Category: Shirdi Landmarks

Chavadi, Dwarkamayi, Khandoba, Laxmi Temple, Lendi, Maruti Temple etc

  • Dwaraka Mayi

    Dwaraka Mayi

    Baba’s sayings on his Mosque/Dwaraka Mayi/ Masudi

    Para Number in Book-BCS & HIS Sayings

    1. This is Dwaraka Mayi of ours on which you are setting. This wards off all dangers and anxieties from her children. Highly merciful is this Masudi Ayi. She is the mother of those who place their entire faith in her. If they are in danger, she will save them. Once a person climbs into her lap, all his troubles are over. He who sleeps in her shade attains bliss.
    2. What can the snake do to Dwarakamayi’s children? They look on amused, when the snake appears. When Dwaraka Mayi protects, can the snake strike?.
    3. We have no need to fear. Strike, let me see how you can strike and kill (ef-36,473)
    4. This is not a mosque. It is Dwaraka. Those who seek refuge in her will never be harmed.
    5. As soon as one climbs the steps of the mosque, suffering due to Karma are at end and, joy begins. That Fakir (God) is very kind and will relieve your troubles.
    6. When any one enters this Dwaraka Mayi, his goal (object) is achieved.
    7. This place (Dwaraka Mayi) is for Tarana i.e., saving people, and not marana ie., killing them.
    8. I do nothing. I receive nothing. Datta calls for his own. He has called for Rs.15/-, his due and given it to Masudi Ayi. So the money has been received (By me)

  • Baba’s Probable Birth-date

    None knew or knows the parents and exact birth-date of Sai Baba; but it can be approximately determined by His stay in Shirdi.

    Baba first came to Shirdi, when he was a young lad of sixteen and stayed there for three years.

    Then all of a sudden He  disappeared for some time.

    After some time, He reappeared in the Nizam state near Aurangabad,

    and again came to Shirdi with the marriage-party of Chand Patil, when He was twenty years old.

    Since then, He stayed in Shirdi continuously for a period of sixty years, after which Baba took His Maha-Samadhi in the year 1918.

    From this we can say that the year of Baba’s birth is approximately 1838 A.D.

  • Baba’s Yoga Practices

    Baba’s Yoga Practices

    Sai Baba knew all the processes and practices of Yoga. Some of them will be described here:

    • 1) DHAUTI or CLEANING PROCESS: Baba went to the well near a Banyan tree. It was at a considerable distance from the Masjid. Every third day, he washed his mouth and had a bath.
    • On one occasion, He vomited out his intestines. He cleaned them inside and outside. Then, he placed them on a Jamb tree for drying. There are persons in Shirdi, who have actually seen this, and who have testified to this fact.
    • Ordinary Dhauti is done by a moistened piece of linen, 3 inches broad 22 1/2ft. long. This piece is swallowed. It remains in the stomach for about half an hour to react there. Then, it is taken out. But Baba’s Dhauti was quite unique and extraordinary.
    • 2.) KHANDA YOGA: In this practice, Baba extracted the various limbs from His body. He left them separately at different places in the Masjid.
    • Once, a gentleman went to the Masjid, and saw the limbs of Baba lying separately at separate places. He was much terrified; and he first thought of running to the village officers, and informing them of Baba being hacked to pieces and murdered. He thought that he would be held responsible, as he was the first informant and knew something of the affair. So he kept silent. But the next day when he went to the masjid, he was surprised. Baba was hale, healthy, and sound, as before. He thought, that what he had seen the previous day, was only a dream.
    • 3) Baba was an adept of all the margas. (Path) . His chief marga was Bhakti marga. The special form of it is described as Guru Marga in the ‘Guru Gita’.
    • Jnana and siddhis, including yoga siddhis, came in the wake of his Guru bhakti.

    Baba had no particular marga, as the yoga marga etc. But if any person came to grief in his yoga marga, he could give relief. One yoga sadhaka had bleeding piles and came to Baba and got relief at Baba’s hands.

