SRI RAMANAVAMI IS NOT BABA'S BIRTHDAY

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SRI RAMANAVAMI IS NOT BABA’S BIRTHDAY

Some devotees believe Sri Ramanavami day is Baba’s birthday. Some recent

hagiographies of Sri Sai Baba have published this ‘fact’, along with the

time of birth, the star under which Baba was born, and the year. There is no

basis for this and it is purely imaginary.

Baba never said that the day of Sri Ramanavami was his birthday. Even the

close intimate devotees of Baba never stated in their writings or

reminiscences any facts about Baba’s origins, parentage, or the day of his

birth. Famous historians who have thoroughly researched Baba’s life have

also confirmed that Baba’s life prior to coming to Shirdi was a total

secret. Baba too kept his antecedents a divine secret.

The attempt to fix Baba - who is beyond all limitations of religion - into

the mould of a particular religion, seems to be the underlying motive behind

this propaganda. The attempt to show a love for Baba by making him a member

of one’s own religion is repugnant to Baba, as his life and history show.

As the devotees started the celebration of Sri Ramanavami themselves, and as

it is a tradition in Shirdi, the Sai Baba Sansthan continues to celebrate

Sri Ramanavami. It is not celebrated as the birthday of Sai Baba nor has the

Sansthan ever considered Ramanavami day as Baba’s birthday.

So far, we have seen how the Urs Festival was celebrated initially and how

it evolved into the Ramanavami Festival. The next year saw many more

changes. In accordance with the proposal of Radhakrishna Ayi, a nine-day

chanting of Rama’s name started in the mandap. The bhajan would continue day

and night for nine days without a break. Food was arranged for those taking

part. In the early hours of the morning, when Sai Maharaj slept in Chavadi,

Radhakrishna Ayi also led the bhajan with her melodious voice. She would

sing immersed in the ecstasy of devotion for three to four hours.

That year Bhishma was not available to sing the kirtan, so Radhakrishna Ayi

deputed Lakshmanrao to find another singer from Bombay. As Rama’s birthday

was being celebrated all over the country and singing of the kirtan was an

essential part of the festivities, Lakshmanrao could not easily find a good

singer. They were already engaged elsewhere for the festival. One famous

singer who was an intimate friend of Lakshmanrao was also unable to come to

Shirdi as he was engaged by the devotees at Thana. Both Lakshmanrao and

Radhakrishna Ayi were disappointed because they could not find a good singer

for the Ramanavami at Shirdi. Finally, they decided that they would

themselves sing the kirtan if no singer was available, and started learning

them by rote. However, they were none too confident of doing them justice.

Their fears about not being able to find a good singer were unjustified,

however. Any activity which is started after taking the blessings of Sai

Maharaj is bound to succeed. Though the Maharaj never seemed to do anything

by himself, he would somehow get the desired result by having the work done

by someone else. Four or five days before the Ramanavami festival,

Lakshmanrao met, as if by mere chance, Bala Bua Maharaj. He was such a

melodious singer that his audience would forget themselves, immersed fully

in his sweet song. When Lakshmanrao asked him to do the kirtan at Shirdi,

Bala Bua Maharaj agreed immediately, so Lakshmanrao brought him and his

troupe to Shirdi.

The following year, the problem of finding a suitable kirtan singer was

solved by getting Bala Bua to fill in. He was staying in Bombay at that time

but could not come to Shirdi as he had already agreed to do the kirtan in

some other village. However, that year plague was raging in that particular

village and Bala Bua was available, so he went to Kaka Saheb Dixit’s house

at Parle in Bombay to see if he could do the kirtan that year at Shirdi.

Kaka would never do anything without taking Baba’s permission, so he said

that he would go to Shirdi to seek Baba’s approval. Kaka also told Bala Bua

that while the travelling expenses would be given to them, the honorarium

for the performance would have to be fixed by Baba. Bala Bua wanted to have

the darshan of Baba and he did also wanted work, so he agreed. Lakshmanrao

walked in while this discussion was going on having come from Shirdi only

that morning and had bringing udi and prasad for everyone. Bala Bua saw this

as a good omen and felt certain that he and his troupe would go to Shirdi

for Ramnavami that year.

Sai Maharaj gave his consent and Bala Bua did the kirtan for nine days and

won the appreciation of everybody for his singing. The devotees arranged

themselves for these nine days to take part in the bhajan in such a way that

enough singers were always present. Sai Baba rewarded Bala Bua handsomely

for the kirtan.

