Bangalore, capital of Karnataka, is situated in Deccan Plateau. The city is a paradise for tourists with architectural landmarks, natural lakes, gardens and parks. Bangalore is now a major centre of information technology and is known as the ‘Silicon Valley of India’. The earlier name of the city was Bengaluru and now it has got its earlier name. Bangalore Palace and Tipu Sultan Palace are among the major attractions in the city. Among the other sightseeing destinations in Bangalore are Hasaraghhatta Lake, Hebbal Lake, Ulsoor Lake, St. Mary’s Church, Dargah Hazarath Tawakkal, Jumma Masjid, Bull Temple, Shri Nimishamba Devi Temple and ISKCON Temple. The distance from Bangalore to Shirdi, known as the ‘Land of Sai’, is around 975 km. Shirdi, mostly known for great saint Shirdi Sai Baba, is a popular destination of pilgrims. An estimated 15000 pilgrims visit Shirdi daily. Shirdi shot into fame during the 20th century. Sai Baba, who was born in 1838, first visited Shirdi when he was sixteen and stayed there until his death in 1918. A temple was constructed in Shirdi in 1922 in Baba’s memory. Temple complex includes Khandoba, Gurusthan, Samadhi Mandir, Dwarkamai, Chavadi and Lendi Baug. Other attractions in Shirdi are Maruti and Shani Temples. The nearest airport is at Nasik situated at a distance of 75 km from Shirdi. Pune Airport is situated at a distance of about 180 km. For those travelling from Bangalore to Shirdi, it is convenient to fly to Pune (there are direct flights from Bangalore to Pune) and then take a cab (or Bus) from there to Shirdi. The taxi drive will take about three hours. The flight from Bangalore to Pune takes about an hour only. Most of the airlines have flights from Bangalore to Pune. Another option is to travel by flight from Bangalore to Nasik and from there take a bus or car to Shirdi. There is a daily direct train, Karnataka Express (No.12627 from Bangalore to New Delhi), which has a stop at Kopargaon. This place is situated 14 km from Shirdi. The train starts in the evening and takes about 20 hours to reach Kopargaon. It is better to take ticket in advance for this train. Travelling from Kopargaon is no problems because taxis and buses are available from there to the temple town. Shared autorickshaws are also available from there. Road travel is also a good option for travellers. The A/c buses charge a fare from Rs.1300 onwards. On the other hand, taxi cabs charge a rate of Rs.15 to Rs.25 per kilometre for the journey. The National Highway road route from Bangalore to Shirdi passes through Tumkur, Devangere, Hubli, Dharwad, Belgaum, Nippani and Pune. Road journey takes 16 hours to reach Shirdi from Bangalore. For more information about travel trip Bangalore to Shirdi and popular Shirdi to Bangalore visit HolidayIQ.
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