    • 4) Baba said, ‘Life is lived in vain if no yoga, yaga, tapas, or jnana be achieved’. He asked a devotee, ‘Will you sit idle merely eating your food? Have Saburi, that is patience and courage’.
    • Baba set the example himself of tapas. He kept awake the whole night, lying on a small narrow plank making Namasmaran, keeping his eyes open, and holding his mind in trance.
    • 5) What took place was the Baba’s conversion of water into oil. Somehow oil came into the lamp in a sufficient quantity, from Water to burn all night. Now this is not explicable to ordinary men with their notions of chemistry and physics.
    • Water is not converted into oil in a straightforward manner. Castor and other plants absorb water and combine it with their ingredients. They then produce oil in the seeds of their fruits. Without any such process, Baba was able to fill his lamps with oil.
    • 6) We take Baba’s first achievement at Selu of reviving the dead man with no other remedy or mantras than the throwing of his Guru’s pada duti on the corpse with a prayer for revival: or His taking water at his Shirdi Masjid and filling his lamps with that water for feeding the wicks with a prayer, we find his concentration on his Guru God is the only means.
    • 7) Baba was always thinking of God. Serving God is serving man and serving creation. He had evidently no need to determine the time of his death by noting the Arishta or omens or ripeness of his karma, according to Patanjali Yoga Sutra No. 23 for all knowledge to him was an open book.
    • His undertaking on behalf of his devotees to give them happy and blessed deaths, e.g., his promise to H. S. Dixit to carry him in a vimana, were fulfilled by him with remarkable accuracy of Dixit’s death, through his divine power.
    • 8) G.S. Khaparde was a highly cultured Sanskrit scholar and had evidently read yoga shastra. He has referred to certain instances and experiences of his in his diary in the year 1911-12, while he stayed at Shirdi.
    • In his Diary, he repeatedly mentions that Baba cast Yogic glances at certain persons. These individuals were immediately filled with a wave of bliss. This wave overpowered all their other mental activities. It kept them immersed in bliss for hours without break. Khaparde experienced such bliss after a yogic glance from Baba. This state lasted for three or four hours. He has noted this in his diary.
    • 9) Baba’s yoga sampoorna state enabled him to keep several people in such happy state, as they themselves have recorded in their experiences.
    • Mrs. Tarabai Sadasiva Tarkhad says that though she had physical pains in her body and mental worries, life was quite miserable. Yet when she went and sat before Baba, that very moment she felt steeped in Lethe. All her anxieties, pains, and cares, both physical and mental, vanished. Till her departure from Dwarakamayee, she was enjoying a happy state.

    What is this siddhi called? Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras and Srimad Bhagavata, llth Skanda, 15th Chapter, amongst other books, give a list of siddhis attained by yoga processes. What Baba did would be called ‘Yatha Sankalpa Samsiddhih’ and ‘Apratihata Ajna.’ This means producing whatever one wants by mere will power or supreme command.

    Srimad Bhagavata says ‘When one gets laya in God, all powers, all knowledge, all wisdom, all perfection, that are termed divine, shine forth from such a person’. Baba was perfect in his concentration on God. Therefore in the above quoted instances as in the other innumerable instances to be found in the Gospel of Sai Baba (i.e. BCS) or other books on Baba, the powers exercised by Baba were the result of his laya in God, that is, they were really divine powers

    SSSC Ch-7

  • Wise, avoid anxiety!

    Wise, avoid anxiety!

    “Stay, cast off anxiety. the wise avoid anxiety.

    Your sufferings for your past karma have come to an end, as soon as you put your feet on Shirdi. Persons in great trouble, sunk in their misery, rise to joy and happiness as soon as they climb the steps of this mosque (Dwarakamai)

    That Fakir (God) is very kind and will eradicate your disease. He will show his love. He is kind to all. “Baba

  • EIGHT

    I

    The life of Sai Baba is as wide and deep as the infinite ocean. All can dive deep into the same and take out precious gems (of knowledge and Bhakti). They can then distribute them to the aspiring public.

    The stories, parables, and teachings of Sai Baba are very wonderful. They will give peace and happiness to the people. These people are afflicted with sorrows and heavily loaded with miseries of this worldly existence.

    They will also bestow knowledge and wisdom, both in the worldly and in spiritual domains. If these teachings of Sai Baba, which are as interesting and instructive as the Vedic lore, are listened to and meditated upon, the devotees will get, what they long for, viz., union with Brahman, mastery in eight-fold Yoga, Bliss of meditation etc

    II

    Bow with all our eight limbs to Sai Baba, Who is an ocean of mercy, the God incarnate, who is Para-Brahman and the great Yogeshwara (Lord of Yoga). Victory be unto Sai Baba, Who is the crest-jewel of the Saints.

