Paid Meals – adults ₹ 50/- & Children ₹ 30/-
World’s Largest Solar-Powered Kitchen
During all these years, Sai Baba Prasadalya not only worked for a noble cause but moreover made brilliant use of both science and technology to convert their kitchen into a smart one. It entirely functions through the solar energy that is generated by the set up of 73 solar panels of around 16ft. These panels produce electricity that is used to prepare the food for the feast at Prasadalaya.
Besides this, for the purified water facility, the R.O. plant has been installed that comes with the capacity of providing 2,500 liters/hour to the adherents. Furthermore, machines for the purpose of dishwashing, cutting vegetables, washing food items as well as grinding flour and spices have also been established. Along side, a proper storage facility for all the food ingredients is also available.
Shirdi Sai Baba temple depicts all the facets of the preceding years of Sai Baba’s journey on his land. However, after your visit to the temple and intake of the flavorful feast at the Prasadalaya, you can explore the first-ever devotional Sai Teerth theme park. It portrays all the facts regarding Sai’s life with an intriguing use of animatronics. The expertise and use of technology, along with the fascinating infrastructure of this place, will undoubtedly leave you awestruck. So, if you’re scheduling a trip to Shirdi anytime soon, don’t forget to check out this remarkable spot. You can check out saiteerth.in for further details.
