THE PROGENITOR OF THE FORMAL WORSHIP OF SRI SAI BABA: SRI TATYA SAHEB NOOLKAR (Concluding part)

[Guest guest]

The devotees all gathered in the Wada. All of them went one by one and

saluted Noolkar's feet. They took his body to the cremation ground on the

route along the masjid. The body was laid on the general pyre. Radhakrishna

Ayi who was sweeping the path walked by Baba from the masjid to the Lendi

Garden went running to the pyre exclaiming, "My mother favourite son is

gone." She kissed his feet and left. Baba went missing from Shirdi on the

third day after the death of Noolkar. The devotees and the villagers

searched for Baba with great apprehension and finally leant that he was at

Neemgaon. They went there and brought back Baba to Shirdi with great pomp in

a procession with musical instruments. At that time Noolkar's ashes were

being taken to Kopergaon for immersion in the holy Godavari River. The cart

carrying the ashes crossed the procession bringing Sri Sai Baba back from

Neemgaon. Baba left the procession, went to the cart carrying the ashes of

Noolkar and after making some signs with his hands rejoined the procession.

The Locket

The grandson of Tatya Saheb Noolkar, Sri Raghunath Viswanadh Noolkar, gave

us a story of how much Baba had loved his grandfather. His father, Viswanadh

had got a locket made as per the desire of his mother and sent it to Shirdi

by registered post. There was a photograph of Baba on one side and of

Noolkar on the other. She may have wanted Baba to consecrate the locket by

his touch and sent it back to her. Sri Shama had written a letter to his

father detailing what had transpired in the masjid when the locket reached

Baba. (A photocopy of this letter may be seen on the adjoining page.)

Shirdi

20-12-1912

Pranams. The locket sent by you by registered post parcel was handed over

yesterday, 19.12.1912, by the postman to Sri Sai Maharaj before the

afternoon arati. Sai Maharaj placed it near his lips and kissed it. Later he

told me "There are two people in this." He gave the parcel to me. When I

opened the parcel I saw the photos and the locket along with the letter

written by your mother. I read over the letter to Sai Maharaj and gave the

locket to his hand. He kept the locket in his hands for 15 to 20 minutes.

Later he showed Tatya's photo to each devotee who had come for the arati and

said, "This man took me along with him." I am letting you know the exact

words, which fell from his lips. He later gave me the locket for

safekeeping. Please convey my pranams to your mother.

Servant of Sri Sai

Madhavarao Deshpande

 

This is a free translation of the letter written in Marathi by Shama to

Viswanadh Noolkar. This shows how deeply Baba loved Noolkar. When he said

that there were two people in this, he had placed Noolkar on an equal

footing with him and showed the heights of spiritual progress of Noolkar.

When he said, "He has taken me with him," Baba let every one know that he

had drawn Noolkar's Soul in to himself.

- R.Surendra Babu

Box in Page 7

Sri Tatya Saheb Noolkar wrote a brief note to his friend Chandorkar about

the first celebrations of Guru Puja during Guru Poornima, as Chandorkar was

not present at Shirdi at that time. This letter was published in Sai Leela

magazine but unfortunately the date was not mentioned. This is a free

translation of that letter.

"As I awoke on Saturday, I remembered that it was the day of Guru Poornima.

We immediately started preparations for the pooja. Baba had permitted us to

worship him after he returned from his round of alms. He did not object and

kept silent when we worshipped him with the sixteen ways of worship. He

returned all the dakshina given to him back to the devotees after the

worship was over. We sent word to Radhakrishna Ayi and Dada Kelkar that

worship of Baba and arati were being done in the masjid. Ayi sent various

articles of pooja. Dade Kelkar too came with his pooja articles and

participated in the pooja."

 

(This concludes the articles)

 

Source (source www.saipatham.org) Saipatham August 2002 Magazine