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had seen him for the first time in a movie, with the
quiet demeanor, the saintly appearance, the love of
humanity and giving a helping hand to every human and
animal that came along.
Sai Baba, a saint loved by all. It was the actor that I
had watched, who had emoted Sai's life so well that as a
child, I had been deceived into believing that he was
the real one. It was a long journey for me as I reached
only in the year 2003. That year means a lot to me, for
with that trip, I discovered that he had attained a far
higher position in 1918.
I got on the night bus to Shirdi at 9 pm from Western
Mumbai suburb Borivali. A very comfortable journey, but
I was too excited to sleep, for I kept opening my eyes
to look out of the window. The bus stopped outside Thana
for a quick stop for a cuppa and a visit to the
cloakroom. A good, quiet stop with the cool breeze
blowing across the open air restaurant. The bus moved
on. It continued at a steady pace, only stopping to drop
passengers and pick some up at designated stops.
I slept quiet well and opened my eyes to catch a glimpse
of a road island which was a tableau of sorts with a
mock jungle, and tigers. We had reached Nagpur. Shirdi
was just half-an-hour away. I closed my eyes and tried
to remember all the details I had read on the Net about
Sai.
Born, when and where is yet unconfirmed, it is
approximated to be around 1838. For any questions that
referred to his parents and relatives, he always
replied: "It’s been a long time". Seen for the first
time at the age of 19 under a neem tree, he was
enchanting everyone with his looks and habits in 1854.
He disappeared for another three years and came back
with a wedding party in 1858.
How
did he get his name? It is said that when Bhagat
Malshejpati saw him get off the bullock cart near the
Khandoba Mandir, he went forward and invited him saying,
"Welcome Sai". He wore white clothes and always a long
flowing robe like a shirt over a lungi and tied a
scarf on his head in a single knot which is called a
kafni.
His journey as a saint had begun, and people found
solace in his words and deeds. All difficulties seemed
to melt away in his presence. Jealous individuals tried
to have him removed from the village and insulted, but
would reach the formidable and unshakeable wall of his
personality and faith. Slowly and steadily, he won all
those against him, till the entire village was won over.
Now, they serve him completely.
 Entering Shirdi is quite a surprise. It appears
completely different from what it was you have imagined
it to be. Shops abound all around the main temple. They
sell phulmalas, coconuts, prasad of
different types, photographs, paintings, trinkets, all
to do with Sai. Getting off the bus after an eight-hour
journey, I trudge tiredly towards the hotel. Walking the
streets after a downpour is a little difficult, since
the road is kacha, and had turned to mush. The
shopkeepers call out asking if you need rooms, or
prasad or flowers and Sai Bhajans resound
from every other shop. The entire town has developed
around the temple: The Sai is for his people and they
for him.
After resting a couple of hours, I walked towards the
temple. Also called by its original name Lendi Baug, the
temple is surrounded by monuments from Sai’s time and
connected to him in one way or other. Lendi Baug was
bought by Rao Bahadur in 1918 and presented to the Sai
Sansthan to make a temple there. The trees in the
premises have been planted by Sai himself.
The mosque or Dwarka Mai was the place where he
lived -- a hut covered with a tin roof to protect it
from the elements. As
you stand in line to take a peek inside, you can buy
loban, or get some from your hometown, with
sandalwood etc. to put in the dhuni, installed by
iand which has been burning since then. The line moves
up and you can touch the small wooden pillar which he
leaned against while sitting to cook at the sigri
close by.
The east of the compound also has a marked niche, where
Sai kept a brick and regularly touched it. Closed and
behind doors lies the cart in which he travelled and is,
to my knowledge, kept there safe and never removed. Now
so close to the dhuni, a square space entirely
covered with steel grills on all sides, I could feel its
heat and smell the loban, sandalwood, incense
that was being poured by the devotees as they passed.
Many collected a little bit and put them in envelopes or
put it on their foreheads. Behind the dhuni
lay the black earthen pot which Sai would fill with
water and serve everyday to the visitors and the
thirsty.
The north wall has a niche with two brass lamps and
close to it lies the small stone grinder, which Sai used
to grind wheat. He used this wheat flour to draw a line
around Shirdi to protect it from the cholera epidemic.
This line still survives, but has been covered with
buildings, shops and farms and you will have to really
go out of the town to catch a glimpse of it, if you are
lucky.
Here in the Mai, you can also touch his silver
padukas and the black stone where he sat and bathed.
Every noon, prasad in the form of puri, bhaji,
dal or chaval is served to those present at
that time, or you can also serve yourself if no one is
there to do it. This place also has replicas of Sai’s
horse and the tiger, which are said to have died just
before Sai left for his heavenly abode. I felt it is a
rare opportunity that any human being gets to be so
close to such a great personality, individual and saint.