    He is the home of all auspicious things. He is our Atmaram (Dear Self). He is the able refuge of the devotees. We prostrate ourselves before Him, Who has attained the aim and end of life.

    III

    Hemadpant has given us a novel form of worship.

    • Let us, he says, use hot water in the form of tears of joy to wash the Sad-guru’s feet,
    • let us besmear His body with sandle-paste of pure love,
    • let us cover His body with the cloth of true faith,
    • let us offer eight lotuses in the form of our eight Sattwik emotions and fruit in the form of our concentrated mind;
    • let us apply to His head bukka (black-powder) in the form of devotion and tie the waistband of Bhakti and place our head on his toes.
    • After decorating the Sad-guru with all jewelry in this way, let us offer our all to Him and wave chamar of devotion to ward off heat.
    • After such blissful worship, let us pray thus:-

    “Introvert our mind. Turn it inward. Give us discrimination between the Unreal and the Real. Enable us to have non-attachment for all worldly things. Thus, enable us to get Self-realisation.

    We surrender ourselves, body and soul (body-consciousness and ego). Make our eyes Yours, so that we should never feel pleasure and pain. Control our body and mind as You will and wish. Let our mind get rest in Your Feet”.

    IV

    See where and how Baba slept:

    Mr. Nanasaheb Dengale brought, for Sai Baba, a wooden plank, amount 4 cubits in length and only a span in breath, for sleeping upon.  Instead of keeping the plank on the floor and then sleeping on it, Baba tied it like a swing to the rafters of the Masjid with old shreds or rags and commenced to sleep upon it.

    The rags were so thin and worn out that it was a problem how they could bear or support even weight of the plank itself, let alone the weight of Baba. But somehow or other-it was Baba’s sheer Leela that the worn out rags did sustain the plank, with the weight of Baba on it.

    On the four corners of this plank, Baba lighted panatis (earthen lamps), one at each corner, and kept them burning the whole night. It was a sight for the Gods to see Baba sitting or sleeping on this plank!

    It was a wonder to all, how Baba got up and down the plank. Out of curiosity, many careful observers kept watching the process of mounting and dismounting, but none succeeded. As crowds began to swell so to detect this wonderful feat, Baba one day broke the plank into pieces and threw it away.

    Baba had all the eight Siddhis (powers) at His command. He never practiced nor craved for them. They came to Him naturally, as a result of His perfection.

  • TIPS relate to Shirdi and Mandir Visits

    TIPS relate to Shirdi and Mandir Visits

    Day and Time:

    Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays are least crowded, normally.

    Fridays from 12 Noon-8 p.m. & Daily from 3 to 4 p.m. are also less crowded.

    The best day to visit is on Thursday; many people visit the temple and fast for nine consecutive Thursdays (referred to as the Sai Vrat Pooja). You do visit on Thursdays, but be prepared for the crowd.

    Other busy times are on weekends and celebration like Holi, Guru Purnima, Dussehra, Ram Navami festivals. The temple is kept open overnight during these festivals.

    Months

    Best period to visit Shirdi is October to March.

    But crowd is more, during the festive months ie September to December; and maximum during Dussehra and Diwali

    Others

    • There’s a procession of Sai Baba’s chariot around 9.15 p.m on Thursdays.
    • The main temple (Samadhi Mandir) is open from 5am to 10.30pm,
    • where as Dwarkamayi Masjid, Chavadi, Gurusthan are closed around 8.30pm.
    • But first ‘darshan’ of the day starts, after the morning program of worship (Morning aarti and others ), at around 7am.
    • There is no restriction on darshan during the day in Dwarkamayi Masjid, Chavadi, Gurusthan, and Nanda deep.
    • However, there are a few minutes of restriction during Dhuni Pooja or while offering food to Shri Sai.

