Baba’s Lilas in the South India during 1935-45
After 1935-36, the broadcasting of Baba’s wondrous nature began. His powers and lilas were shared through, “Madras ‘Sunday Times’, Many books and booklets” by H H Narasimhaswami, Chennai; Faith in Sai Baba spread rapidly throughout the country. This was especially true in South India.
Many people were eager to initiate their contact with Sai Baba. They were guided by remarkable experiences they gained or that occurred in their neighborhood.
The single experience of an instant cure of fits, for instance, in Velampatti, a village near Vellore, converted the entire village to Sai faith.
Instances of this sort abound, the earliest of which in the South was perhaps that of Nagabhairva Venkataratnam of Ventrapragada near Vijayawada.
He and his wife had been married seventeen years and all that time she had not conceived even once. By making vows to Baba and visiting Shirdi, they obtained the blessing for issue in the shape of a daughter, whom they gratefully named Sai Prasada (i.e., gift of Baba).
To further immortalize the fame of Baba and his wondrous lilas, they constructed a pucca Sai Mandir at Ventrapragada with the help of friends. It includes a Dhuni (ever burning fire, as at Shirdi in front of Baba) and accommodation for guests. This has been attracting crowds for all these dozen years and more.
This and, the Sai Baba Mandir at Tenali built by the exertion of the veteran bhakta Dr. Ramana Ammal, (whose methods of curing patients were not always medical, but included also prayers to Baba), was a major Sai Mandir. It remained so until three years ago in Andhra State, India.
Then the star- shaped Kurnool Sai Mandir was built by Veeraswami, a bus contractor at a cost of over Rs.2 lakhs.
Coimbatore was famous for its salubrious climate and numerous mills. It became even more famous due to the development of Sai bhakti. The city became the chief center for Sai bhakti in 1942.
Captain Devaraj, a Military Medical Captain and a native of Coimbatore, had to serve in the Mediterranean during the war on board a ship that was bombed by the enemy. Though the ship suffered damage from the bombing, this Sai bhakta was perfectly safe and returned home safely to his country.
Sundararajan, a fellow townsman of his, built a small cottage (temporary hut) as a Sai Mandir, and had Sai bhajan conducted there as well as at his house in R.S. Puram.
In January 1943, Baba began to show his lilas there at the Mandir. One evening at about 5 p.m., Sai bhajan was taking place. A snake moved up fairly near the assembled crowd. It faced the picture of Sai Baba and remained listening to the music of the bhajan. From 5 p.m. it continued, to be there frightening none and harming none, neither frightened nor harmed by any.
After 9 p.m. the bhaktas went back to their homes. When they arrived in the morning, they were surprised. The snake was still there near Baba’s picture.
They knew Baba appeared in various forms, including serpents. So, they got a thousand chrysanthemum flowers. Standing on all sides close to the Snake (cobra) Baba, they did their Ashtotra puja, showering the flowers on the cobra. This went on for a time and all the while the cobra did not budge.
Then they prayed that the Baba snake should not move. They wanted a photographer to take a photo of the Snake Baba in the midst of the flower heaps. This would immortalize his (Baba’s) visit to Coimbatore in the form of a snake. After some hours, a photographer arrived. He took an excellent snap of the cobra with uplifted hood among the puja flowers.
Then the Snake Baba was given milk naivedya, which was tasted, and camphor light also was offered. It was only at 11 a.m. next day, that the cobra that had arrived at 5 p.m. the previous day, left the premises.
During these 18 hours, the news of Naga Sai’s visit to the shrine spread throughout the town. A great number of people came and had darsan of Sainath. Thus, Coimbatore town, with its tens of thousands of population, drank deep the Sai faith.
On the above mentioned spot, a building costing over Rs.40,000/- has been built, and further lands and structures have been added thereto, the total cost running up to six figures.
All journals, including Sai journals, spread this Naga Sai manifestation throughout India. The local earnestness of devotion was strong enough to support the Sai Baba mission. It supported a Girls’ school accommodated in a grand building with vast grounds.
Baba’s lilas abound throughout India, and our selecting only a few of them for mentioned above.Even now Sai baba’s leela /plays are continuing ….
Study materials available to Foreigners, interested in Shirdi Sai Baba.
Foreign individuals seeking to understand the life, teachings, and global influence of Shirdi Sai Baba have access to a wide array of study materials. 1. Academic Works Academic studies offer a structured, critical, and contextual understanding of Shirdi Sai Baba, often distinguishing historical facts from hagiographical embellishments. As per (Thanks) Oxford Bibliographies:- “Academic study of…
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"I draw to Me, My man from far off or even across the seven Seas to Shirdi, like a sparrow with a string fastened to its feet"-Shirdi Sai Baba, Indian Spiritual Guru-God 