THE SAI TEMPLE OF VILLE-PARLE, WHERE A HOUSE BECAME A SHRINE

[Guest guest]

I spend most of my time now in the service of Baba. Gradually, the face and

form of the temple has become more and more beautiful. We had initially told

Sri Govekar that we wanted to consecrate Baba’s statue in 1987. Later, on

the day of ‘Akshaya Thadiya’ (the third day after the new moon in the first

month of Spring) the ‘Prana Prathishta’ (ceremony of installing life into an

idol) took place. One may still see the statue which had been there earlier,

near the staircase in the temple.

Until then only the festivals of Guru Poornima and Vijayadasami were

celebrated at the temple. However, after the consecration we started to

celebrate that day also, on the Tadiya day of Akshaya. On that day we

distribute prasad such as roti and curry, savory rice, sheera (a milk

preparation) and ladu (sweetmeat) to the devotees.

As I am unwell now, my daughter-in-law Ujwala is carrying on the service to

Sri Sai Baba. She does it even more zealously than I did. That such an

unusual activity took shape in the hands of an ordinary housewife like me is

nothing but the grace of Sri Sai Baba. He is my mother, my father and

everything to me.”

Mrs Mangala Borker, Ville-Parle, Mumbai

Courtesy of Sai Prasad Magazine, Deepawali Issue, 2000

Photos – Saipatham

 

(source www.saipatham.org)