MitaliThe holy town of Shegaon is in the Buldhana district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is well connected by road as well as through the railways which is what me and my family prefer. We have been to this divine little place quite a few times now and it is always a pleasant experience.
It is a perfect destination for a small weekend trip being easy on the budget, known more as being the home of Shri Sant Gajanan Maharaj. In this post, you will get to know more about Shegaon and my personal experiences there. Other details and travel itineraries are also included.
About Shegaon
Gajanan Maharaj was first spotted in Shegaon as a young man of extraordinary qualities on February 23, 1878. He attained ‘samadhi’ on September 8, 1910 leaving behind a rich legacy that attracts millions to Shegaon yearly. Over the years, not limiting itself merely to activities of worship, the Gajanan Maharaj Sansthan, which oversees the temple, has also initiated several social service projects that have led to providing education, medical aid and empowerment facilities for those in need.
The Sansthan or Trust has done lot of good in the town of Shegaon from projects including an Engineering College; an English medium school for children from the town and surrounding villages; a school for mentally challenged children; the Warkari Shikshan Sanstha that was created with the objective of preserving and enriching the ‘warkari’ culture of Maharashtra; a rehabilitation centre for the handicapped; etc. Its other projects include supply of potable water and fodder for cattle to the drought-affected areas, prompt financial aid to areas affected by natural disasters and immunisation camps.
The Sansthan’s very popular and ambitious project, however, is ‘Anandsagar’- a landscaped property spread over 325 acres with lawns, temples, meditation halls, amusement park, lake, mini-railway and with lots of trees, it just keeps getting better!
Our experience in Shegaon
The Temple and the whole Complex are very beautifully done and managed well with well-designed routes for devotees to follow through. Having visited many times, I have observed even during the busiest days there never arises any situation of chaos. Everyone follows the routes which are designed for people to walk and when the wait is long, the metal partitions/ railings through which the devotees are guided to the main temple have metal ledge attached to the vertical rods to sit down while one waits for the line to move.
You are also provided with lunch and dinner which are known as ‘Maha Prasad’ every day, which are free of cost to all those who want to have food in the temple complex.
The people of the Sansthan in Shegaon are very big believers in maintaining their temple complex and Anandsagar with utmost cleanliness, one will be surprised to never find any form of waste littered anywhere in these two places. Even in the guesthouses run by the Sansthan, there are volunteers always cleaning the premises. These volunteers are people like you and me who offer to volunteer in these activities taking some time out of their lives.
Again, I am all praises for the Gajanan Maharaj Sansthan’s amazing management of everything along with healthy food and making sure that nothing goes waste, to providing some very clean and harmonious surroundings for its devotees.
Absolutely anyone and everyone can visit Shegaon, it welcomes and respects all. It’s an ideal location for a two-day trip with your family if you want to experience the more spiritual aspect of it all. Continue to read the details and a travel itinerary of the trip.
Details about Shegaon
Reaching Shegaon: It is well connected to all places. Check out the official website of The Gajanan Maharaj Sansthan, Shegaon for detailed information.
Transportation: Transportation from railway station to the temple complex or Bhakta Nivas is no hassle at all, there is a free bus service available provided by the Temple Trust. These buses also take you to Anandsagar or Anand Vihar. Even auto-rickshaw services are available for reasonable rates.
Stay: I would recommend one to stay near the temple complex as there are lots of small to big hotels around it. One can also try the Sansthan’s guesthouses known as Bhakta Nivas which are very clean but can be difficult to get the bookings during the busiest months. Always better to pre-book them. One can also opt to stay in Anandsagar.
Food: I suggest one should have the Maha-Prasad i.e. the food offered at the temple complex as well as at Anandsagar resort. The Bhakta Nivas also offers lunch and dinner facilities. There are also restaurants or hotels which provide good quality food. Believe me, one will not fall short for opportunities here. One another must-have food item is the famous ‘Kachori’ of Shegaon. You must try it, it’s the tastiest kachori I have ever had!
Travel Itinerary for Shegaon
Day 1 in Shegaon
- Reach in the morning or the night earlier.
- Visit the Shri Sant Gajanan Maharaj Temple.
- Explore around the complex.
Visit to the Temple of Shri Sant Gajanan Maharaj and spend some time in the beautiful complex. One can check out the small souvenir shops as well as get all kinds of puja or takeaway prasad items from the shops inside the temple complex.
Once done with the darshan or visit, there are lots of shops and small cafes, ice-cream shops outside the temple complex to explore. There is an old movie theater too, where I remember watching a Rajnikanth movie the last time since we had some time to kill.
Day 2 in Shegaon
- Spend a day at the Anandsagar resort.
- Catch an evening/ night train back home.
On your second day in Shegaon, visit the famous Anandsagar to enjoy its beautiful and serene atmosphere. It has all the food (from breakfast to lunch/ dinner), play, resting as well as meditating facilities. Believe me its grand but yet a very humble experience. One must-to-do thing here is to attend the live fountain show which happens once the sun goes down.
I have a whole another detailed post coming up for Anandsagar.
I hope this post was helpful and inspiration enough to certainly plan your next weekend getaway to Shegaon. Have you visited Shegaon? Would love to know your experiences.
[Please Note: This post was previously posted on Mitali’s old Blog “The Eclectic Encounters”. We are re-posting this updated version on our main website again.]
What a great post! This looks like such a cute place! Thanks for sharing.
Glad to know you enjoyed it. 🙂