THE FIRST EVER SAI TEMPLE - THE TEMPLE AT BHIVPURI

[Guest guest]

Pradhan, was initially an atheist. Sri Pradhan was working for a Parsee

gentleman of Mumbai as a pedhi (a collector of debts owed to his employer). He

lived in Bhivpuri and would commute to Mumbai to work. In the course of his job

he would frequently go to Manmad, Nasik and Kopergaon. Pradhan had a close

friend who was a devotee of Sai Baba. He would often go to Shirdi and return

after having darshan of (seeing) Sri Sai Baba. Once, Pradhan visited his friend

when he was about to leave for Shirdi. He asked Pradhan to accompany him and to

have Baba's darshan. Pradhan, who had no belief in God or Godmen, initially

refused to go with him. Finally, however, he gave in to his friend's persuasion

and agreed to go, but not to set foot inside the mosque where Baba lived. His

friend accepted the compromise and they set out for Shirdi together.The friends

reached Shirdi and stayed in the wada. As it was time for the noon arati,

Pradhan's friend went to the mosque but Pradhan

stayed in the wada. The bell rang from the mosque for the arati and Pradhan

could hear it from his room. The deep gongs of the bell stirred him as never

before. He was enchanted by the sound and unknowingly started walking to the

mosque from where this heavenly sound was issuing forth. He reached the mosque

and sat in a corner. Looking at Baba, he was immersed in a state of bliss.

After the arati was over the other devotees took udi (the ashes from the

ever-burning fire, called a dhuni, kept by Baba) from Baba and left the mosque.

Pradhan was still in a state of bliss andwas unaware of everything but Baba. Sri

Sai then called Pradhan to draw near and asked him for dakshina (in India, it is

the custom when visiting a saint to present him or her with a gift). Pradhan had

Rs 2500 in his pocket. This was the amount he had collected for his employer

from the various debtors. He took out the entire cash from his pocket and,

placing it all in Baba's hands, returned to his room

still in the same state of bliss. A little later, Pradhan came to realise that

he had given the entire amount to Baba and was surprised that he could do such

a thing with his employer's money. His friend told him not to worry as Baba

would take care to see that Pradhan would not get into any trouble because of

this.Pradhan started back via Kopergaon from Shirdi in a horse-cart. It was

only after he reached Kopergaon that he realised that he had no money, even for

the hire of the cart. He requested the cart man to take his ring, sell it and

return the remaining cash after taking his fare. While this was going on a

well-dressed gentleman, unknown to Pradhan, arrived. After inquiring about the

matter he not only paid the cart man but also bought a ticket to Mumbai for

Pradhan and left as mysteriously as he came. Pradhan reached Bhivpuri. He did

not know how he could face his employer and tell him that he had used all the

money which he had collected. To gain time, he

sent word to his employer that he was sick and would come to work once he had

recovered. The employer sent word back granting leave till Pradhan was well

enough to return to work. He also wanted to know why Pradhan had sent double

the money he had collected and what he was to do with the excess? Pradhan saw

Baba's hand in this and was thrilled to the core of his being by the kindness

shown to him by Baba. He was electrified that Baba had showered his grace on

him to such an extent in the very first darshan. He became a staunch devotee of

Baba and would often go to Shirdi to visit Baba and take his blessings. Pradhan

would plead with Baba to come to Bhivpuri whenever he went to Shirdi. Once, in

1916, Baba gave his statue to Pradhan and said, "Go to Bhivpuri. Build a temple

for me there. Keep this statue in the temple and worship it. You need not come

to Shirdi any more." Pradhan returned to Bhivpuri but did not follow Baba's

instructions. When he next came to Shirdi Baba said,

"When I have come to your house, why have you come here? Bhivpuri is your

Shirdi. Go there and do as I told you."In a few days Pradhan built a small

temple near his house at Bhivpuri and ceremoniously installed the statue of

Baba; regular worship was started. This temple is located in a place which is

green with trees and beautiful to the eye. In the silence of the night the

sound of the temple doors opening would sometimes be heard. Baba's form would

be seen coming out of the temple and resting under a tree in the front yard.

The sound of the temple doors closing would be heard again at three in the

morning. All these leelas were experienced not only by Pradhan and his family

but also by their guests who stayed overnight. Pradhan had no doubt that

Bhivpuri was indeed his Shirdi and he became an even more ardent devotee of

Baba. The temple was developed to include an inner chamber, a big hall in the

forecourt, a verandah and guestrooms for the use of visiting

devotees.Sri V V Gupte, Pradhan's son-in-law, took an active part in conducting

the various affairs of the temple and helped further develop it. Sri Gupte had

first visited Shirdi in 1936 and experienced bliss at the sight of Baba's

samadhi. He prayed fervently to Baba to make the temple at Bhivpuri as glorious

and awesome as the Samadhi Mandir at Shirdi. Baba answered his prayers and the

Bhivpuri temple became famous with more and more devotees visiting it.Pradhan

passed away in 1939 and responsibility for the temple fell on Gupte's

shoulders. He started an organization for running the temple called the "Sri

Sadguru Sainathuni Seva Sanstha".The rush of visitors increased and the

existing facilities became insufficient. Funds were inadequate to do all that

was necessary to meet the huge influx of devotees. Finally, Baba's help was

sought. A devotee called Narayan Purohit started the formal reading of Sai

Baba's life. On the fourth day Baba came to him in a dream and

said, "Where is my dhuni? How can this be Shirdi without a dhuni? How can my

temple be complete without a dhuni?" As he had the dream twice, Purohit

informed Gupte and it was decided forthwith to build a dhuni as instructed by

Baba. Sri Valvalkar, the grandson of Sri Hemadpant (author of Sri Sai

Satcharitra – Baba's life story and leelas), first lit the dhuni on the

Ramanavami day of 1949. Ramanavami and Baba's samadhi festivals are celebrated

here with great fervour and glory._From Sai Leela magazine, September 1976