Note: Several of the Indian tourist sites listed in Useful Links provide links to railway schedules.
Pilgrim Reservations, Avatar
Meher Baba Trust
King's Road, Post Bag 31, Ahmednagar
Maharashtra State 414 001, India
Email: pimco@ambppct.org
Phone: 58733, 48736
Cable: MEHERBABA, AHMEDNAGAR, MAHARASHTRA, INDIA
If you need
assistance in Mumbai, this travel agent is married to a Baba follower:
Dinyar Lala
Dinyar Tours & Travels
Mumbai India
Email: dinyar@giasbm01.vsnl.net.in
Phone: 91(India) 22(Mumbai) 207-5744, 204-3006
Fax: 207-6925
Flights are crowded. You
should make advance reservations and purchase your ticket before leaving the
West. Be aware, though, that flight times change often without notice. Upon
landing in India, reconfirm your reservations and double-check your departure
time as soon as possible with the airlines.
Make sure you allow at least
four hours between the scheduled arrival of your international flight and a
domestic flight to Pune. International flights are often late, and it takes time
to go through customs and get from one airport to the other. Check in at least
90 minutes before your flight. If you miss it, you can only get your money back
if you have purchased your ticket in the West, by obtaining a refund from your
travel agent. If you miss a morning flight, it may be difficult to get
reservations for an evening flight on the same day. Consider resting in a Mumbai
hotel and traveling on to Pune and Ahmednagar the next day.
It is advised not to rely
completely upon your travel agent in making reservations for flights within
India. Telephone the office of the international airline on which you are
traveling and re-confirm the flights yourself. It is not enough to have a
ticket. This is particularly true for the Mumbai-Pune flight. Travel agents in
the West may not be aware that reservation requests made to domestic airlines
for the Mumbai-Pune flight are frequently not responded to properly.
Domestic airlines are
well-known for canceling flights at the last minute, as well as for changing
flight schedules frequently, thus departing earlier than the time indicated on
your reservation. Their flights are frequently over-booked and they may even
cancel your reservation, if there are many people waiting for the flight ahead
of you. It is never too early to get into the line at the ticket counter. An
hour before departure is the minimum. Be prepared to make alternative travel
plans to Pune, if you miss your domestic flight.
In the event you need to
stay near the Domestic airport while waiting for your flight to Pune, Retiring
Rooms at the Domestic Airport are available.
The Domestic Airport has
free trolleys for luggage. Porters dressed in blue uniforms will carry your
luggage for a fixed rate per bag. Luggage may also be checked at "Left
Luggage" while you wait for your flight. To inquire about available seats
or reconfirm a ticket, consult the 24-hour reservations counter.
Be aware that taxis travel
to Pune on steep, winding roads through the mountains - probably the least safe
and comfortable alternative available. Traffic on the roads between Mumbai and
Pune has worsened in recent times. It is recommended to avoid driving to Pune,
if possible.
Taxis leave from a stand in
the Dadar area at the post office, located near the Pritam Hotel. Reservations
are not necessary. The ticket seller sells four individual seats per taxi on a
space-available basis. You can request a particular seat. (The front seat is
most comfortable.) Usually you need wait only 15-30 minutes for a taxi to
acquire four passengers and leave.
The taxi arrives in Pune in
front of the railway station. As it enters Pune, it passes within one block of
the Shivaji Nagar bus station. If you are planning to take a bus from Pune to
Ahmednagar immediately, you'll need to leave from this station. The taxi driver
will drop you off there if you offer him a little extra for this service.
The trains are very crowded
nowadays. If you cannot purchase a reservation in first class, you might
consider traveling second class. Passengers will move closer together on the
second class benches to give you a seat.
