Visit to Shrdi – Aug 2005

[Guest guest]

Jai Sai Ram

 

Baba takes care of all His devotees, but some

times He takes special care for His devotees. This

time when we visited Shirdi He took special care of

us. We generally visit Shirdi every year, during the

month of August and every year we say that we had the

very good trip and better than the last year. But this

time really it was our best trip and we really never

had such a trip. Baba helped us so much through people

that we experienced so many miracles and felt His

presence with us through out the trip. Baba even let

us do certain things which even Shirdi Sansthan would

not allow us to do. I will try to discribe our visit

to Shirdi from 7th to 12th August 05.

On 7th August we started our

journey by Goa Express from Hazrat Nizamudin. Son and

daughter of our neighbour gave us the lift to the

Railway Station . Our old neighbour from Lodhi Colony

came to Rly Station to see us off. As we had the A/c

3-tier tickets so the journey was very comfortable up

to Manmad. In the coupe we had the company of another

Sai devotee couple going to Shirdi. Through out the

journey we discussed only about Baba. From Manmad to

Shirdi, we also shared the taxi. This journey was a

little rough, as the road was under repairs and it

took us about 2 hours to cover this 60 Kms distance

instead of usual one and a half hour. We straight

away went to the hotel where we were having the

booking. Took the quick bath and started for the

darshan of Baba. We took the 2 towels and the inner

cloth ( white soft shawal) for Baba, which we

purchased from the Handloom Emporium in the Connaught

Place. First of all we had to collect the passes. As I

retired from the Central Govt. from the post of Joint

Secretary we were given passes for Darshan, VIP pass

from Gurusthan for Dhoop Aartee, and also the Shej

Aartee . Pass for food at the VIP room-1 was also

given. We took all the passes for three persons. Dr

Ragu from California was to join us. We made the

booking for the hotel room for him also. He made the

program in a very shot time and from Banglore to

Kopergaon he had to travel in the ordinary sleeper

class and that too his father got the ticket in the

foreign quota, the only ticket available at that time

for that date. After collecting the passes and

purchasing the pooja thali, garland and the prasad we

entered the VIP gate for darshan. We did pooja,

offered coconet to Baba from our side and one coconet

from the side of a devotee (very close to us), who

asked us to offer a coconet to Baba. Both the coconets

were taken by the poojari ji. Mrs. Gupta offered the

offerings of nearly 25 devotees into the ‘Daan pethi’

one by one mentioning the names of the devotee and

his/her message to Baba. We spent nearly 10-15 minutes

in front of Baba. Then we submitted the towels and the

inner cloth in the office. On earlier occasions we

used to take fancy cloth of 3 mts for Baba, 2 mts for

smadhi and 1 mtr for the Safa. But this time we

thought to take the towels for the Morning bath of

Baba and the inner cloth, so that it will remain on

Baba for the entire day. We were given one coconet

each, Udi and flowers. Then we had the round of

Gurusthan, Dwakamai and the Chavri. By this time Dr

Ragu also joined us. Again we had the Darshan and the

round of Gurusthan, Dwakamai and the Chavri. Dr Ragu

was to deliver a lecture to the Doctor of the Sri Sai

Nath Hospital. We went to the office of the Executive

Officer and met several trustees. We also met the

Administrative officers for making the arrangement for

the lecture next day. The lecture was to be delivered

with the help of computer and in powerpoint, with the

help of the projector. In a very short time we had to

had 4-5 cups of tea offered by trustees and the

officers of the Sansthan. It was the last Monday of

the Srawan month, so special Doop Aarti was there on

that day and it was to start at 6 PM instead of usual

6:30 PM. We were to report at Gurusthan Gate at 5:30

for the Dhoop Aartee but were detained by the

trustees. At 5:55 we entered the Samadhi Mandir along

with the trustees and stood just next to the Poojari

ji performing the aartee. We were so overwhelmed by

the treatment given by Baba to us. Lord Shiva’s photo

was there on the plateform. After the Aartee, Pandit

ji gave us the aarti of the 5 flames. He gave this

aartii to me, Dr Raghu and one more person and then he

put it in the kund. Mrs Gupta was standing on the

ladies side and was a little away from the Poojari ji.

