HAPPY SAI RAM NAVMI TO ALL SAI FAMILY

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HAPPY RAM NAVMIRAMA-NAVAMI FESTIVAL IN SHIRDI

 

Efficacy of the Touch of Guru’s Hand

Where

Real or Sadguru is the helmsman, he is sure to carry us safely and easily

beyond the worldly ocean. The word Sadguru brings to mind Sai Baba. He appears

to me, as if standing before me, and applying Udi (scared ashes) to my forehead

and placing his hand of blessing on my head. Then joy fills my heart and love

overflows through my eyes. Wonderful is the power of the touch of Guru’s hand.

The subtle-body (consisting of thoughts and desires), which cannot be burnt by

the world dissolving fire, is destroyed by the mere touch of the Guru’s hand,

and the sins of many past births are cleaned and washed away. Even the speech

of those, whose heads feel annoyed when they hear religious and Godly talks,

attains calmness. The seeing of Sai Baba’s handsome form, chokes our throat

with joy, makes the eyes overflowing with tears, and overwhelms the heart with

emotions. It awakens in us ‘I am He (Brahman)’ consciousness, manifests the joy

of self-realization, and dissolving the distinction of Thou, and I then and

there, makes us one with the Supreme (One Reality). When I begin to read

scriptures, at every step I am reminded of my Sadguru, and Sai Baba, assumes

the form of Rama or Krishna and makes me listen to his

Life. For instance when I sit to listen to Bhagwat, Sai becomes Krishna

from top to toe, and I think he sings the Bhagwat or Uddhava Gita (song of

teachings by Lord Shri Krishna to His disciple, Uddhava) for the welfare of the

devotees. When I begin to chitchat, I am at once put in mind of Sai’s stories

for enabling me to give suitable illustrations. When I myself start to write

anything, I cannot compose a few words or sentences, but when He of his own

accord makes me write, I go on writing and writing and there is no end to it.

When the disciple’s egoism props up, He presses it down with His hand, and

giving him His own power, makes him gain His object, and thus satisfies and

blesses him. If any one prostrates before Sai and surrenders heart and soul to

Him, then unsolicited, all the chief objects of life viz. Dharma

(righteousness), Artha (wealth), Kama (Desire) and Moksha (Deliverance), are

easily and unsolicitedly attained. Four paths, viz., of Karma, Jnana, Yoga and

Bhakti lead us separately to God. Of these, the path of Bhakti is thorny and

full of pits and ditches, and thus difficult to traverse, but if you, relying

on your Sadguru, avoid the pits and thorns and walk straight, it will take you

to the destination (God). So says definitely, Sai Baba.

After

philosophising about the Self-Existent Brahman, His Power (Maya) to create this

world and the world created, and stating that all these three are ultimately

one and the same, the author quotes Sai Baba’s words guaranteeing the welfare

of the Bhaktas: -

"There

will never be any dearth or scarcity, regarding food and clothes, in any

devotees’ homes. It is my special characteristic, that I always look to, and

provide, for the welfare of those devotees, who worship Me whole-heartedly with

their minds ever fixed on Me. Lord Krishna has also said the same in the Gita.

Therefore, strive not much for food and clothes. If you want anything, beg of

the Lord, leave worldly honours, try to get Lord’s grace and blessings, and be

honored in His Court. Do not be deluded by worldly honor. The form of the Deity

should be firmly fixed in the mind. Let all the senses and mind be ever devoted

to the worship of the Lord, let there be no attraction for any other thing; fix

the mind in remembering Me always, so that it will not wander elsewhere,

towards body, wealth and home.. Then it will be calm, peaceful and carefree.

This is the sign of the mind, being well engaged in good company. If the mind

is vagrant, it cannot be called well-merged."

After quoting

these words, the author goes on to relate the story of Rama Navami festival in

Shirdi. As Rama-Navami is the greatest festival celebrated at Shirdi, another

fuller account, as published in Sai Leela Magazine of 1925, page 197, is also

referred to and a summary of the festival, as related in both these accounts is

attempted here.

Origin

One,

Mr. Gopalrao Gund, was a Circle Inspector at Kopergaon. He was a great devotee

of Baba. He had three wives, but had no issue. With Sai Baba’s blessings, a son

was born to him. In the joy that he felt regarding the event, an idea of

celebrating a fair or ‘Urus’ occurred to him in the year 1897, and he placed it

for consideration before other Shirdi devotees, viz. Tatya Patil, Dada Kote

Patil and Madhavrao Deshpande (Shama). They all approved of the idea, and got

Sai Baba’s permission and blessings. Then an application for getting the

Collector’s sanction for celebrating the urus was made, but as the village

Kulkarni reported against holding the fair, the sanction was refused. But as

Sai Baba had blessed it, they tried again, and ultimately succeeded in getting

the Collector’s sanction. The day for the Urus was fixed on the Rama-Navami

day, after having consultation with Sai Baba. It seems, He had some end in

view, in this, viz., the Unification of the two fairs of festivals, the Urus

and the Rama-Navami and the unification of the two communities - the Hindus and

the Mahomedans. As future events showed, this end or object was achieved.

