Jabalpur to Shirdi Flights

  About Jabalpur

Nestled perfectly on the banks of the holy river Narmada, Jabalpur is the pride of Madhya Pradesh. Be it the Dhuandhar Falls or the Kanha National Park or the 17th-century's Madan Mahal Fort, Jabalpur is breathtakingly beautiful and also one of the most attractive tourist destinations. It is known for the wildlife locations and the different species of animals that reside in and near the city. You will definitely want to experience the wildlife and the natural beauty of this city. The British architecture and marble art combined with the natural landscape in the city, is yet another tourist attraction.

Best Time to Visit Jabalpur

Monsoon and winter are recommended as they are the best seasons to visit Jabalpur. The rainfall makes the mountains and the wildlife flourish, and the winter makes it possible for you to go sightseeing and admire nature in its best form. September to March is an ideal time to visit Jabalpur. This is when you will see a lot of tourists in the city, and since it is peak season, you might also come across decent flight deals to Jabalpur. Make sure you book a hotel in Jabalpur that has a breathtaking view or is closer to the major tourist attractions.

Summer in Jabalpur is from March to May. The temperature ranges from 35 to 41 degree Celsius. The climate is too hot to venture out, and it is advisable to avoid planning a trip during this time. The humidity also increases in the state, which makes it far more difficult to go out sightseeing.

The city receives monsoon from June to September. The temperature during this time dangle between 22 to 25 degree Celsius, which is quite pleasant. It rains heavily in Jabalpur during monsoon, but it only makes the weather more pleasant. If you love rains, this is the right time for you to visit Jabalpur. You will also see greenery everywhere during this season. Since monsoon is also a favourable time to visit the city, you might even find decent flight deals to Jabalpur during this time. You might get cheap flight tickets to Jabalpur during this time since it sees only a few more tourists as compared to summer.

Winter season is considered as the best time to visit Jabalpur. The temperature is between 8 to 20 degree Celsius, and this is when you can go sightseeing. You can also plan a lot of activities during this season. It's also a high season for tourists.

Places to Visit in Jabalpur

The Kanha National Park is home to royal Bengal Tigers and few other wild animals. You can opt for a safari ride and be assured that they are safe. Of course, you will also have to make sure that you don't disturb the animals who are in their natural habitat or irritate them in any way. The Dhuandhar Falls in Bhedaghat on River Narmada is a popular attraction in Jabalpur. The marble rocks here are famous all over the world, and the plunge of the waterfall creates a powerful roar and mist. River Narmada falls from a height of approximately 98 feet which is one of the specialities of the falls.

Madan Mahal Fort is a marvel and was the quarters of Gond's queen Rani Durgavati. It is also called the Rani Durgavati fort by the locals. The fort has a unique design with interesting passageways, sharp turns and a few underground routes. The fort was made for soldiers to fight unnecessary and sudden attacks from the enemy kingdoms. The Chausath Yogini temple is another popular place in Jabalpur. You will have to climb more than 500 steps, but it is worth it. Dedicated to Maa Durga, this is one of the oldest heritage sites in the city. The temple will remind you of the temples in Khajuraho just a tad bit. A lot of couples and newlyweds come to this temple to seek blessings from the Goddess for a healthy future together. You can't ignore when nature calls, and it will draw you to Bhedaghat, a famous tourist spot in Jabalpur. You can even go boating here and admire River Narmada even more.

Things to do in Jabalpur

Visit the Dhuandhar Falls and be awestruck by the beauty of it. It's a major tourist attraction in Jabalpur and leaves people impressed during summer, too. You can take a cable car ride here to enjoy the view from up top or even try out boating on river Narmada. You must also go for a safari ride in the Kanha National Park. You will have to pay an entry fee and a separate fee if you want to explore certain areas or hire a jeep. It will surely be quite a surreal experience to spot the wild animals in their natural habitat. Indulge in activities like paddle boating, speed boating and bird watching at Bargi Dam. You can also book a hotel in Jabalpur that overlooks the dam and is closer to the activities that you have planned here. Jabalpur is also quite famous for its street food. The spicy and delicious Aloo Chaats, Samosa and Poha Jalebi will be a treat to your taste buds.

Do not miss the evening aarti at the Narmada river. It begins at 7 pm and is exactly like the Ganga aarti that happens in Varanasi and Haridwar. You will be in awe of the enchanting view of the place during the aarti. Opt for a nature walk or bird watching at the Dumna Nature Reserve Park. You can also immerse yourself in the calm waters or take up fishing here. You'll have to pay a nominal entry fee, but it's not a lot, and you'll enjoy every bit of it. You will have to venture on a trek at a small hill located across the River Narmada, to find the popular Gwarighat Gurudwara. You will get to witness a panoramic view of Gwarighat from up top, and it's simply breathtaking. Be a part of the Akhand Path Bhog that happens here every Sunday. There are quite a few malls, too if you want to go shopping.