We bowed to Baba and touched His Lotus feets

(Charans). Here again Dr Rahu was the first one, then

me and then Mrs. Gupta, followed by the trustees. We

were taken to the room near the exit door and were

given the special prasad of coconet, Udi and flowers

and also a polythene bag to keep these things in.

After the Aartee we were given the passes for the next

day’s Aartees. We attended the Shej Aartee and also

the Kankad Aartee in the morning, next day, just

standing in the front row in the VIP enclosure. On 9th

August at 3 PM Dr Raghu gave the lecture. This day

also we attended the Aartees the same way. Next day

we went to Signapore by the hired private car. This

time there was no rush because of the heavy rains in

Bombay. August is otherwise also a lean period and

that is why we prefer to come to Shirdi during August.

We had good darshan of Sani Maharaj and did pooja

there. We three also did Abhishek there and purchase

the pooja thali with all the maximum things in it. We

also did Abhishek pooja on behalf of our sons.

Dr Raghu started Sai Satcharitra

and wanted to finish it by Thursday. We had to skip

the Shej Aartee on this day as we were tired and also

Dr Raghu wanted to complete the Sai Satcharita. In the

evening Dr Raghu was reading Sai Satcharitra in the

Dwarkamai and had the desire to put some fire wood in

the Dhooni. He purchased 150 Kgs of firewood and

stored there and called us there. At 6:10 PM, Just

before the Dhoop Aartee, doors of the Dwarka Mai were

closed for cleaning up. We were taken in. Doors of the

Fireplace were opened, fireballs were taken out in two

pots, one for the Samadhi mandir and the other for the

Dwarkamai and we were allowed to put one log each in

the Dhooni. We were so glad that Baba has made us do

such thing which is not normally allowed. At 6:15 we

rushed for the Dhoop Aartee which was to start at

6:30PM. Luckly we were in time. In every Aartee which

we attended, we were in the front row in the VIP

enclosure and among the first five to bow before the

Baba and touch His Holy Lotus feet, after the Aartee.

On 11th, the day of departure in the morning after

attending the Kankad Aartee we did Satya Narain Pooja.

It was wonderful. This time we were given so many VIP

passes of Aartees and for food in my name, Dr Raghu’s

name and also from Mrs Gupta’s contacts that we were

not able to use them all and many passes had simply

gone waist. Every night when Baba sleeps, a jug of

water is kept by His side. This water become less in

the morning as Baba drink this water in the night. We

were also fortunate to have a bottle of this Holy

water. Beside this we also brought the holy water of

Baba’s bath and also lots of Udi , which we have

distributed here among the devotees. On Thursday at 11

Mrs. Gupta did the Sai Amrit Vani. There were three

doctors besides us in the hotel room. Though Mrs Gupta

was not having the cassette of Amrit Vani, Dr Raghu

was having the print out of the Sri Sai Amrit Vani.

Mrs Gupta had not planned for it. We had only 2 copies

of the Sai Amrit Vani and Mrs. Gupta thought that she

will do the Sri Sai Amrit Vani silently in Dwarkamai.

But Dr Raghu insisted to do it in the hotel room so

that others can also join it. Dr Raghu has a bold

voice and with him we could do Sri Sai Amrit Vani.

Here also the lap of Mrs Gupta was filled with Udi.

The time there in Shirdi flied so

fast that we could not realized it. On our way back at

Manmad we wanted to meet Ashok Baba also, but he was

out of station for quite some time. We reached back

Delhi by Sachkhand Express at scheduled time and the

son of our neighbour picked us up from the Railway

Station. Dr Raghu also went back to Puttapati the

same day from Kopergaon by Karnataka Express. Baba

took so much care of us that I cannot describe it

fully. It is only some part of it that I have

mentioned. Our sincere Thanks to Baba. Jai Sai Ram.

 

Ashok Kumar Gupta

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