The festival had no problems other than the arrangement of a good singer for

the kirtan. Sai Baba solved this problem too, from the fourth year of the

festival. Das Ganu Maharaj, who was an ardent devotee of Baba, had resigned

from his job on Baba’s instructions. He was not only a renowned poet but

also a singer of no mean repute. It would be a permanent solution to the

problem of finding a singer to do the kirtan if Das Ganu Maharaj took up the

responsibility. But Lakshmanrao wanted the order to come from Baba. As what

is said by Baba never fails, there would no longer be the problem of

searching for kirtan singers. Once when Das Ganu was in Shirdi, Lakshmanrao

was also there. Seizing the opportunity Lakshmanrao broached the subject

with Sai Maharaj. Baba ordered Das Ganu to sing the kirtan every year at

Shirdi for the Ramanavami festival. Delighted to get the opportunity to

serve Baba, Das Ganu Maharaj ably discharged the responsibility for many

years.

Konchi baro bari karo nahi,

Konchi ninda

Konchya bolanyane apalya karu nahi

Do not compete with anyone.

Do not blame anyone.

Do not talk ill of anyone.

_Sai Baba

Every year something new was added to the festival. It would be celebrated

with a lot of joy, from the inaugural day, till the day of the full moon.

Many shops would be temporarily set up, many devotees would come from afar.

Famous wrestlers of that time would come to take part in the wrestling

competition. A circus would raise its big top and give shows every year.

Mass feeding of the devotees would be done. Due to Radhakrishna Ayi’s

influence Shirdi was fast taking the shape of a king’s court or Sansthan.

Devotees started presenting the Sansthan with valuable gifts. One devotee

gave a valuable horse, some a palanquin, while others presented a chariot.

Valuable silver items, silver salvers, dishes, costly clothes and cushions

started coming in. Expensive paintings and brilliant lighting added to the

pomp. Despite all this treasure which poured in, Baba remained the poor

fakir he was and refused to even touch any of these costly gifts; all of

them were used only for the festival.

Hari kripa tabajaniye de manav avatar Guru kripa

tabajaniye chudave sansar.

 

The guru is apparent to us in human body

by the grace of the Almighty.

It is by the grace of the guru that we are saved

from this vast ocean of the mundane.

 

_Kabir

The circus used to send their elephant for the festival. Some devotees

dearly wished that the Sansthan had its own elephant, but this required the

Maharaj’s approval. They completed the negotiations for buying an elephant

and went to Sai Baba for his approval. They were adamant that Baba would

approve the purchase but Baba would not accede to their request. He looked

at them with his kind, fatherly eye and reasoned with them, “It is not

difficult to buy the elephant – but how can we look after it? We would have

to feed it with huge heaps of food and grass. I am only a poor fakir. What

am I going to do with an elephant? To buy an elephant for mere pomp and show

is not correct. We have to see if we can maintain it too.” Thus Sai Baba

pacified the devotees and they dropped the idea. Every year the elephant

would be brought from the circus and after being blessed by Baba would take

part in the festivities.

Hindus and Muslims would work shoulder to shoulder in this festival. The

feeling that Ramnavami was a Hindu festival which Muslims should not attend

did not even enter their minds. In the same manner the Muslims never felt

bad that a Hindu festival was being celebrated in their mosque. Muslims

would be present for the Ramnavami Festival and Hindus would take part in

the chandanotsav of the Muslims. Each had forgotten their religion and their

inherent animosities and merged into Sai Maharaj’s one religion of love. As

the number of people attending the festival became larger and larger, police

would be present in greater numbers to tackle any clashes between these two

religious communities, but due to the grace of Sri Sai Baba they were never

called to action. At the time of the Urs festival 5,000 to 7,000 devotees

would come, and this number gradually increased to 75,000, yet there were no

incidences of clashes or even epidemics, all due to Baba’s grace.

After Baba entered samadhi, the responsibility of conducting the Ramanavami

festival fell on Das Ganu Maharaj and Tatya Patil. As Damu Anna Kasar (who

was a dear disciple of Das Ganu) had recently passed away, the devotees were

worried that some changes would be made to the festival. However, Das Ganu

acted with great fortitude and balance and made sure that the festivities

went well. Kisanrao filled the vacuum left by Damu Anna.

