WHEN BABA BLESSED ME IN PERSON (September 1990)

[Guest guest]

Strangely my father did not show any surprise at this sudden query for the

first lime in my life and coolly told me that it could be removed at any

time now. He told me to go to Shirdi, adding that he need not even accompany

me. He said, all I had to do was to remove it and put it on the Samadhi and

offer floral tributes. He advised me to see on my visit if there was

anything we could do to help the Sansthan. Very soon after this my father

who was hail and hearty suddenly expired having his first and last heart

attack. Now you see the significance of my suddenly asking him the removal

of the Bedi and his mentioning that he need not even go with me though he

was so devoutly concerned with it. I believe, because my father was to go

for good very soon Sai Baba prompted me to ask and free us from whatever

that was binding on us.

 

Soon after my father's demise in November 1950,I went to Shirdi with my

family priest and removed the Bedi as I was told. I was glad to note that

the Samadhi structural work was just finished and strangely the electrical

installation work was to be done strangely, because it was just the kind of

work for us, as our family business has been of Licensed Electrical

Engineers and Contractors in the firm name of Bhagvati & Co. On return I

spoke to my elder brother, himself an electrical engineer, and we soon

offered to do the work, considering it our good fortune and privilege to

make our small contribution. Here again a miracle took place. The work was

completed quite satisfactorily but unfortunately on the day of the

inauguration, just a little before the appointed time the lights failed. All

our workers were of a highly competenl grade and yet inspite of their best

effort the lights wouldn't come on. Ultimately they had to give up and our

manager, who also was a sincere devotee of Sai Baba just squatted in front

of the Samadhi and offered his heartfelt prayers, begging to be pardoned for

any mistakes committed. Miracles of miracles, nothing more having been done,

at the last critical moment the whole place got brilliantly lit up.

 

Our family has experienced many such miracles through the Grace of Shri Sai

whom we have been devoutly worshipping since 1918 a little before His

Samadhi, when He was little known to people at large. In fact people

visiting us, on seeing His picture used to ask us as to who He was. In 1950,

when I first visited Shirdi it was not a very popular place and look at it

now in less than forty years it has become a place of pilgrimage of an

exceptionally high order attracting devotees of all castes and creeds from

all over the world.

 

Sing Glory of Shri Sai, Endeavour for a Holy Tie, For this will bring you

rare relief, From all the worldly pain and grief.

 

K. M. Bhagvati

Bombay-49.

 

The experiences of Devotees as published in Shri Sai Leela Magazine, can be

read at www.saileelas.org/magazines/SAILEELA/exp.htm