PHOTOS - BLESSED HOUSES THAT SAI BABA TOOK BHIKSHA FROM

[Guest guest]

(Photos

courtesy : Sai Bhakta Dr.Vinni, Shirdi- Author

of Ambrosia in Shirdi )

 

FIVE

BLESSED HOUSES THAT BABA TOOK BHIKSHA FROM

 

 

 

SAKHARAM

PATIL SHELKE'S HOUSE

 

 

This

house is next to Baba's Chavadi with a

west face entrance. Sakharam was a

farmer, a wealthy landlord, and

devoted to Baba. The wife of his

grandson, Hari Bau, (Sakar Bai)

relates how Baba in turn loved

Sakharam. Baba would stand at the

crossroad between Vaman Rao Gondkar's

house and Shelke's house and call out "Sakharam

Roti de". She also stated

that his son Triambak donated some

land to Baba's Sansthan. Triambak's

Samadhi is inside the compound of the

Narasimha Temple which is adjacent to

Sakharam's house. The other two

Samadhis are of Thana Bai (Triambak's

wife), and Ramghir Bhau. The Narasimha

Temple was constructed by the Shelke

family.

 

 

VAMAN

RAO GONDKAR'S HOUSE

 

 

This

house is on the right hand side

opposite to Sakharam Shelke's house.

Vaman Rao was born and bred in Shirdi.

His family were wealthy farmers and

landowners. The descendants say they

owned 500 acres of land in and around

Shirdi. They also state that they

owned Lendi Bagh and adjacent lands.

They sold Lendi Bagh to Moreshwar

Pradhan who donated it to the Sansthan.

This is one of the blessed houses that

Baba took Bhiksha from. Mention is

made of this house in Ch.XIX English

Sai Satcharitra. Baba placed a ladder

against this house and climbed up on

the roof and passed the roof

of Radhakrishna Ayi's house. Baba gave

Rs.2/- to Venku Kamblekar, who brought

the ladder, for his labour.The

other devotees

objected saying that Baba had paid too

much. Baba

told them that any labour should be

paid for promptly and

adequately. Kamblekar had no children

but after he

received this

money he prospered and got two sons.

Vaman Rao Gondkar took Mahasamadhi on

15.3.1964. His descendants

are living

in Shirdi and carrying on his legacy.

 

PADUKAS

 

 

 

Padukas

where Baba rested while going for

Bhiksha to the five houses.

 

BAYAJA

BAI KOTE PATIL'S HOUSE

 

 

This

house is situated adjacent to 'Sai

Kutir'. Bayaja Maa came to Shirdi

after she married an affluent

landowner, Ganapath Kote Patil. She

was a dutiful, loving wife, who did

all the household chores. But most of

all she loved to cook and feed various

guests and relatives. 'Food is Brahma'

she knew and was the first person to

feed Baba when He came to i in the

early days. Bayaja Maa recognising His

divinity would roam about in search of

the Fakir and feed Him daily (Ref. ESS,

Ch. VIII). She then returned home to

eat. Her trouble ended when Baba came

to live in the Masjid.

Daily

Baba took Biksha from her. She made

fresh food and fed Him lovingly. Baba

was very pleased with this. Baba asked

her once what she wanted? "Do

you want Sampathi (wealth) or

Santhathi (welfare of your

family)"? Unhesitatingly she

asked for the welfare of Tatya, who

had no children, though he had three

wives. With Baba's blessings he had

three sons and two daughters. True to

His promise Baba looked after Tatya

and his family, and even took 'niryan'

for him.

 

BAYAJA

MAA

 

 

 

TATYA

(SON OF BAYAJA MAA)

 

 

 

'SAI

KUTIR' BAYYAJI APPA KOTE PATIL

 

 

 

Bayyaji

Appa Kote Patil was a land owner,

revenue and police patel of Birgoan.

He states that Baba took Bhiksha from

his house many times up to His

Mahasamadhi. Bayyaji started serving

Baba from his 11th year. He

noticed that Baba was very fair and

just and would enjoin silence on

others when Namaj was being done and

vice versa. Sweets and Pedas were

distributed to all alike. Baba

forewarned him of his father's death,

which later happened as Baba had

predicted. Baba used to give him

Rs.4/- daily and said "Do

not eat and excrete". So

he invested it in land and had 84

acres. Baba also advised him what to

cultivate on it, and He was always

right. On Baba's Mahasamadhi he states

that Baba told him "/ am

going, carry me to

the Wada. All Brahmins mil be living

near Me."

With

these words He took Mahasamadhi (Ref. DE,

p.158)

 

NANDARAM

SANCLECHA'S HOUSE

 

 

Nandaram

was a rich landowner and moneylender

by profession. But he was kindhearted

and a gentle person. His grandfather

came to Shirdi from Rajasthan (Kharade

village) and Nandaram was born in 1866

and grew up in Shirdi. Nandaram's

house was one of the blessed houses

that Baba took Biksha from. It is said

that Baba would visit this house last

although it was very near to the

Dwarakamai, almost in front of it.

Baba loved this family and He would

call out to Nandaram's wife who had a

speech problem. Baba would say "Oh,

Bhopadi Bai, Biksha de". If

she was late in offering Biksha He

would shower abuses on her. Baba

sometimes asked her to make puran poli

and a full meal. After making all the

preparations she would take the thali

to the Dwarakamai, but Baba would eat

very little and distribute the rest.

In 1911 when plague was rampant in

Shirdi the villagers quickly started

fleeing. Nandaram met some of the

villagers who remarked that his eyes

were red with fever and that was the

beginning of the plague. He was

startled to hear this and went on

horseback to take Baba's permission to

leave and go to Ekruka. Baba dissuaded

him from leaving. He assured Him that

he was not going to die. "I will

not let you die till I die" and

gave him Udi and he recovered. (Ref.

DE, p. 153). Nandaram's grandmother,

Radhabai, asked Baba to look after her

family as the male children died in

infancy. Baba gave her three mangoes

and she got three sons. After this

leela all the male children survived.

The best deed he did was to donate the

land that was between Butti Wada and

Dwarakamai for Baba's use. This was

done through Damu Anna and hence the

Samadhi Mandir was extended. Nandaram

believed in doing good and giving

rather than receiving. He also

repaired and made the flooring of

Maruti and Ganesh temples. He took

Mahasamadhi on 13.10.1946 and his

philanthrophic and social work is

carried on by his descendants.

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