Sripant Rajeswarrao and Narayanrao Desmukh from Mongalai village, Jagirdar

from Majopi village; Rao Bahadur Sankarrao, Govind Deshpande, Nago Rao,

Hanumanthrao Pingalikar, R N Bubavar, G M Sowkar, B R Pattewar, Mukhavar,

Papalav, Vanjaridambi, Bapurao, Ranganadharao and Datto pant etc., in all

totaling 75 devotees, came along. Mrs. Joglekar, Mrs. Chowdary and Kasibai

came from Pune. From Bombay came Rao Saheb Kaka Dixit, Anna Saheb Dhabolkar

with his son and daughter, Batkankar Vakil, Ajikwa, Ramakrishna

Srikrishnavalkar Tirle, Rao Saheb Balakrishna Koli’s family, Mayakar, and V.

V. Pradhan. From Andheri, Bandra and Kandaville came Dev, Bindre master,

Harischandra Ramji, Vaidya, Karnik, Parasuram Dolas and his son, Gadiyali,

Mukundrao Achari and Ranghugoud Parnerkar. Gadgil arrived 'en famille' from

Pune as did Joshi and Podari. Purushottamrao came from Khandwa.

The brahmachari Janakidas came from Ayodhya. Vishwanadh Adkar, Madhavrao

Adkar, Vasudevrao Kolangade from Bhusaval with his family, Shivlal Chunilal,

Sasikar and Patkar came too for the festival. Some of the other prominent

people were, Brahmanpur the singer from Kisan, ten family members of the

late Damu from Ahmednagar, Balaji Govind, Chintamani Narayana, Sona Tirkey,

Vamanbhau Pujari, Sakharam Patil and Yaswantrao Patil from Devlali. The

Mamlatdar Saheb and the Fauzdar Saheb of Kopergaon also came, accompanied by

the other government officials such as the Sub-Registrar and Dr Mohata.

Das Ganu Maharaj used to look after the food arrangements for the devotees

from outside Shirdi who came for the festival. The festival would start on

schedule on the Asthami, or the eighth day of the waxing moon.

The ceremonial bathing of Baba’s samadhi would be done on the ninth or the

Navami day. Brahmins well versed in the sacred vedas would be specially

called for this abhishek ceremony. After this, Das Ganu sang the kirtan till

the afternoon arati. New clothes would be presented to the sevaks of the

Sansthan after the noon arati, by Das Ganu Maharaj. The Flag Festival was

celebrated in the evening with a procession. A fireworks display was

organized after the Chandanotsav at night. It was three in the morning by

the time all these activities were over.

Wrestling matches were held the next morning and in the afternoon. About

four hundred wrestlers took part in the competition and the winners were

given silver shields and cash. This part of the festival was looked after by

Tatya. A display of fireworks would again be done after the palanquin

procession. The various colours and shapes of the fireworks would enthrall

the rustic audience. Papalal, a member of Das Ganu Maharaj’s entourage,

would organize the fireworks display on which two hundred rupees would be

spent,

An enthusiastic singer performed the kirtan at Dixit wada the day after

Ramnavami. He was none else but a protégé of Das Ganu Maharaj - Nageswararao

Hanumanthrao Pingelekar. Nageswararao was employed in the court at Pingalai.

He sang for two and half hours and the enthralled devotees would not let him

go with their repeated pleas to continue the kirtan. However, time did not

permit any extension. The festival finished on the third day with the

celebration of Gopal Kala in front of the samadhi.

On the night of Saturday, another protégé of Das Ganu - Tukaram, sang the

kirtan. Approximately 1200-1500 devotees were fed every day of the festival.

The festival lost some of its lustre after the samadhi of Baba. It is only

now that it is slowly picking up its former glory. Shops are being set up in

ever greater numbers. Of all the festivals being celebrated in Shirdi, this

Ramnavami festival is the largest and entails the most expenditure by the

Sansthan. Das Ganu Maharaj and his band of dedicated workers are conducting

this festival. I beg the leave of the readers, praying to the lotus feet of

Sri Sai Baba, that Das Ganu may conduct many more such festivals in the

future too.

_From the “Sai Leela Masik” (Marathi) 1925 vol 2-3

Translated into Telugu by Sri SVL

 

(Source Saipatham April 2001)