Though the

permission was obtained, but other difficulties cropped up. Shirdi was a

village, and there was scarcity of water. There were two wells in the village,

the one in use, dried up soon, and the water from the second was brackish. This

brackish water was turned into sweet one by Sai Baba, by throwing flowers into

it. The water of this well was insufficient, so Tatya Patil had to arrange to

get water, from a well by fixing Moats (leather sacks) thereon, at a

considerable distance. Then temporary shops had to be constructed, and wrestling

bouts arranged. Gopalrao Gund had a friend, by name Damu Anna Kasar, of

Ahmednagar. He also was similarly unhappy in the matter of progeny, though he

married two wives. Sai Baba too blessed him with sons, and Mr. Gund prevailed

upon his friend to prepare and supply one simple flag for the procession of the

fair; he also succeeded in inducing Mr. Nanasaheb Nimonkar to supply another

embroidered flag. Both these flags were taken in procession through the

village, and finally fixed at the two ends or corners of the Masjid, which is

called by Sai Baba as Dwarkamai. This is being done even now.

The ‘Sandal’ Procession

There

was another procession, which was started in this fair. This idea of ‘Sandal’

procession originated with one Mr. Amir Shakkar Dalal, a Mahomedan Bhakta from

Korhla. This procession is held in honour of great Muslim Saints. Sandal i.e.

Chandan paste and scrappings are put in the THALI (flat dishes), and these are

carried with incense burning before them in procession to the accompaniment of

band and music through the village and then after returning to the Masjid, the

contents of the dishes are thrown on the ‘Nimbar’ (nitche) and walls of the

Masjid with hands. This work was managed by Mr. Amir Shakkar for the first

three years, and then afterwards by his wife. So on one day, the two

processions, the ‘Flags’ by the Hindus and that of ‘Sandal’ by the Muslims,

went on side by side, and are still going on without any hitch.

Arrangement

This

day was very dear and sacred to the devotees of Sai Baba. Most of them turned

out on the occasion, and took a leading part in the management of the fair.

Tatya Kote Patil looked to all outward affairs, while the internal management

was entirely left to one Radha Krishna Mai, a female devotee of Baba. Her residence

was full of guests on the occasion, and she had to look to their needs, and

also to arrange for all the paraphernalia of the fair. Another work, which she

willingly did, was to wash out and clean and white-wash the entire Masjid, its

walls and floor, which were blackened and were full of soot on account of the

ever-burning Dhuni (sacred fire) of Sai Baba. This work, she did during the

night, when Sai Baba went to sleep every alternate day in the Chavadi. She had

to take out all the things, including even the Dhuni, and after thorough

cleaning and whitewashing replace them, as they were before. Feeding the poor,

which was so dear to Sai Baba, was also a great item in this fair. For this

purpose, cooking, on a grand scale and preparing various sweet dishes, was done

in Radha-Krishna Mai’s lodging, and, various rich and wealthy devotees took a

leading part in this affair.

Transformation of Urus into Rama-Navami Festival

Things

were going on in this way and the fair was gradually increasing in importance

till 1912 A.D., when a change took place; That year one devotee, Mr. Krishnarao

Jageshwar Bhisma (the author of the pamphlet ‘Sai Sagunopasana’), came for the

fair with Dadasaheb Khaparde of Amraoti, and was staying on the previous day in

the Dixit Wada. While he was lying on the verandah, and while Mr. Laxmanrao

alias Kaka Mahajani, was going down with Puja materials to the Masjid, a new

thought arose in his mind and he accosted the latter thus - There is some

providential arrangement in the fact that the Urus or fair is celebrated in

Shirdi on the Rama-Navami day; this day is very dear to all the Hindus; then

why not begin the Rama-Navami Festival - the celebration of the birth of Shri

Rama here on this day? Kaka Mahajani liked the idea, and it was arranged to get

Baba’s permission in this matter. The main difficulty was how to secure a

Haridas, who would perform ‘Kirtan’ and sing the glories of the Lord on the

occasion. But Bhishma solved the difficulty, by saying that his ‘Rama Akhyan’

(composition on Rama’s birth) was ready, and he would do the ‘Kirtan’ himself,

while Kaka Mahajani should play on the harmonium. It was also arranged to get

the ‘Sunthavada’ (ginger-powder mixed with sugar) as Prasad prepared by

Radha-Krishna Mai. So they immediately went to the Masjid to get Baba’s

permission. Baba, who knew all things and what was passing there, asked

Mahajani, as to what was going on in the Wada. Being rather perturbed, Mahajani

could not catch the purport of the question and remained silent. Then Baba

asked Bhishma, what he had to say. He explained the idea of celebrating

Rama-Navami festival, and asked for Baba’s permission and Baba gladly gave it.