    PLACE:

    • Free Bus is also available from Sai Nivas and Mandir to here.
    • Mobile phones, cameras and other electronic devices aren’t permitted inside the temple area.
    • Have “Mukh darshan” of  Baba Face, adjoins Dwarkamayi . DO mediation here, while leaving Shirdi pilgrimage, by sitting few minutes. (Quick one, as small queue, but some distance darshan)
    • The Museum displays articles used by Sai Baba. Do not forget to visit it, near Gurusthan.
    • FREE food provided at Prasadalaya. Devotees and visitors can take unlimited food (rice, vegetables, dal with Sweet). The capacity of Prasadalaya is huge and 1000s of people come every day. It is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
    Free Food Token Counter
    • In Chavadi, ladies are not allowed to enter the section where Baba used to sleep.

    Accommodation:

    Accommodation Booking Counter
    • Avoid the touts for getting any accommodation.
    • It is advisable to approach any hotel/lodge directly, ONLY if not available accommodation i)through https://online.sai.org.in/ OR ii)directly at Mandir Accommodation Offices.
    • There is a wide choice of hotels/lodges in Shirdi, suiting the budget of all.

    Don’t go to any shop for keeping Mobile, Free Slippers and Luggage, BUT USE Trust’s counters, very near to Gate No. 2 to keep all these.

    Be cautious about the prices while taking the garland, coconut etc particularly as a package from the nearby shops and avoid being overcharged by them.

    Prasadam and Books:

    • BUY Prasadam at SAI SANSTHAN EMPLOYEES CREDIT CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY LTD, SHIRDI” stall, near Sai Commercial Complex and

    Donation:

    Each gift item must be registered in the Donation Office of the temple. Devotees can donate at SRI SAIBABA SANSTHAN TRUST Office

    • cash either in the Donation Office, with due receipt or
    • put into directly any of the donation boxes, placed at all important places of temple complex or
    • Crossed and A/C payee Cheques, Demand Drafts, Indian Postal Orders, Foreign Postal Order, Travelers  Cheques or Money Orders are accepted. Transactions are handled only at the Official address of Sansthan.
    • Andhra bank is authorized to collect the donations for Nitya Prasadalaya Annadan (Free Food Scheme) through their network of branches. But then, official receipt is issued by Sansthan itself.

    Prior registration is mandatory before you make any offering at the temple.

    Communication:

    Devotees are requested to call, ONLY 02423-258500 for any information regarding Saibaba Sansthan. 2] For all Online Services please do contact on 02423-258956/63 & WhatsApp-07720077203

  • Dwarkamayi, How Powerful

    At Malegaon, Nasik Dt., there lived a doctor (qualified and degree-holder). His nephew suffered from an incurable disease – Tubercular bone-abcess. The doctor himself and his brothers, the medical practitioners, tried all sorts of remedies and even an operation. There was no relief and there was no end to the little boy’s suffering.

    Friends and relations advised the parents of the boy to seek divine aid and recommended them to try Sai Baba, who was known to have cured such incurable cases by His mere glance. The parents, therefore, came to Shirdi. They prostrated themselves before Baba, placed the boy before Him and pleaded humbly and respectfully, and implored Him to save their son.

    The merciful Baba comforted them saying “Those who resort to this Masjid shall never suffer anything in this life and to the end of time. Be now care-free. Apply Udi on the abcess and within one week he will recover. Believe in God. This is no Masjid, but Dwarawati. He who steps here will soon get health and happiness and his sufferings will come to an end”.

    The boy was made to sit before Baba, Who moved his hands on the affected part and cast His loving glances on him. The patient was pleased and with the application of the Udi, he began to recover, and was all right after some days

  • What can the Snake do?”

    What can the Snake do?”

    Balasaheb Mirikar, son of Sirdar Kakasaheb Mirikar was Mamlatdar of Kopergaon. He was going on tour to Chitali. On the way he came to Shirdi to see Sai Baba.

    When he went to the Masjid and prostrated himself before Baba, usual conversation regarding health and other matters commenced, when Baba sounded a note of warning as follows:- “Do you know our Dwarakamayi?”

    As Balasaheb did not understand he kept quiet, Baba continued – “This is our Dwarakamayi, where you are sitting. She wards off all dangers and anxieties of the children, who sit on her lap. This Masjidmayi (its presiding Deity) is very merciful. She is the mother of the simple devotees. She will save them in calamities. Once a person sits on her lap, all his troubles are over. He, who rests in her shade, gets Bliss”.

    Then Baba gave him Udi, and placed His protecting hand on his head.