Food and Restaurants in Jabalpur

Jabalpur is known for its lip-smacking street food. The Poha Jalebi is a very popular dish among locals and tourists here. The city also serves some of the best chaats you'll have ever had. Apart from the spicy chaat and the desserts, you will also find a lot of restaurants that have the options of Chinese and continental in their menu. If you are planning to go for a cup of coffee and snacks, try Coffee Culture, a restaurant lounge in the Sadar area that is popular for its ambience and food. The Punjabi Food Corner in Napier town is also quite popular for its parathas and butter chicken. They also have chicken samosas as a part of their menu.

If there's a party on your mind, do try out Tiger Hunt or Yogi Bar, some of the best places to go drinking or dancing. Tiger Hunt also has a couple of games organised for its customers, and you will surely have a great time with your friends here. Indian Coffee House is a very popular place among locals and tourists to sit and dine. The ambience and the food will leave you satisfied and is worth every penny spent. You cannot leave the city without treating yourself to a fancy thali at Panchavati Gaurav. Moti Mahal is also a popular restaurant in the city.

How to reach Jabalpur (Transportation)

By Air

Jabalpur Airport also called the Dumna Airport, is about 25 km from the main city and connects Jabalpur with all domestic routes like Mumbai, Delhi, Bhopal, Indore and so on. The nearest international airport to Jabalpur is in Indore and Bhopal. The flight connectivity from Jabalpur to other major cities is excellent. You might even get cheap flight tickets to Jabalpur if you book in advance. It is pretty easy to get a public transport or taxi from Dumna airport to the city. In the city, you will also find some lovely homestays and hotel accommodations. Booking a cheap and affordable hotel in Jabalpur is quite easy. Besides, you can find them in the city centre, which will further help with your travel plans.

By Rail

A lot of superfast and regular express trains run through and from Jabalpur. The Jabalpur Junction is one of the few stations that are near the city. Madan Mahal, Adhartal, Deori and Jamtara Paraswara are the other railway junctions close to Jabalpur. There are express trains that go to Jabalpur, so if you do wish to reach early and save money at the same time, you can achieve both without much hassle.

By Road

The NH7 is a popular route to Jabalpur that connects it to cities like Varanasi, Bhopal, Raipur, Allahabad, Nagpur, Hyderabad and so on. You can either hire a taxi or drive yourself to reach Jabalpur. Buses also run from different cities to Jabalpur, and this is also one of the most budget-friendly ways to travel.

  About Shirdi

Shirdi is one of the famous holy cities in Maharashtra and the most-visited too. The pilgrimage site is known to be the abode to spiritual leader Sai Baba and is located in the Ahmednagar district of the state. The saint is revered and honoured tremendously by many of his devotees. The stories of miracles brought forth by Shirdi Sai Baba has brought about a legacy that many devotees believe in. The temple sees an abundance of devotees paying a visit to seek blessings all through the year. Due to the site's popularity, the town's heads constructed an airport to make flight connectivity to Shirdi from other cities in India.

Best time to visit Shirdi

Shirdi is snuggled up in a pleasant location in the Ahmednagar district, giving it a favourable climate. The best time for tourists to pay Shirdi a visit is during monsoon and winter. The months from June through February are practically perfect for visiting Baba and seeking his blessings. Monsoons bring about a certain charm to the wilderness that surrounds the city while winter only adds to pleasant temperatures. Summers in Shirdi is hot and humid, which could be unfavourable for many.

Places to visit in Shirdi

Shirdi Sai Baba Temple

Shirdi's fame comes from its guru Shirdi Sai Baba's temple. He is considered to be one of the greatest saints and has many devotees who believe in his powers. The temple sees a strong footfall with over 30000 devotees visiting to seek blessings of Baba. This number is not restricted to weekends but weekdays too. The temple is always crowded with devotees who worship the saint and believe in his miracles. It is also believed that the holy town of Shirdi is able to continue extensive development thanks to the money donated by devotees.

Sai Teerth Theme Park

Sai Teerth theme park is a spiritual theme park that the city has built to expand its tourist attractions further. It is commemorated as the first religious theme park to have been constructed in India. The park basically takes the devotees through a virtual tour of Sai Baba's life and times. There are 5D shows too that take place in the vicinity where his stories are projected. In fact, an artificial Dwarkamai has also been set up within the premise along with a train ride. It is a visual treat to the devotees and an entertaining, educational tour for the kids. The complex also has restaurants within the park premise.

Gurusthan

The Gurusthan holds a lot of spiritual significance for being the seat of the guru. The place found prominence as it is believed to be the seat where Sai Baba first made his appearance in the world. Baba sat under a neem tree which has now been converted into a shrine. The surrounding of the neem tree has been constructed with marble tiles, and an elevated structure has been created. It also has a small temple with Baba's photo on it.

