A New BeginningThe Naga Sai Temple at Madurai is one of the oldest temples dedicated to Shri Shirdi Sai Baba. Historical records indicate that the Temple exists since pre-independence days from 1945.
The temple was started by an eminent gathering of Sai devotees, who came together to form the Sri Sai Baba Bhakta Sabha. The Association was registered under the Societies Act, 1945.
Its most active members were Shri A Rajamannar Naidu and Dr Suryanarayanan, who were members of the All India Sai Samaj, started by Shri Narasimhaji Swamy in Mylapore, Chennai.
3rd Convention of All India Sai Samaj
The third convention of the All India Sai Samaj was held in Madurai in 1949, It was a grand affair with the personal organization of Shri S Rajamannar Naidu and Dr Suryanarayanan. The convention was blessed by the presence of Shri Narasimhaji Swami himself.
Inception
The temple was initially located within the campus of Sree Meenkshi Sundareshwarar Temple's Mela Adi Veedhi, until 1959.
In 1964, Shri A Rajamannar Naidu and Ramarathina Ammal family donated 35 cents of land at Gandhi Nagar for the construction of a temple of Shri Shirdi Sai Baba.
The new temple was a beehive of activities since its consecration in 1964. And was witness to a number of events and festivals.
Thousands of Sai devotees thronged the temple festival days, and it became a popular destination for visitors to Madurai.
1964 Convention of All India Sai Samaj
A historic occasion at the Temple was the All India Convention of the All India Sai Samaj at the temple in 1964. The convention was graced by the presence of Chief Minister Bhakthavatsalam, Madurai Collector TN Seshan and Sai Devotees Basheer Baba and Hegde.
Subsequent to the demise of both the founding trustees, the then Deputy Collector of Madurai, Mr G Govindaraju (son-in-law of A Rajamannar Naidu) took over the administration of the Temple. He took a lot of efforts to convert the tiled roof building into a huge structure. The services of Professional architects were engaged, and substantial funds were spent in structural changes.
But, a residential neighborhood, and the lack of an approach from the Main Road were major deterrents in the development of the temple. For almost 54 years, the lack of funds, and lack of proper infrastructure became a major issue.
Change of Management
At this juncture, Mrs Zeenath Kanagaraj Sai, belonging to the third generation of Raja Mannar Naidu's family assumed charge as the Secretary of the Temple.
Baba's blessings guided her in this daunting challenge, by transferring land to Arvind Eye Hospital, who proposed to build a charity eye hospital and research center.
A helping hand in her endeavor was 80 year old Shri LL Ramamoorthy (Vice President), who has ably assisted and guided her through every step of this service to Baba.
A devoted team of trustees soon started to take shape under the leadership of Mrs Zeenath Sai. One of the major decisions of the Trust was to move the temple out of the present premises.
A New Location
The major turning point came in 2003, with the acquisition of a 7 cent area on the Main Road in Andalpuram, on the T P K Road. The construction of the new temple began in right earnest.
A major contribution of Rs.5 lakhs from Mr Chandrasekhar and Malar Family gave the thrust to the construction activity. And the entire structure was ready in three years by 2006.
The temple was consecrated on August 31st 2006, with the performance of Kumbhabhishekam*, which was witnessed by a large number of devotees.
Today, the temple is witness to a number of festivals. And there is a continuous stream of devotees on all days, especially on Thursdays and Sundays.
Temple opens 06:00 amAbhishekam to Shri Naga Sai Baba 06:30 am
Morning Aarti 07:00 am
Mid Day Aarti 11:30 am
Morning Darshan closes 12:00 noon
Temple Opens for Evening Darshan 05:00 pm
Evening Aarti 06:30 pm
Night Aarti 08:00 pm
Temple Closes 09:00 pm
Road Map to Sai Baba Temple
Temple Address
Shirdi Sai Baba Temple
No # 10, TPK Road,
Andalpuram,
Madurai - 625003
Tamil Nadu
INDIA
Courtesy: Sai Sridhar, Chennai.
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