    When Balasaheb was about to depart, He again said- “Do you know the “Lamba Bava” (long gentleman), Viz. serpent?” And then he closed his left arm like a fist. He brought it near the right elbow. Moving his left arm like the hood of a serpent, Baba said, “He is so terrible. But what can he do to the children of Dwarakamayi? When the Dwarakamayi (its presiding deity) protects, what can the serpent do?”

    Everyone present there was curious. They wanted to know the meaning of all this and its reference to Mirikar. However, none had the courage to ask Baba about this. Then Balasaheb saluted Baba and left the Masjid with Shama. Baba called Shama back and asked him to accompany Balasaheb, and enjoy the Chitali trip.

    They reached Chitali at 9 P.M. and encamped in the Maruti temple. The office-people had not come; so they sat quiet in the temple, talking and chitchating.

    Balasaheb was sitting on a mat reading a newspaper. His Uparani (upper dhotar) was spread across his waist and on a part of it a snake was sitting unobserved. It began to move with a rustling sound which was heard by the peon. He brought a lantern, saw the snake and raised an alarm- ‘serpent, serpent’. Balasaheb was frightened and began to quiver.

    Shama was also amazed. Then he and others moved noiselessly and took sticks and clubs in their hands. The snake got down slowly from the waist and it moved away from Balasaheb; it was immediately done to death. Thus this calamity, which was prophesied by Baba, was averted and Balasaheb’s love for Baba was deeply confirmed.

  • Baba is living in the flesh, doing the same even after His passing away.

    Baba is living in the flesh, doing the same even after His passing away.

    Baba’s speech established its efficacy or greatness while He was living in the flesh, but wonder of wonders! It did the same even after His passing away.

    • Baba said –
    • “Believe Me, though I pass away, My bones in My tomb will give you hope and confidence.
    • Not only Myself but My tomb would be speaking, moving and communicating with those who would surrender themselves whole-heartedly to Me.
    • Do not be anxious that I would be absent from you.
    • You will hear My bones speaking and discussing your welfare.
    • But remember Me always, believe in Me heart and soul and then you will be most benefited.”

  • Shirdi Temple facilities, On Line.

    Sai baba  Mandir at Shirdi, India is opened as below:-

    Online advance reservation can be Registered and booked  at https://online.sai.org.in for

    I] VIP Darshan @Rs.200 /person. Foreigners, produce your Passport with copy at PRO counter and buy this VIP tickets, quickly please.

    II] Aarati: Moring @Rs.600 and Noon/Evening/Night-@Rs.400 /person.

    III] A] Poojh: Abhishek-@Rs.101 and B] Sai Sathya Narayana-@Rs.100 /Single or Married Couple -Either at a] 7 AM or b] 9 AM slot.

    IV] Accommodation: (Min. 2 and Max. 5 Persons allowed per Room) -Non AC Room @Rs.150 to 500 & AC Room @Rs.600 or 800 or 900 /day for family only. and

    V] Dormitory for Individual @Rs.20 /person. Max 9 Adults allowed in one Booking. Children @ Free of cost, If Age is upto12 Years.

    ALL the above are available at Current Booking Counters, as well as in 60 Days advance thro’ Online*.

    Checkout Time is 24 Hours.

    Bring the Zerox copy for each individuals‘ Photo ID-Aadhaar Card etc.

    For Room, allowed on verification of family relationship like sister, brother

    A Shared room will not be allowed for Male and Female friends

    Rooms will not be allowed for Single person.

    No Reschedule or Refund, once booked.  

    Quota for the ‘Unavailable dates’ [May Not be available Now], may be available in future, in case of any cancellations from other devotees.

    Devotee should produce Advance Booking Acknowledgement with the same (cited on reserve) original  ID proofs for all, at appointed date and time .

    *Booking facility is available at i) PRO Office/ Accommodations/ Counters around temple, Shirdi; else through iI) Sansthan’s official website: online.sai.org.in, iii) Mobile app, as well as iv) Sansthan’s Information Facility centres at Shirdi Airport/ Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai and Bangalore”

    Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust reserves rights to change any of the terms and conditions mentioned above without prior notice. Please recheck the above information before booking these and other services.

    Devotee can call Help desk for On Line Services-02423-258963 or 258956; Voice support will be available from 10 am to 06 pm (IST).

    Other than this time slot, mail to support@sai.org.in .