Close to this mosque lies the Chavdi. This place
is where Sai is supposed to have said his prayers and
meditated. Here also lies his smoking pipe and
palanquin, taken out for a procession every Thursday.
Sai would walk in a procession till his last days, with
his close companions Tatya, Bayjabai, Chandorkar,
Laxmibai and others. This is the only place where women
are not allowed to enter the enclosed section.
Opposite to it lies the small house with three rooms,
one of which contains a dargah of Chand Bhai,
the man Sai arrived with accompanying a marriage party.
A quiet and completely ignored place, it is worth a
visit for you will find a great collection of original
pictures of Sai Baba and the wooden sandals he wore till
the last days.
Well, it has been quite a day, tiring yet satisfying.
All the unanswered questions about Sai were answered and
knowing him through the places where he stayed and
visited. I chose to rest, the remainder of the day
before visiting the main temple the next day. I had just
taken two days off to visit Shirdi, but it felt as if I
have been for ages, for time means nothing, except when
you have to reach on time for the i
The
itinerary of the temple begins early at 5am in the
morning with a Bhupali, Abhishekam at
Gurusthan, 5.15 (morning) Arati, Naivedyam
of butter and sugar to Baba in Samadhi Mandir, Oil
offered to the lamps in Dwarkamai, 5.40 Bhajan in
Saibaba Mandir, 6 am Mangal Snaan (washing) of
Statue and Samadhi in Samadhi Mandir, 7 am Darshan
begins in Samadhi Mandir, 9 am Naivedyam in
Samadhi Mandir and Dwarkamai, 10.30
Satyanarayana Pooja, 11.30 Dhuni Pooja with
rice and ghee in Dwarkamai, 12 Mid day Arti,
12.30 Naivedyam in Samadhi Mandir,
Dwarkamai and Gurusthan, 4 pm Pothi
(Devotional reading/Study) in Samadhi Mandir. At
sunset: Dhoop (evening) Arti, 6.30 pm
Naivedyam in Samadhi Mandir, Dwarkamai and
Gurusthan, 8 to 9 pm Devotional Songs in Samadhi
Mandir and other Cultural Programmes (if any), 10 pm
Shej (night) Arti, after this, a shawl is
wrapped around the statue in the Samadhi Mandir,
a Rudraksha mala is put around Baba's neck,
Mosquito net is hung, and a glass of water kept there.
At 10.45 pm, Samadhi Mandir closes after night
Arti.
An entire day just goes at the temple so you will be
better off, if you do sightseeing one day and visit the
temple on the next day, checking out all the programmes
if you want. The lifelike marble statue was put in this
place in 1954. For a Sai Bhakht, this is the most
beautiful sight he can see. After the gifts are offered
to Sai and devotees receive prasad, they are
directed to give the gifts to the Sansthan office, which
will later be auctioned so the money can be used for
charitable work.
The temple is also his samadhi which lies right
in front of the marble statue. Sai had said: “I will
stay as my devotees want me too.” Three days are the
most important in the entire year at Shirdi: those of
Ramnavmi (March/April), to celebrate the birth of
the son of Gopal Gund, born after many years with the
blessing of Sai. The second, Guru Purnima
(June/July) and Vijaydashmi or Dassehra
(This year on October 23), the day Sai took his
samadhi.
The office, at one of its windows, gives out the sacred
ash and coconuts and the famous ladoos. Close to
the office are the three small temples made in black
stone of Lord Ganesha, Shani and Dattatraya, constructed
at the behest of Sai and offer puja everyday.
The Sai Sansthan has grown over the years from just
taking care of the temple to doing a lot of charitable
work in and around Shirdi. After attending the arti
and visiting the temple, and collecting prasad
for my family and friends, I stepped out into the market
close to the back of the temple. Well, here was a
surprise waiting for me, for I had missed seeing the
Gurusthan - the neem below which Sai was seen
for the first time. Here, the new shoot of the tree has
also grown to quiet a height beside the old one.
I walked into the market feeling blessed. Though people
were poor, they seemed satisfied. I picked up silver
rings with picture of Sai, some photographs, lockets,
and a small marble statue of Sai. This statue now
occupies the pride of place at my table in the office,
complete with a crown, shawl and garland.
Fact File
The temple can be visited year round though it is a
little hot in summer and a little cold in winter and wet
in the rains. The Dassehra festivals will begin on
October 21, 2004 and continue till the 23, with the rath
and palanquin yatra each of these days.
Address: Shri Saibaba Sansthan, Shirdi. Tal- Rahata,
Dist- Ahmednagar Pin-423 109 MS(India)
It falls on Ahmednagar-Manmad State Highway No.10 at 83
Km. from Ahmednagar, and 15 Km. from Kopargaon.
You can catch a bus from Mumbai. Get in touch with the
private bus owners/ST Bus Stands for details of the time
and expense.
BY HARPREET KAUR
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