~LIVE EXPRIENCES OF THE TARKHAD FAMILY WITH SHRI SAI BABA OF SHIRDI ~

[Guest guest]

Experiences with Saint Gadge Maharaj

"Om Shri Sainathaya Namaha."

As stated earlier I am going to make an attempt by stretching my memory to

reveal about one of the greatest Saints of Maharashtra Saint Gadge Maharaj. He

used to visit our bungalow at Khar uninformed in the evening and then leave in

the wee hours of the morning. I have seen him personally. He would were a robe

made out of pieces of colorful cloth hemmed and stitched together and tie his

head with a piece of cloth. Because of his this attire he was also known as

GODHADI MAHARAJ or GODHADI BABA. He used to wear leather "Chadhav" as footwear

and always carried a bamboo stick in his hand. The Bamboo stick had an iron cap

at the bottom to protect it from wearing. He was a very ardent devotee of Lord

Vitthal (Vishnu) and would keep uttering

Panduranga...Panduranga...all the time. I think Dasganu Maharaj who would spread

Sai Mahima through his Kirtans all over Maharashtra introduced him to our

family. The focus of attention of Saint GadgeMaharaj was mainly to provide all

kinds of help to downtrodden people. He also used to teach them the importance

of cleanliness and would demonstrate practically himself by sweeping the roads

of the villages all over Maharashtra."Cleanliness is Godliness " was his

teaching, which can only free the villages from epidemics and diseases used to

be his message to all the villagers. Of course, in the process if he could get

grants from wealthy people which he would collect and distribute' it to needy

people of the villages. After the Mahasamadhi of SaiBaba my grand father

started donating the Tagas (rolls) of raw cloth to Saint Gadge Maharaj. My

mother would stitch a "Godhadi" with her own hands and offer the same to

GadgeBaba whenever he would visit our house. He would then bless her and

carry the same for his personal use. I think love and affection which people of

that time use to shower, is difficult to find these days.

As informed earlier Saint Gadge Maharaj was instrumental in forcing my father to

buy a bungalow. He used to go around on foot most of the time and he had seen a

bungalow at Khar Which my father had purchase outright for Rs. 15,0007- in the

year 1923. At that time it was like a solitary structure in Old Khar and I

remember we could see Railway station, Mount Mary Church etc. unobstructed from

the terrace of our bungalow. Whenever GadgeBaba would arrive, he would order my

mother who would then prepare special Roti of "Jwari" and "Zhunka" for him and

that night we all would have "Zhunka Bhakar" dinner. Believe in me the great

taste of those items is cherished in my memory for- ever. After dinner Saint

GadgeBaba would narrate his experiences gathered during his "Padayatras" to

various villages.

GadgeBaba was certainly not an ordinary person but another messenger of God. I

will now narrate to you what divine experience my father had along with him

during his visit to Pandharpur with him.

GadgeBaba was a regular visitor of the Holy place of Pandharpur, which is a

pilgrimage. He was an ardent devotee of Lord Vithoba and would always do his

Namajapa saying Panduranga... Panduranga... during his free time. Once my

father inquired with him whether he had met Lord Panduranga any time in his

life. GadgaBaba told my father to accompany him to Holy place Pandharpur. He

stated to my father that he will have to stay there like a pilgrim and away

from the luxuries as available in his comfortable bungalow. My father then

embarked upon the second visit to Pandharpur along with Saint GadgeBaba.

They were put up in a tent built on the sands of river Chandrabhaga. Throughout

the day he went around along with Maharaj and witnessed how he undertook

cleaning operations, how he offered advice to downtrodden people who flock

around him and patiently listen to his sermons. My father got a fair idea about

the social activities of Saint Gadge Maharaj and in the evening they returned to

their tent. My father noticed that there were three mattresses laid inside the

tent, each with a "Kambal"(black colored blanket) and kerosene Lantern hanging

in the center of the tent. GadgeBaba told my father to relax and he would go

and fetch some "Zhunka Bhakar"(special village dish)for eating. My father was

inquisitive and asked him about the third mattress and

its would be occupant. GadgeBaba informed him that he had forgotten to tell him

that he would have one guest of him for a night's stay and will go away well

before dawn. The guest will not cause any inconvenience to them. He declared

that whenever he visits Pandharpur this guest gives him company at night. On

saying this GadgeBaba left the tent. Soon darkness had settled in the tent, so

also the temperature had dropped, my father started dozing and fell asleep. He

was awakened by the call of GadgaBaba who brought some "Zhunka Bhakar" for my

father. He apologized to him that he had already taken the dinner with his

guest and my father can go ahead as he must be very hungry. In the meantime he

would go for a stroll on the riverbank. My father had a look at the guest. He

was wearing a "Dhotar" and nothing on top. The color of his skin was pitch dark

like "Bhills"(tribe in India) and his eyes were red like burning coal. He had a

"Kambal on his shoulder. The most surprising thing was

that the entire tent was filled with a strong aroma of Musk, which my father had

never smelled before. They both left the tent and my father carried on with his

delicious dinner. Yes he had never tasted such a delicious food before. The

aroma of the musk played its role and my father was in deep sleep no sooner he

finished his dinner. He got up in the morning with the loud sound of a crowing

cock. GadgeBaba was already awake. He told my father to rinse his mouth and

drink the hot tea, which was waiting for him in the earthen pot. My father

inquired about the guest, when GadgeBaba told him that the guest had already

taken his tea and left, as he had to be there on his duty before the Mandir

opens. My father felt rather awkward and asked Maharaj, as to why did he not

introduce the guest to him. GadgaBaba then told my father that he thought that

my father would have recognized the guest who needs no introduction in

"Pandharpur" My father told him that at night he could not see him

properly and he thought that in the morning Maharaj would anyway introduce him

before he departs. Then Maharaj told him that the guest was none other than

Lord Vithoba of "Pandharpur." He asked my father whether he got an answer for

his question, posed to him in his bungalow. Now my father could lay hands on

that sweet and hypnotizing aroma of Musk. My father used to say that the aroma

of the Musk accompanied him for quite sometime and made him feel the presence

of Lord Vithoba.

Saint GadgeBaba also offered one pleasant experience. He had also gone old with

the passage of time and his last visit to our bungalow was also a memorable one

he used to always come along with his "Kambal "(Coarse Blanket) and "Stick" and

leave our house with his belongings. On his last visit he forgot to carry his

stick with him. Infact he did not actually forget to carry but I think he

deliberately left it behind as a mark of remembrance. Why I say this because

his style of walking was such that without the help of the stick he couldn't

have walked. My parents discussed amongst themselves to find his whereabouts

and return his stick to him. But it was not possible to search him because he

was in the

true sense of the term ”The Roaming Saint of Maharashtra."

Always in service for the downtrodden. My parents used to treat that stick as a

very sacred item and it was kept near our Sandalwood Mandir. My parents also

purchased one portrait of him and placed the same in our Sandalwood Mandir in

order to perform the daily pooja as you will appreciate that he was also like a

deity for them.

Dear readers I am sure you all must have found this episode also an interesting

one. I once again feel that to day we miss such Saints or Messengers of God

amongst us and we also lack presence of ardent devotees with their selfless

devotion towards the Saints.

 

 

BY

VIRENDRA JYOTINDRA TARDHAD

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With Baba Nothing is Impossible

Baba guide us all

Sairam

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