Shirdi Sai Baba Mandir – Lodhi Road

Sai Baba’s dictat, “I draw a man like a sparrow tied to a thread” and only a person who is meant to be his devotee is pulled into the loving fold of Sai Samarth.

Despite being blessed to have Sai Nath in my life and being devoted to him, I have never attempted to write about the mandir at Lodhi Road which draws thousands of devotees. I have been there a number of times on Thursdays to offer my prayers, flowers and ladoos. The crowd, the flower sellers all fads away to become insignificant in the wake of the blissful form of Sai Maharaj. The moment one enters the mandir, it is just Baba and his blessings which matter. Each devotee has his or her own share of experiences. I have mine too, where despite the long queue, I have got darshan impromptu. I have gone on other days as well. . I have bowed before the Murti from outside, each time I have crossed the Mandir and have got the same blissful experience.

This Mandir at Lodhi Road, is the first Sai Mandir to be built in North India. It was built by concerted efforts of a lot of individuals and probably because Baba willed it! Several fund raising charity shows were held

One takes the steps into the hall at the end of which is the blissful form of Sai Samarth is his characteristic posture. One takes a pradakshan of sorts. Pray, bow or touch the feet with your head, the pujari hands over a flower. Walk down. The dhuni burns, one does the pradakshanna. And before one realizes, one is out to collect the slippers. The mind still in a blissful state. The floral prashad a memory to take back to.

Location - It is located in Lodhi Road Institutional Area. It is near Andhra Association and Ram Mandir. It is parallel to Habitat Centre. It is one crossing before India Habitat Centre and India International Centre. It is easily accessible by Metro. Nearest Metro Station is Jungpura and Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. Rickshaws, autos ply in plenty. One just needs to ask to be directed to it.

Timings - Go any day. The Mandir is open from 5 am in the morning to 10.00 pm in the evening. Kakad Arati is at 5.30 am in the morning and Shej arati 9.30 pm. Thursdays are crowded and the main entrance is closed and entry is through the side gate. A very orderly queue system is followed. A lot of students appearing for various exams make their way to offer prayers to be successful in their attempts. The Murti is visible from outside, from the road.

Insider Tip – Opposite the mandir is the wholeseller’s shop who sells all items for worship. The Sai Satcharita book, murti, clothes for Baba, spiritual books, photograph and everything. They also help organize bhajan sandhyas and food for distribution.

Highlight – Peace and blessedness. Miracles you asked – Faith and Patience is the key – Shraddha and Saburi.

Tank Road – A motley of shops today holds sway as “the” destination for jeans and denims.

Tank Road initially was a place where export rejects in hosiery especially T-shirts could be found. Most of the dealers in Tank Road would buy consignment of stock from Tirupur or Panipat and sell it in Delhi. The buyers would be exporters looking at cheaper exports, domestic sellers of apparel, traders from Janpath and the like. Overtime, it has metamorphosised into the one stop shop for jeans in Delhi. It has a number of wholesalers and retailers. Many of them also export to neighbouring countries. It is a sourcing hub for traders or small time shopkeepers in Delhi and neighbouring cities. Even small importers from neighbouring countries make a visit to Tank Road. After Gandhi Nagar, it is another preferred sourcing market for jeans. What makes the market attractive is its location, near Karol Bagh and its easy accessibility. Being in a somewhat central place makes it attractive for buyers.

Timings – 10.30 am or so to 8 pm (Tuesday to Sunday). The market is closed on Mondays as Karol Bagh is also closed on Mondays.

Where -  Near Karol Bagh

Highlights -  One can see a host of T-shirts – really nice ones. It is got from Tirupur, Erode, Salem, Panipat. Many are export rejects or delayed shipment consignments which are picked in bulk by these shopkeepers. So most are in line with international standards. 

Insider Tip – The prices are affordable and bargainable. The styles are what is hot in international markets including colours of spring and summer.

Weavers Service Centre - Delhi

This is the lesser known place when it comes to textile. The Weavers Service Centre has over the years done remarkable work in development of handloom textiles and its revival. A lot of revival of textiles under the venerable Martand Singh was carried out at several of the Weavers Service Centres. There is a legacy of work done under the doyens of Indian handlooms – Late Ms. Kamala Devi Chattopadyay, Late Ms. Pupul Jayakar, Late Ms. Jasleen Dhamija  The WSC in Delhi is situated at Bharat Nagar which is near Ashok Nagar, in a place which goes by the name of Bunkar Colony. Apart from this, it is the repertoire of work done for the various Tantuvi exhibition which is exhaustive. They also have a collection of textiles produced under the Vishwakarma and Festival of India series. The recently launched National Centre for Textile Design (NCTD) offering designs and India Handloom Brand Cell also operate out of the WSC. A visit to the WSC has much to offer in terms of the vast repertoire of what is the Indian legacy of handlooms. The research material available is mind boggling. One needs to go and speak to the Asst. Director heading the division and after securing such permission can have a private viewing. The samples are not displayed.

A detail piece on the various Weavers Service Centre can be read at – www.armchairtextilejourney.com

 https://www.armchairtextilejourney.com/2025/03/weavers-service-centre-delhi.html

Timings – 10 am to 5 pm (Monday to Friday). The office is closed on Saturday and Sunday.

 

Where -  Weavers’ Service Centre, Weavers Colony, Bharat Nagar, Ashok Vihar,  Delhi – 110052.

 

Highlights -  One can see handloom weavers in factories. And there are some shops selling handloom products

 

Insider Tip – The WSC Delhi is a treasure trove of research work done on textiles. There is information on textile recreation done for the Viswakarma exhibitions, Tantavi project and more. The Centre has done some pioneering work on khes from Haryana. A visit to the centre, the sampling unit, library and resource centre is wonderful.