Blessed by Sai Baba

[Guest guest]

Om Sai Ram

 

"Mid Day" published an article by Gustasp Irani " Blessed by Sai Baba" om

February, 2004.

It is an interesting trip to Shridi, as a real darshan of Sai Baba

Shridi.

The object of every pilgrimage — a darshan of Sai Baba ShirdiState:

MaharashtraDistance 307 km NE of Mumbai JourneyTime By Road 61/2 hrs by rail

51/2 hrs + 1 hr by road.Location in the far north of Ahmednagar district, south

east of Nasik.Route NH3 from Mumbai to Nasik via Igatpuri, NH50 to Sangamner;

state highway to Shirdi via Loni, Babhaleshwar and Rahata

 

The bass of drums, the higher octaves of bells seeking divine attention,

the rhythm of pujaris chants… my inhibitions dissolved in the steady beat

of devotion and I was drawn into its spiraling crescendo. My body swayed as I

blended into the crush of devotees and surrendered myself in the moment. But I

could discern a discordant note even in the flurry — someone was clapping

to the frequency of his own devotion, out of rhythm with the others. I closed my

eyes and soon the discord became part of the harmony.

 

It was 5.15 in the morning and in the Sai Baba Temple at Shirdi, the fakir

saint was being awakened with the performance of Kakad aarti. The mosquito nets

placed over his marble status at night were removed and the priests prepared to

bathe him in milk and rose water. Soon Sai Baba would be ready for another day.

 

On October 15, 1918, Sai Baba attained samadhi (salvation, not death), but

in Shirdi his presence is very real even today. Indeed, Shirdi is Sai Baba, for

without him this would have been just another little village of around 1,000

residents. Today it has a resident population of around 15,000 holstered by a

floating population of another 30,000 pilgrims.

 

Distances can seem exaggerated in Shirdi. What is referred to as the other

end of the town is, in reality, a 10-minute walk away, through narrow lanes

fringed by small stalls selling flowers, sweets, trinkets and other items that

devotees offer to Sai Baba. There are even Tibetans here selling woollies.

Music blares from almost every stall; devotional and popular Bollywood songs

mingle to create a most eclectic medley as one walks down the streets.

Leave your footwear with the stall owner from whom you buy your puja

offerings; the service is free and saves you the jostling at the ‘shoe

minding’ stall at the entrance to the temple complex.

 

Samadhi mandir

This is the heartbeat of Shirdi. The entire town seems to revolve around

the shrine in which a life-size white Italian marble statue of the saint

presides. The shrine is also known by the unusual name of ‘Butty

Wada’, after the man who built it — Gopalrao Butty of Nagpur. There

is invariably a long line of devotees waiting for a darshan. If you are lucky,

the wait will be about half an hour, more likely to be an hour or more. Be

prepared to wait even longer — up to three or four hours — on

Thursdays, weekends, holidays and during festivals. Timings 5 am to 10 pm

 

Lotus Pond in Shirdi Dwarkamai

 

This is the old village mosque, located to the right of the mandir

entrance. This is where the 20-year-old Sai Baba took up residence in 1858 when

he first arrived in Shirdi as part of a marriage procession, and where he lived

for the remaining 60 years of his life. The two-level structure houses

portraits and relics of Sai Baba and some items of everyday use that belonged

to him, including the stone stool on which he sat when he had his bath.

 

Palki procession

 

Every Thursday, the holy day of Sai Baba, a palki procession is taken

through the streets of Shirdi. A framed photograph of the saint, along with the

slippers he wore, the chillum (traditional pipe) that he smoked and the stick he

carried are taken out on a palanquin hoisted on the shoulders of priests. The

procession starts at 9 pm from Samadhi mandir, Dwarkamai, Chavadi and then back

to the main temple.

 

Source: http://web.mid-day.com/smd/go/2004/january/75323.htm Namaste -

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