Sai Baba the Master by E.Bharadwaja

[Guest guest]

Mosque or Dwarakamai?

It would be of interest to see how the mosque looked, after Baba came

to

reside there. R.A. Tarkhad of Bandra actually saw Baba living in the

mosque. He describes it in detail:

 

“The place where he used to sit looked to all outward appearances as

tumbled-down old ramshackle sort of construction. But in that small

oblong

room Sai Baba sat in the North East corner. Opposite to him, in the

opposite corner, was the sacred fire burning night and day. Next to

this

sacred dhuni (fire) were earthen pots filled with water for Baba to

drink

and perform ablutions. The wall had a niche in which were placed a

number

of earthen chilims (i.e., clay pipes for smoking). Next to Baba’s

place

and on the right side were a couple of grinding stones where he

occasionally used to grind corn and pulses.

 

There was a sack of wheat and a sack of country tobacco. This tobacco

was

put in the earthen pipes and smoked, the pipe being offered to various

devotees, smoked by them and passed on to and fro to Baba.

 

On the western wall was a sort of niche as is observed in Mohammedan

musjids (mosques).

 

Opposite to this niche, in the central part of the room, Sri Sai Baba

partook of a little of the food which he daily begged from some houses

in

the village and of the offerings made by visitors and others. These he

mixed and personally distributed to some of the devotees, amongst whom

were high cast Hindus, Brahmins, Moslems and Parsees.

 

When a Moslem visitor came up to pay his respects with flowers, lump

sugar

and coconuts, Fatia (Moslem prayers) was uttered in which Baba joined.

The

flowers were hung up in the central niche mentioned above, the lump

sugar

was partly distributed amongst all those present there as well as the

village urchins outside and a part of it returned to the party as

prasad

(consecrated gift). The coconuts were broken up and similarly

distributed.

All the while, the Hindu devotees sitting there witnessed this Fatia

and

partook of the lump of sugar as well as pieces of coconuts with

pleasure

and joy.

 

 

(To be contd....)

 

Source http://www.saibharadwaja.org)