Note: The information below
has not be updated recently.
| Train | Number | Leave Mumbai (approx) |
| Indrayani Express | 2133 Down | 6:00 AM |
| Deccan Express | 1007 Down | 6:45 AM |
| Mumbai-Bangalore Vdyan Express | 6529 Down | 7:45 AM |
| Mumbai-Miraj-Koyna Express | 7307 Down | 8:30-9:30 AM |
| Mumbai Hyderabad Express | 7031 Down | Noon-1:00 PM (advanced reservations not necessary) |
| Sinhagad Express | 1009 Down | 2:00-3:00 PM |
| Deccan Queen Express | 2123 Down | 5:00 PM |
The train to Pune is crowded,
but advance reservations are usually not necessary. However, even if you don't
have a reservation ahead of time, make sure to buy both a ticket and a seat
reservation at the station. The ticket gets you on the train. The seat
reservation gives you a specific seat. Otherwise you may have to stand for the
entire journey. Click here to see maps and further details about this procedure.
Porters dressed in red shirts and numbered arm bands will carry your luggage for
a small charge per bag.
Hari World Travels, Inc.
25 W. 45th St. #1003
New York, NY 10036
Phone: (212) 957-3000
Fax (212) 997-3320
Send a copy of your passport, plus a cashiers check, registered mail to buy a
Inrail pass.
Govt. of India Tourist
Office
30 Rockefeller Plaza
15 North Mezzanine,
New York, NY 10112
Hari World Travels, Inc.
30 Rockefeller Plaza (between 49th & 5th Ave.)
Shop #21, North Mezzanine,
New York, NY 10112
Phone: (212) 957-3000
Telex 4952383, Fax (212) 957-7921
You can hire a taxi
to take you directly from Mumbai to Ahmednagar at the Mumbai-Nasik taxi stand
near the Dadar railway station on Lakhamsi Napoo Road. (This is different from
the Mumbai-Pune taxi stand mentioned earlier.) You can either hire the entire
taxi (four seats) directly to Ahmednagar, or you can travel with the other
passengers to Pune and then hire the entire taxi from there. Travel time is ten
hours. Approximate cost is Rs. 750-850.
Maharashtra Tourist
Development Corporation, Ltd.
Tours Division
Madame Cama Road (opposite Life Insurance Corp. building)
Fort area, Mumbai 400 020
Office hours: 8:30 am to 8:00 pm
Phone:241-762, 241-713, 241-784
The bus leaves the M.T.D.C.
office in the evening. It also stops for passengers at the Pritam Hotel in Dadar.
Seats are available occasionally without reservations. If you don't have a
reservation and are staying in either the Dadar or Fort areas, you can go to the
M.T.D.C. office or the Pritam Hotel and take a chance on boarding the bus.
In Ahmednagar, the bus stops
at one of the local hotels before sunrise. See "Early or late arrival"
in the Ahmednagar chapter for advice on where to wait until daylight. Because of
the unusually early arrival time, the M.T.D.C. luxury bus is not recommended for
newcomers or for women traveling alone.
| Train | Number | Leave Mumbai (approx) |
|
Mumbai-Calcutta
Mail1 (2nd class only) |
3004 Down | 7:10 pm |
Advanced reservations are
usually required for travel to Ahmednagar. If traveling via the Mumbai-Calcutta
Mail, check carefully that you are in the correct carriage. Only one, the
carriage closest to the engine at the far end of the platform, travels to
Ahmednagar. Shortly after midnight in Manmad, it is disconnected from the train
and later attached to another train continuing on to Ahmednagar. The stations
immediately preceding Ahmednagar are Rahuri, Vambori, and Vilad.
At the Ahmednagar railway
station, rickshaws are available to take you into town. See Ahmednagar
for advice on arriving at these early and late hours.
The easiest way to
get to Ahmednagar is by hired taxi, definitely recommended for women traveling
alone. Regular taxis have room for four or five passengers. They are an
economical way to travel if several people are traveling together.
Please note: Although
rickshaws are less expensive than taxis within Puna, they are definitely not
an appropriate mode of travel to Ahmednagar.
In addition to the taxis
listed below, you can also hire a taxi at your hotel, or you can hire any one
that is willing to take you. Rates will generally be the same as hiring a taxi
from the airport.
Four seats are sold per taxi
on a space-available basis. You can rent the entire taxi for the cost of five
seats. For a minimal additional charge, the taxi will take you directly to the
Trust Office in the Meher Nazar Compound. Otherwise, its destination is the taxi
stand near the Ahmednagar S.T. bus station.
