Mumbai, Dec 14 (IANS): A replica of the Sai Baba temple in Maharashtra's Shirdi town will be recreated here as part of a four-day festival starting Dec 15, an organiser said Tuesday.

The replica of the temple will have a 24-feet-tall idol of Sai Baba, the biggest ever created so far in Mumbai, which will be put up at the sprawling Bandra-Kurla Complex grounds for the Shri Sai Satcharitra Mahaparayan festival.

The creative genius behind the effort is acclaimed Bollywood mega-sets designer Nitin C. Desai. It would offer prayer opportunity to those devotees of Sai Baba who cannot travel to Shirdi, nearly 300 km from here.

During the festival from Dec 15-18, the Shirdi temple set will showcase the life, times and spiritual journey of Sai Baba and his disciples with the help of mannequins, music and bhajans, before a daily seated crowd of over 15,000.

"The feeling of Shirdi begins at the main grand entrance to the venue and would feature Sai Baba's favourite Neem tree, his Samadhi temple, his paduka and other highlights associated with the great saint," Desai said, unveiling the set before reporters.

He admitted that recreating Shirdi temple in Mumbai was an uphill task, but it has been achieved successfully and now the people, especially children, would be able to better understand Sai Baba and his legend.

"I am grateful to the Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust, Shirdi, and the Om Saidham Mandir Trust for this wonderful opportunity to re-create a Shirdi in Mumbai," Desai said.