FEW INFORMATION FROM M. B. REGE'S LETTER

[Guest guest]

FEW INFORMATION FROM M. B. REGE’S LETTER

The colour of Baba I would put as wheat colour but there were some brilliance

which cannot be described. At times there would be bright aura round his face.

His height was approximately 5’10"

His daily routine was that in the morning just after sunrise he would wash his

face and hands sitting in what I may call the Verandah. Then he would be in his

seat smoking a tobacco chilam, and people would come for his Darshan. About an

hour later, He would go to the Lendi. The route was through the village and

Radhakrishna Ayee would sweep the road backwards so as not to step on the swept

portion. The Lendi was then a sort of deep canal. Some people accompanied and

awaited his return from the canal. He would be there for about an hour. On his

return he would wash his feet and then go out for Bhiksha. During my visit I

would accompany him. As far as I know, He went to Lendi only once in a day.

I never saw him taking non-vegetarian food. Until 1911 to 1912 when people

prepared several dishes of food and sent the same as Naivedhya (kanniku), He

used to take only the things he got as Bhiksha. Even when he got the Naivedhya

he did not abandon his Bhiksha. I cannot vouch for the correctness of the

statement in the Sat-charitra. He did not take anything by way of breakfast or

dinner at night so far as I am aware. His meal was only the afternoon lunch,

after Arati, which was conducted in the same manner as is done now at Shirdi.

I never saw Him suggesting medicine for his devotees. I have only heard that he

cured a blind person by putting a little chilli powder in the eyes and once or

twice prescribed the powder of some roots. He usually gave udhi, which almost

always put on the forehead of the devotees.

It is difficult to give the correct age of Baba, but it is said that He was

about 18 years when he came to Shirdi in about 1872 and on that estimate He

would be a little over 60 at his Maha Samadhi but he looked older – about

80.

(Our grateful thanks to Sri. K. Ramaswami, Past President, All India Sai Samaj,

Chennai for supplying this information from Sai Sudha)