Tickets are purchased on the
bus. Buses stopping in Ahmednagar leave currently from platform 6. Since the
numbers are written in Hindi, you may need to ask for assistance at the
information booth. Wait at the proper platform for a seat. If you don't get a
seat on the first available bus, you will then be near the front for the next
one.
Once on the bus, keep your
luggage with you - if possible, in the aisle or under your seat. You may be
required to store very large pieces, however, outside on top of the bus.
The bus makes one rest stop halfway to Ahmednagar.
The Goa Express leaves about
noon and arrives in Ahmednagar around 3:30 p.m in time to check in at the
Registration office before going to the Pilgrim Center.
The Jhelum Express arrives
too late in the evening to check into the Pilgrim Center. Therefore, it is not
recommended for arriving pilgrims or women travelling alone. It is convenient if
you are already checked into the Pilgrim Center.
Travel time for both trains is three hours.
| Train | Number | Leave Pune | Arrive Nagar |
| Goa Express | 2701 | Afternoon - 12:15 p.m. | 3:30 pm |
| Jhelum Express | 4677 Down | Evening - 5:40
p.m. (except Monday nights) |
8:45 pm |
Three types of accommodations are available:
The most expensive and most comfortable is 2nd class air-conditioned. Reservations re not necessary. Buy your ticket the day of departure at the "Current Counter." (See diagram of Pune railway station). On the platform, the train is identified as Miraj-Niza Muddin. If the train is crowded, ask the ticket taker for seats in the area reserved for quotas beyond Ahmednagar - such as Nasik and Manmad. Your second class A/C ticket is also good for seats in 1st class non-airconditioned.
If you have come earlier
that day from Mumbai, you can check your luggage at the cloak room in the
station for a small charge. Be sure to check the timing of the cloak room, as it
closes for lunch. If you plan to take this train and by chance it arrives late
that day, you can always catch a taxi across from the station.
Please note that the Goa
Express only stops in Ahmednagar for a few minutes, so you must be prepared to
depart from the train the moment it arrives. After the train leaves Pune, it
makes one stop at Daund, then stops at Ahmednagar about 1 hour and 20 minutes
later. It passes Meherabad on the way,so when you see the Samadhi and the
Pilgrim Centre you know you are near the station.
If you have a lot of
luggage, it is suggested that you position your luggage near the door of the
carriage so you can get off quickly when the train stops in Ahmednagar.
If you have already checked
into the Pilgrim Centre, one particularly comfortable way to travel from Pune to
Ahmednagar, is the Pune-Jammu-Jhelum Express 4677, from Pune to Delhi. It leaves
Pune at 5:40 p.m. everyday (except Mondays when it leaves later) and arrives
Ahmednagar about 8:45 p.m., early enough to go to the Pilgrim Centre by the 9:30
p.m. curfew, but too late to check into the Pilgrim Centre Registration office
which closes by 6:00 p.m. There are four berths in the air-conditioned second
class section which are empty from Pune to Ahmednagar and are reserved for the
Ahmednagar quota. The cost of a ticket is under Rs. 200. This train is very
clean, confortable and safe, but unfortunately reaches Ahmednagar too late for
arriving pilgrims to check into the Pilgrim Centre.
Buy your ticket the day of
your departure at the Current Counter. There are no reservations available, but
there are generally seats.
After buying your ticket, go to the second air-conditioned carriage, A/2. You will note on the paper pasted outside the train that seats 19 through 22 are reserved for "ANG" which is the Ahmednagar quota. Show your tickets to the Ticket Collector and tell him you are going to Ahmednagar.
This train should depart on time since it originates in Pune; however, check the time of departure before purchasing the ticket because if it leaves past 6:00 p.m. you will not get to the Pilgrim Centre by the curfew of 9:30 p.m. In that event you can always take a taxi from the Pune Ahmednagar taxi stand located across the street from the Railway Station.
A word about second class air-conditioned coaches - bedding is available for a small fee, even for short distances as between Pune and Ahmednagar.