All rejoiced and made preparations for the Jayanti-festival. Next day, the

Masjid was decorated with buntings etc., a cradle was supplied by Radha-Krishna

Mai, and placed in front of Baba’s seat and the proceedings started. Bhishma

stood up for Kirtan and Mahajani played on the harmonium. Sai Baba sent a man

to call Mahajani. He was hesitating to go, doubting whether Baba would allow

the festival to go on; but when he went to Baba, the latter asked him as to

what was going on and why the cradle was placed there. He answered that the

Rama-Navami festival had commenced, and the cradle was put on for that purpose.

Then Baba took a garland from the ‘Nimbar’ (nitche), and placed it round his

neck and sent another garland for Bhishma. Then commenced the Kirtan. When it

came to a close, pound sounds of "Victory to Rama" went up; and Gulal

(red - powder) was thrown up all round, amidst band and music. Everybody was

overjoyed, when suddenly roaring was heard. The red-powder thrown promiscuously

all round, went up, somehow entered Baba’s eyes. Baba got wild and began to

scold and abuse loudly. People got frightened by this scene and took to their

heels. Those intimate devotees, who knew Baba well, took these scoldings and

outpourings of Baba, as blessings in disguise. They thought that when Rama was

born, it was proper for Baba to get wild and enraged to kill Ravana; and his

demons, in the form of egoism and wicked thoughts etc. Besides they knew, that

whenever a new thing was undertaken at Shirdi, it was usual with Baba to get

wild and angry, and so they kept quiet. Radha-Krishna Mai was rather afraid;

and thought that Baba might break her cradle, and she asked Mahajani to get the

cradle back. When he went to loosen and unfasten the cradle, Baba went to him,

and asked him not to remove it. Then after some time, Baba became calm, and

that day’s programme, including Mahapuja and Arati was finished. Later on, Mr.

Mahajani asked Baba, for permission to remove the cradle, Baba refused the same

saying, that the festival was not yet finished. Next day, another ‘Kirtan’ and

Gopal-Kala ceremony (an earthern pot containing parched rice mixed with curds

is hung, only to be broken after the ‘Kirtan’, and the contents distributed to

all, as was done by Lord Krishna amongst His cow-herd (friends), were

performed, and then Baba allowed the cradle to be removed. While the

Rama-Navami festival was thus going on, the procession, of the two flags by day

and that of the ‘Sandal’ by night, went off with the usual pomp and show. From

this time onwards, the ‘Urus of Baba’ was transformed into the Rama-Navami

festival.

From next year

(1913), the items in the programme of Rama-Navami began to increase..

Radha-Krishna Mai started a ‘Nama-Saptah’ (singing the glory of God’s name

continuously day and night for seven days), from 1st of Chaitra, For this, all

devotees took part by turns, and she also joined it, sometimes early in the

morning. As Rama-Navami Festival is celebrated in many places all over the

country, the difficulty of getting a Haridas was felt again. But 5 or 6 days

before the festival, Mahajani met accidentally Balabuva Mali,

who was known as modern Tukaram, and got him to do the ‘Kirtan’ that year. The

next year (1914), another Balabuva Satarkar of Brihadsiddha Kavate, District

Satara, could not act as a Haridas in his own town, as plague was prevailing in

his town, and so he came to Shirdi; With Baba’s permission, which was secured

through Kakasaheb Dixit, he did the Kirtan; and was sufficiently recompensed

for his labour. The difficulty of getting a new Haridas every year was finally

solved from 1914 by Sai Baba, as He entrusted this function to Das Ganu Maharaj

permanently, and since that time, he has been successfully and creditably

conducting that function uptill now.

Since 1912, this festival began to grow

gradually year-by-year. From the 8th to 12th of Chaitra, Shirdi looked like a beehive of

men. Shops began to increase. Celebrated wrestlers took part in wrestling

bouts. Feeding of the poor was done on a grander scale. Hard work and sincere

efforts of Radha-Krishna Mai turned Shirdi into a Sansthan (State).

Paraphernalia increased. A beautiful horse, a palanquin, chariot and many

silver things, pots, buckets, pictures, mirrors etc. were presented. Elephants

were also sent for the procession. Though all this paraphernalia increased

enormously, Sai Baba ignored all these things, and maintained His simplicity as

before. It is to be noted that both the Hindus and Mahomedans have been working

in unison in both the processions, and during the entire festival, there has

been no hitch or quarrel between them at all so far. First about 5000-7000

people used to collect, but that figure went up to 75000 in some years; still

there was no outbreak of any epidemic or any riots worth the name during so

many past years.

 

BOW TO SHIRI SAI - PEACE BE TO ALLPOOJASAI RAM

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