Over 100 Palkhis Set To Arrive From Across Maharashtra As Shirdi Gears Up For Ram Navami
SSST welcomes walking pilgrims; senior officials join Palkhi processions.
Published : March 23, 2026 at 5:31 PM IST
Shirdi: Over one hundred Palkhis (chariots) are expected to arrive in Shirdi on the occasion of the Ram Navami festival this year. The Shree Saibaba Sansthan Trust (SSST) is extending a warm welcome to these palanquins. The arrival of the Ram Navami festival invariably draws thousands of devotees towards Shirdi.
A large number of devotees are expected to arrive from Maharashtra's capital Mumbai, undertaking a pilgrimage on foot, carrying Sai's palanquin, to reach Shirdi in Ahilyanagar district of Maharashtra. The SSST has estimated that this year, a staggering number—over one hundred—palanquins are expected to arrive in Shirdi for the Ram Navami festivities.
Every year, the Ram Navami festival is celebrated in Shirdi with immense devotion and fervour. For this festival, devotees from across the country flock to Shirdi to seek the blessings of Sai Baba. For the Ram Navami festival, many devotees from Mumbai have already set out on their walking pilgrimage toward Shirdi, having started their journey even before Gudi Padwa, which fell on March 19, 2026.
Despite the scorching sun beating down overhead, these devotees undertake the arduous journey on foot, driven solely by the strength of their faith. Some devotees even walk all the way to Shirdi barefoot. Driven by their deep faith and devotion to Sai Baba, devotees visit Shirdi throughout the year; however, for many devotees, the tradition of undertaking a walking pilgrimage specifically for the Ram Navami festival has now become a cherished custom.
The SSST is taking special care to look after the needs of these devotees who have arrived in Shirdi carrying their palanquins. On the Nashik-Sinnar Road, the officials of the SSST enthusiastically welcomed the palanquin processions of Sai devotees arriving on foot from Mumbai.
SSST Chief Executive Officer, Gorakh Gadilkar and Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Bhimraj Darade, personally visited the various palanquin groups and interacted with the devotees.
Upholding tradition just as they did last year, the Chief Executive Officer and the Deputy Chief Executive Officer participated in the Palkhi procession by walking a certain distance alongside the pilgrims, thereby immersing themselves in the spirit of devotion. This initiative of theirs was spontaneously and warmly welcomed by the devotees. On this occasion, the ritualistic worship of the Palkhi was performed at the hands of Gadilkar and his wife, Vandana Gadilkar.
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