LIVE EXPRIENCES OF THE TARKHAD FAMILY WITH SHRI SAI BABA OF SHIRDI -5

[Guest guest]

Meeting with Lord Vithoba of Pandharpur

"Om Shri Sainathaya Namaha.".

Dear Sai devotee readers I request you to please forgive me as I do not have the

chronological sequence of events as were experienced by my father. I am

narrating to you as they come to my mind. My father used to describe them to us

whenever he used to come into that spiritual mood and hence chronological order

is not possible for me to state.

As informed earlier, the Tarkhad family started worshiping SaiBaba on daily

basis and on Thursday evening they used to perform the Aarati collectively at

their residence. My grandmother was completely at peace of mind and she was

very happy that her headache had disappeared forever. She was now getting

attracted more towards spiritualism. She started reading spiritual books

regularly. Once she expressed her desire to my father of going on a pilgrimage

to Holy Pandharpur and to take Darshan of Lord Vithoba. She went on to inform

him that, the holy books suggest that before one parts with this world, one

should visit Pandharpur. My father advised her to check with Baba and seek his

clearance.

Accordingly, during their next visit to Shirdi, she asked Baba to permit her to

go to Pandharpur. Baba told her" Oh Mother for us Shirdi is our everything and

there is no need” She was rather disappointed . She told Baba that Pilgrims

visit Pandharpur, as they firmly believe that Lord Vithoba is stationed there

and once you have his Darshan then your path to attain Moksha (salvation) is

clear. She expressed to him that she has developed very strong urge to visit

and perform his pooja at least once in her lifetime. Baba knowing her desire to

be genuine then declared "Oh Mother do not worry you will visit Pandharpur and

fulfill your desire." On returning home they informed Babasaheb Tarkhad about

that and after proper planning my father and my Grandmother proceeded to

Pandharpur. Readers will appreciate a point that as Mecca is to Muslims,

Bethlehem to Catholics so is Pandharpur to Maharashtrians.

On reaching there my father made all the necessary arrangements.

After taking bath and breakfast when the morning rush hours were over they

walked up to the Vithoba Mandir along with pooja material. On entering the

sanctum sanctorum they seeked the permission to perform pooja from the priest

of the Mandir. My grandmother proceeded in her own way and almost completed the

pooja. Now was the time to adorn the Vithoba Murti with the garland and there

was a dilemma. My grandma would want to garland with her own hands but the

priest would not allow doing so, as no one is permitted to climb the platform

where the Murti is situated. My grandma told my father that her pooja would

remain incomplete if she were unable to garland the Murti with her own hands.

My father advised her to pray to Baba and seek his help as he had granted her

permission to visit Pandharpur. She closed her eyes and raised both the hands

holding the garland, and requested Lord Vithoba to accept her pooja. Then came

a miracle. Lo and Behold! The Murti of Lord Vithoba slided down the platform.

My father instantly shook my grandmother Bodily. He told her to open her eyes

and see for herself that the Lord had responded to her prayers and now she can

adorn him with her garland. She instantly placed the garland o n Vithoba's neck

and the Lord was back to its original place. Both mother and son prostrated in

front of Lord Vithoba.

On seeing this, the priest was completely astonished and flabbergasted. He

jumped down from the platform and held the feet of my grandmother and father

and declared that they are the Vithoba and Rakhumai and he would not allow them

to go away. He pleaded pardon for his arrogant behavior. My father consoled him

and told him not to have any wrong ideas about their identity. He told him that

they are devotees of Shirdi SaiBaba and on getting consent from him they are

visiting Pandharpur. He further told him to have strong faith in Lord Vithoba

who is Jagrut (wakeful) over there and is no more a stone God. He advised him

to perform his pooja from the bottom of his heart and seek his blessings in

return. He then requested the priest to give them prasad so that they

could leave the Mandir. They purchased Brass Idols of Vithoba -Rakhumai and

placed it in their Sandalwood Mandir to offer daily worship.

This experience was like receiving heavenly pleasure for both of them. Though

they use to offer prayers to God very sincerely they never ever imagined that

Lord Vithoba will greet them in that fashion. After this visit when they

visited Shirdi next, Baba asked my Grandmother (mother) could you meet

Vithoba?" My grandmother replied "Baba this is all your making. I am now read

to part with this world as I consider my life is complete now." She profusely

thanked him.

Dear Sai devotee readers my father used to say that God always exists in any

stone Murti which you worship. I for one strongly feel that all those divine

experience they encountered purely because of their solemn and good deeds of

the past and undoubtedly they were under the umbrella of Grace of Sai"s

blessings all along which made this possible.

 

BYVIRENDRA JYOTINDRA TARDHAD

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With Baba Nothing is Impossible

Baba guide us all

Sairam

Manisha

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