Sai Baba Temple Noida Sector 61 (Sai Karuna Dham): Timings, Aarti and How to Reach 2026

The Sai Baba temple in Noida Sector 61 is Sai Karuna Dham, a large Shirdi Sai Baba temple on plot E-4, E-Block, Sector 61. According to the temple’s official website, it is open from about 5:50 AM to 9:50 PM daily, with four aartis modelled on Shirdi: morning, midday, Dhoop (sunset) and Shej (night). Thursdays are the busiest day, with a Palki Yatra at 8 PM. The nearest metro stations are Noida Sector 61 and Noida Sector 52 on the Blue Line.

Timings are as published on the Sai Karuna Dham website and are given as of September 2026. They can change on festivals and special occasions, so confirm with the temple office (the website lists +91 98718 97666) before a special visit.

Who was Shirdi Sai Baba?

Sai Baba of Shirdi was a saint who lived in the village of Shirdi, in present-day Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra, from the second half of the 19th century until his death (Mahasamadhi) on 15 October 1918. His birth name and origins are unknown. He lived in an old mosque he called Dwarkamai, kept a sacred fire (dhuni) burning, and taught through simple sayings. His best-known teachings are Shraddha (faith) and Saburi (patience), and the phrase Sabka Malik Ek (“One God governs all”). Both Hindu and Muslim devotees followed him, and today Sai temples across India follow the ritual pattern of the Samadhi Mandir at Shirdi.

Sai Karuna Dham aarti timings

Like most Shirdi Sai temples, Sai Karuna Dham follows the daily cycle of the Samadhi Mandir at Shirdi, where the day begins with Kakad aarti and ends with Shej aarti. The Noida temple’s published schedule is:

Ritual	Time (as of September 2026)	Notes
Temple opens	5:50 AM	Early darshan is the quietest time
Morning aarti and bhog	About 7:30–7:54 AM	Fruit and milk offered to Baba
Madhyan (midday) aarti	12:00–12:24 PM	Bhog offerings around 11:40 AM
Dhoop aarti	6:30 PM (Mar–Sep) / 6:00 PM (Oct–Feb)	Sunset aarti; timing shifts with the season
Shej (night) aarti	9:30–9:45 PM	Final aarti before closing
Temple closes	9:50 PM	Plan to arrive by 9:15 PM for Shej aarti

Timings can shift slightly on Thursdays, festivals and during special events. If you want to attend a particular aarti, arrive 15–20 minutes early.

Weekly programme

• Thursday: Sai Baba’s special day. The temple is at its busiest, and a Palki Yatra (palanquin procession) with Baba’s image is held at 8 PM.
• Saturday: Recitation of the Sundarkand (from the Ramcharitmanas) at 7 PM.
• Tuesday: The temple lists a Vishnu Sahasranama recitation. Confirm the time with the temple office.

History of Sai Karuna Dham

According to the temple, Sai Karuna Dham was envisioned in 1996 by Dr. Chandra Bhanu Satpathy, known to devotees as Guruji, a retired Indian Police Service officer, author and Sai devotee who has inspired a network of Sai temples and centres in India and abroad. NOIDA Authority allotted plot E-4 in Sector 61 for the temple. Key milestones, as given on the temple’s website:

Year	Milestone
1996	Temple envisioned by Guruji C. B. Satpathy
18 May 2000	Bhumi pujan (groundbreaking)
17 April 2001	Pran pratishtha of the Guru Sthan
13 April 2003	Pran pratishtha of the main temple

The temple stands on a plot of about 1,580 square metres. It describes itself as north India’s largest Sai temple and as the 108th temple in the series built with Guruji’s guidance. The temple celebrates its foundation day every April. Its 22nd foundation day, for example, was marked on 1 April 2025 at the Sector 61 community centre.

What you will see inside

• Main shrine: The murti of Shirdi Sai Baba in the main sanctum, the focus of all four daily aartis.
• Guru Sthan: A shrine that recalls the Guru Sthan at Shirdi, the spot under a neem tree associated with Sai Baba. It was consecrated in 2001, two years before the main temple.
• Prayer hall: Space for devotees to sit during aarti and bhajans. It gets crowded on Thursday evenings.