Sai Heritage Village

With a view to celebrating the life of Shirdi Sai Baba, the city has constructed a heritage village which plays as a theme park for Baba's devotees. The heritage basically brings forth some of the tales of Shirdi Sai Baba with mannequins and sculptures. The place is a good tourist attraction not just for devotees but also for visitors who are not well-versed with the works of the spiritual leader.

Shani Shingnapur

Shani Shingnapur is another important temple to visit in Shirdi. Dedicated to Lord Shani, the temple is nothing like the traditional ones with walls and chambers within which the shrine is placed. In fact, the locals believe that Lord Shani resides in black stone and protects his devotees. An interesting titbit about Shani Shingnapur is how the villagers trust the lord's power so much that they don't have locks for doors at their houses.

Things to do in Shirdi

Wet N Joy Water Park

After all the pilgrimage, it would be quite nice to enjoy some time with family. And what better place than going to unwind at the Wet N Joy park? The water amusement park is one of the major tourist attractions in Shirdi as it caters to the families who don't just come for pilgrimage but also a mini vacation.

Jangli Maharaj Ashram

Aside from being an educational and residential school, the Jangli Maharaj Ashram also organises yoga and meditations. The institute is founded by guru Om Gurudev, a spiritual leader. Barely 7 km from the city centre, you can easily cover this area and return with a tranquil state of mind.

Food and restaurant

As a pilgrimage, Shirdi caters to the idea of selflessness and wholesomeness. This comes with the food that is prepared in the temple premise. After seeking blessings and visiting Baba's shrine, individuals have the option to dine at the temple premise in the Prasadalaya hall. The structure is acquired to accommodate devotees who would like to eat temple food. There is a line that needs to be maintained while the temple feeds all the devotees who have come to visit Baba. Much of the meals prepared in the temple are sourced from local harvesters and farmers. Not only does this help them eliminate the concerns of selling their crops but also gives the temple fresh stock. The meals are served free-of-cost and are abundantly flavourful. Since the food at the temple is exquisite, often people don't eat outside but, in the temple's, own eating space, Prasadalaya. The place is packed from morning to evening as the temple does witness a good footfall.

While a majority of crowd prefer food served in the temple as it is considered to be holy, there are diverse restaurants in the city that could be refreshing to your taste buds. The temple vicinity itself has several food joints and restaurants that you can explore. Places such as Sai Naivedyam, Blue Coriander restaurant, Mukta Food Court and Rajdhani restaurant are some of the places you can eat at, if not the temple. These places specialise in lip-smacking Maharashtrian, Gujarati, North Indian, Continental and Chinese cuisine. In fact, some of them also have a buffet setting exclusively for breakfast. In fact, you should also check out some of the street food that is available in the city. From street pizza to sandwiches, noodles and oodles of junk food would be a good way to unwind after a pilgrimage. For those who have never tried vada pavs or pav bhaji and chaat, this could be your opportunity. These street food options define Maharashtra in a way and should be tried out.

How to reach Shirdi (Transportation)

By Air

Shirdi airport recently started functioning and has already become the fourth busiest airports after Mumbai, Nagpur and Pune, in the state of Maharashtra. The flight connectivity from Shirdi to other big cities in India is remarkable. The airport connects Shirdi to cities such as Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi, Chennai, Indore and Hyderabad. Although the airport has only one runway, it seems to be managed really well with regular flights flying in and out of Shirdi. Alliance Air, SpiceJet and IndiGo operate from Shirdi and have regular flights to major cities from here. The closest international airport would be the Pune International Airport. However, with Mumbai's connectivity to international routes, the second option is favoured. Shirdi Airport is about 14 km away from the temple town's main city area. Due to excessive demands, the city's airport witnesses great footfall of passengers travelling from around the world. The holy city's airport has great transport in the city centre with taxi cabs available right outside the airport. You can easily book your hotels in Shirdi city as the accommodations are also decent.

By Rail

Sainagar Shirdi railway station is considered to be the best way to reach the holy city as the location is prime and perfect. It is only 3 km away from the Shirdi Temple, which makes travelling convenient for pilgrims. Several domestic routes to Shirdi via railways are available. Cities such as Mumbai, Nagpur, Hyderabad, Pune, Bangalore, Aurangabad, Chandigarh, etc. have regular trains connected with Shirdi. Over the years, the holy temple has seen tremendous development as it has even been revered as a smart city. From the station, there are multitudes of transport options to choose from to reach the temple.

By Road

The road connectivity of Shirdi with other cities is excellent. Various cities in Maharashtra such as Mumbai, Pune, Thane, Nashik, Nagpur, Aurangabad, etc., have bus services to Shirdi. In fact, the city also sees roadways connecting with Bangalore. However, the travel time would be tedious by road. If you plan to reach Shirdi, then you should pick either of the cities mentioned that have direct buses to the holy town. Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation services these buses. A four-lane state highway is also being constructed to enhance Shirdi's connectivity further. The highway would certainly make road trips to Shirdi less time-consuming via road. The buses have their last stops in the main city area, so reaching the hotel rooms you have booked in Shirdi wouldn't be cumbersome.