THE TIME TABLE OF BABA'S DAILY ROUTINE - 5

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THE TIME TABLE OF BABA’S DAILY ROUTINE - 5

Baba would daily go to Lendi in the morning between 8.30 and 9.30. He would

normally use footwear only when he went to Lendi, and even that was subject to

change as fancy took him. He would first come out of the mosque and stand

leaning on the wall a while. After that he would stand opposite the Maruti

temple to the God Hanuman, and gazing fiercely at the temple would move his

hands about making some kind of signals. He would then stand at the crossroads

at Gurusthan as if talking to someone, and then proceed further. The devotees

who were staying at the wada and those who had recently arrived would have the

darshan of Baba there. They would all be standing in lines, eagerly awaiting

Baba's arrival from the mosque. Baba would slowly move down the lines, lovingly

greeting each devotee by name, and smiling his benediction at them.

He would then turn left and proceed towards the house of Pilaji Gurve. He would

cross in front of the Vitthal temple and turn right towards the Kanifnath

temple (located opposite the post office). He would walk a little further and

turning another right would enter the Lendi. He used Lendi to complete his

daily toilet.

Where the neem and the fig trees are presently located in the Lendi, an ever

burning lamp (nanda deep) was lit in a small depression in the ground. Curtains

made of jute bags were placed all around the lamp and Baba would sit there for

some time, always sitting with his back to the lamp and not looking at it.

Abdul Baba used to look after the cleaning of the place and putting the oil in

the lamps. He would fill two pots with water as soon as Baba arrived there.

Baba would sprinkle the water from those pots in all directions while making

some signs. He would not allow anybody to stay there while he did this, even

Abdul Baba had to stay away during that time and the devotees who had

accompanied Baba to Lendi would also stand outside and wait for Baba.

Baba had himself planted the neem and the fig trees there. One of these plants

was weak initially and did not take, so Baba used to daily bend it this way and

that, and it became strong and grew well by his nectar-like touch. After

spending some time at Lendi, Baba would return to the mosque the same way as in

the morning; he never changed this route even once. He gave a lot of importance

to a fixed routine or a certain way of doing things. The work may be small or

big, but Baba would never agree to an iota of change in it.

As the rush of devotees increased, the daily trip to Lendi started looking like

a ceremonial festival procession. As soon as Baba came out of the mosque on his

way there, Bhagoji Shinde would hold a ceremonial umbrella, delicately

embroidered with tassles, over his head. Nanasaheb Nimonkar and Booty would

walk on the right and left of Baba, and this fine appearance was a grand sight.

 

_Suchitra Devi in Sai padham

 

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