Datta Jayanti in Shirdi — Date, Program & Where to Go (2026)

Datta Jayanti 2026 in Shirdi falls on Wednesday, 23 December, the full moon of Margashirsha (Margashirsha Purnima). It is not Sai Baba's own festival like Ram Navami or Punyatithi-Vijayadashami — it is a Dattatreya-linked day that Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust adds to its calendar.

The Sansthan runs its own evening program that day, at the temple and at Lendi Baug. Here is exactly what happens and how it changes your visit.

📅 When Is Datta Jayanti 2026 in Shirdi?

Margashirsha Purnima tithi begins around 10:47 AM on 23 December 2026 and runs until roughly 6:57 AM on 24 December (Delhi reference timing) — so the daytime and evening of the 23rd carry the full festival. This is the date Hindu tradition marks as Dattatreya's birth, the deity combining Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva in one form.

Shirdi observes it because a large number of devotees regard Sai Baba himself as a Dattatreya avatar. Even in Baba's own lifetime a small Datta shrine stood beside his temple, and he would reportedly stand before it in silent contemplation — the Sansthan's Datta Jayanti program continues that link rather than starting it fresh this year.

Don't confuse this with Sai Baba Punyatithi, observed around Vijayadashami — that is Baba's own mahasamadhi anniversary and Shirdi's most crowded day of the year. Datta Jayanti is a separate, calmer date on the calendar; our Punyatithi and Vijayadashami guide covers that bigger festival in detail.

🪔 The Sansthan's Datta Jayanti Program

The Sansthan layers a Datta-specific program onto its usual daily schedule rather than replacing it. The four regular aartis — Kakad (early morning), Madhyan (midday), Dhoop (evening) and Shej (night) — continue as always.

The Sansthan has also marked the day with special floral decoration at the Samadhi Mandir in past years. Expect the temple dressed for the occasion, not a bare weekday look.

Some regional accounts also describe a paalna (cradle) ritual for the deity and a Datta yajna. The Sansthan's own published program, though, centres on the Kirtan, abhishek and procession above.

🛕 Lendi Baug and the Datta Mandir

The Datta Mandir sits inside Lendi Baug — the garden Baba himself planted and watered — under an Audumbar tree, a species traditionally associated with Dattatreya. The marble Datta statue here was installed on 6 December 1976, decades after Baba's time, but it stands on ground he visited daily.

Lendi Baug also holds the samadhi of Shyamsundar, Baba's horse, just behind the Datta Mandir, and the samadhis of devotees Tatya Kote Patil, Bhau Maharaj Kumbhar, Nanavalli and Abdul Baba near the entrance. It's a short walk from the main temple complex and worth building into your Datta Jayanti evening regardless of the special program.

🚶 Darshan and Crowds on Datta Jayanti

We could not confirm an official Sansthan notice of any special darshan-timing change tied specifically to Datta Jayanti. Treat the day as running on the normal aarti and queue schedule unless the Sansthan posts otherwise closer to the date.

VIP break-darshan, where offered, normally runs in three fixed slots — around 9–10 AM, 2:30–3:30 PM and 8–8:30 PM. Festival-date online passes tend to sell out fast.

Shirdi sees roughly 50,000 yatris on an ordinary day, climbing past a lakh on Thursdays, weekends and its three mega-festivals. Datta Jayanti falling on a Wednesday keeps it well short of that peak, though the evening program does draw a local and regional crowd for the procession.

Which visit suits you?

• With elders — go for Kakad Aarti darshan in the morning, skip the 9:15 PM procession crowd, and rest before the evening.

• On a budget — free darshan plus free Prasadalaya coupons cover the whole day; skip VIP passes if the queue looks manageable.

• On a tight schedule — book VIP darshan online well ahead if slots are open, and use a private taxi so temple-to-Lendi Baug transfers don't eat your evening.

• Avoid arriving right at 9 PM hoping to also catch darshan — the procession pulls the crowd toward the route, not the queue complex.

🍛 Prasadalaya and Practical Tips

Shri Sai Prasadalaya, billed as Asia's largest solar kitchen, serves an estimated 40,000 devotees a day and runs roughly 10 AM to 10 PM. Meals come free on a coupon, or paid at about ₹50 for adults and ₹30 for children up to 10 years, with chapati, rice, dal, two sabjis, curd and a sweet.

Carry a light shawl if you're staying for the 9:15 PM procession — Shirdi December nights run cool. Photography rules at the Samadhi Mandir stay the same as any other day: phones are usually not allowed past the security check inside.

🛏️ Where to Stay in Shirdi

Datta Jayanti is a single-day, mid-week observance, so rooms don't sell out the way they do before Ram Navami or Punyatithi. But the evening procession still pulls a local crowd, so book at least a few days ahead for a room close to the temple in time for the 9:15 PM Julus.

The Sansthan's own guesthouses (Bhaktiniwas, Sai Ashram) sit inside or right next to the complex. They suit anyone who wants to walk to both the Samadhi Mandir and Lendi Baug without a vehicle.

Datta Jayanti gives you a quieter window to see Shirdi's Sansthan traditions up close — the Kirtan, the Datta abhishek at Lendi Baug and the evening chariot — without the lakh-plus crowds of the big three festivals. Om Sai Ram.