Rules on photography inside the sanctum vary, so ask a volunteer before taking pictures.

Seva and charitable work

The temple’s trust runs several service activities, according to its website:

• Regular food distribution, including large-scale meals for patients’ families at a hospital on Thursdays
• Education support for more than 350 children, including free milk, meals, books and notebooks
• Saturday OPDs with specialist doctors and periodic free medical camps
• Drinking water stations in summer

If you want to volunteer or donate, contact the temple office directly rather than through third-party websites.

Festivals at Sai Karuna Dham

The biggest occasions are those observed by Sai devotees everywhere:

• Ram Navami: Celebrated at Shirdi since Sai Baba’s time. Sai Karuna Dham has held a Ram Navami Shobha Yatra (procession).
• Guru Purnima: Devotees honour Sai Baba as the guru. Expect long queues.
• Vijayadashami (Dussehra): Marks Sai Baba’s Mahasamadhi on 15 October 1918. Special pujas are held at Sai temples on this day.
• Foundation Day (April): The temple’s own anniversary celebrations.

For Shirdi’s own schedule and background, the Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust, Shirdi publishes its daily programme.

How to reach the Sai Baba temple, Sector 61

Mode	Route	Tip
Blue Line metro	Get off at Noida Sector 61 or Noida Sector 52, then take an auto or e-rickshaw	Tell the driver “Sai Mandir, Sector 61”
Aqua Line metro	Get off at Noida Sector 51, walk to the Sector 52 side, then take an e-rickshaw	Useful if you are coming from Greater Noida
Car	Navigate to “Sai Karuna Dham, Sector 61” through the Sector 52 / Sector 61 internal roads	Street parking is limited on Thursday evenings

The temple’s website also gives a Sector 52 correspondence address, which can confuse map apps. Search for “Sai Karuna Dham, Sector 61” to get the right spot. For a full station list, see our guide to Noida Blue Line metro stations.

Sector 61 vs Sector 40 Sai temple

Noida has another well-known Sai temple, the Shirdi Sai Baba Mandir run by the Shri Sai Samiti at F-Block, Sector 40. Devotees sometimes mix the two up.

Feature	Sai Karuna Dham, Sector 61	Sai Mandir, Sector 40
Hours	About 5:50 AM–9:50 PM	Service centre about 6 AM–9:30 PM
Morning aarti	About 7:30 AM	Kakad aarti 6 AM
Evening aarti	6–6:30 PM, Shej 9:30 PM	Dhoop aarti 6–6:30 PM
Thursday special	Palki Yatra at 8 PM	Free bus for devotees from several sectors (as listed by the temple)
Best for	Central and east Noida, Sector 62 office area	Sectors 18–50 and the Botanical Garden area

For more Noida temples, see our guide to temples in Noida, or read नोएडा के प्रसिद्ध मंदिर in Hindi. If you want to add a second temple to the same trip, ISKCON Noida in Sector 33 is a short drive away along the Blue Line corridor.

Tips for visiting

• Avoid Thursday evenings if you want a quiet darshan. Weekday mornings between 8 and 11 AM are much calmer.
• Dress modestly and leave footwear at the shoe stand. Carry socks in summer, when floors heat up.
• Bring simple offerings. Flowers, sweets and fruit are common. Follow volunteers’ instructions about where to place them.
• Keep your phone silent during aarti and do not stand in the queue for photos.
• Check festival timings. On Guru Purnima, Ram Navami and Vijayadashami, timings and queues change significantly.
• Donate officially. Use the temple’s own counter or its published contact details, and ask for a receipt.

Sai Karuna Dham is one of Noida’s most important Sai Baba temples. Its day follows the Shirdi aarti cycle, it has an active weekly programme and it runs charitable work year-round. Come for the Thursday Palki Yatra if you enjoy devotional atmosphere, or a weekday morning if you prefer quiet darshan, and check the temple’s website for any change in timings.