SUNDAY SURPRISE (76)

SHRI SAI BABA OF SHIRDI.

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Good morning friends,

Last Sunday, I shared some of my experiences of miracles by two of the most revered saints in India, Shri Mahaperiyava and Shri Sai Baba of Shirdi. This Sunday, I wish to talk about this great Saint and a Sadguru ( the greatest teacher) who was kindness personified and an ocean of mercy.

According to Wikipedia, His year of birth is 1838 AD ( approximately) whereas there are speculations concerning who His parents were.

He was allegedly born to a boatman named  Ganga Bhavadia and his wife Devagiriamma in  the Maharashtrian village of Pathri. 

Another story is that Sai Baba was born in Tamil Nadu. This version claims that Abdul Sattar was his  father and Vaishnavdevi was his mother. This is one of the specialities of great saints. Their entry into this world is mysterious. Moreover, they are also aware of the time to shed their mortal bodies.

Sai Baba appeared as a 16-year-old boy who performed severe penance under the shade of the sacred Neem tree (scientific name: Azadirachta indica). People were curious to know more about him because he was so handsome and looked divine. According to Sai Satcharitra ( a book describing the life and miracles of Shri Sai), God Khandoba possessed the body of a devotee gathered around the boy, asked some people to dig at a particular spot. When this was done, they were surprised to find four earthern lamps burning inside the pit. How could it be possible? The people came to know that this place was dedicated to Sai Baba (the boy)’s Guru who had practiced meditation. Along with Sai Baba, people also started worshipping This Sacred Neem, around which they built Baba’s Gurusthan.

Sai Amrithadhara

Gurusthan under the sacred Neem.

It’s believed that the leaves of this tree are sweet rather than bitter.

Shri Sai Baba returned to Shirdi with thr marriage party led by Chand Patil, a well to do Muslim from Ahmednagar. He was given a warm welcome by Bhagat Mhalsapati, a priest at the Khandoba Temple, who addressed Him as, ” Ya, Sai! ” ( Welcome, Sai!) . This is how He got the name ” Sai Baba.” He began living in a deserted Masjid which He called Dwarkamai . This is where He used to help His devotees by curing them of all their ailments, offer His Kind words of Mercy that could change His Devotees’ fortune for a better and a prosperous life.

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Advisor

Dwarkamai ( Trip Advisor)

Dwarkamai ( Sai Baba’s Holy mosque that was and is open to the people of all the communities, especially Hindus. He regarded Dwarkamai as a Hindu Masjad and would address it with respect as Dwarkamai. Mai means mother) .

Shri Sai Baba, just like Mahaperiyava, never discriminated between His Followers. His Darbar ( Courtyard) is open to all.

Here, I would like to share an experience of my maternal aunt. She used to find it difficult to open her eyes for at least half to one hour every day after waking up. She used Cellophane tape to stick to her eyelids to keep her eyes open. She went to Shirdi with my grandparents and my maternal uncle. The moment she stepped inside Dwarkamai, She saw Sai Baba in His spiritual form. He smiled at her and beckoning her to follow him. He laughed and played with her. Of course, she experienced this because she was in the state of Trance. Actually, she fell unconscious. My family was worried. But she quickly regained consciousness and What a miracle! Her eye problem was completely cured. Till now, it has never recurred.

A similar miracle happened with my mom as well. As soon as she stepped inside Dwarkamai, she fell unconscious. The biggest miracle was she completely got rid of her Hypertension problem. The doctors were astonished to find a High BP patient getting completely cured. Such is the Grace of All Pervading Baba, whom I consider the reincarnation of God.

Well, be prepared for more goosebumps, as I will continue to discuss Shirdi Sai Baba’s greatness and His Temple Precincts.

Thank you so much for taking your precious time to visit my website. Hope you enjoyed reading my blogs. 😊😊