SAI BABA PRASADALAY’.

One among all the beautiful creations of Our SaiBaba is the ‘SAI BABA PRASADALAY’.

🍉Sai always emphasizes on feeding the hungry.

🍉It has been stated in Sai Satcharita, that Baba required very little food for Himself and what little He wanted, was obtained by begging from a few houses.

🍉Whenever Sai made up His mind to distribute food to all, Sai made all preparations from beginning to end, on His own.  In the open courtyard of the Masjid, Sai used to cook food in two Handis (cooking vessels). (now kept in the Museum).

🍓In the earlier days, Shri Sai Baba Sansthan Trust started Shri Sai Prasadalay in a building opposite to the Temple Complex

🍓Later, on 27th November 2007, Shri Sai Baba Sansthan Trust built and inaugurated one of Asia's biggest Prasadalay, (Dining Hall).   It is 700 meters from Shri Sai Baba Samadhi Mandir.  It has a seating capacity of 5,500, making it possible to feed more than 100,000 devotees daily.

🌽Sai's Prasadalay is spread across 4 roof-tops with 73 solar dishes, making it the largest solar-powered kitchen in India. 

🌽Fourteen domes made of clear tiles have been constructed to give ample natural light to the hall, so that power cuts do not disturb the activities in the Prasadalay during daytime.

🍑Everyday morning between 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. breakfast is distributed which consists of 5 Puris and cereal vegetable (like beans, moong, masoor, grams, peas, burfi, etc.) It is reasonably charged at Rs.4.

🍑Shri Sai Baba Sansthan provides very hygienic Prasad Bhojan (food) in the ground floor of Sai Prasadalay at subsidized rates of Rs.10 for adults and Rs.5/- for Children.

🍑Special Sai Prasad Bhojan at Rs.40/- for Adults and Rs.20/- for Children is being served in the two big halls constructed on the first floor for those devotees who would like to have Prasad Bhojan leisurely. The devotees can have unlimited prasad bhojan here.

🍑Apart from Sai Prasadalay, the food prepared here is being made available at other places in Shirdi,  like Sai Bhakta-niwas, Sai Ashram Phase 1 and Phase 2 and Sainath Hospital.

🍑Monthly pass is also issued by Sai Baba Sansthan, to the devotees to avail the bhojan.

🍅The Prasadalay serves simple Maharashtra food comprising dal, rice, chapatti, two vegetables and barfi (sweet).

🍅The Prasadalaya is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. The food is first offered to Sai Baba and then served to the devotees.

🍅Shri Sai Baba Sansthan provides to and fro bus service to the devotees from Temple Complex and the Sansthan Residential buildings to Shri Sai Prasadalay from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=CFU9hI8kZbI

73 Solar panels of 16 sq ft each are installed which provide steam for all the cooking in the Sai Prasadalaya.

LPG Gas project is instructed with the capacity of 20 tone Thermal Fluid Heating System, which is used for making the Prasad ladoo’s, due to which 30% gas is saved.

For the arrangement of pure drinking water to devotees R.O. Plant having capacity of 2500 liter/hour is implemented.

For dishwashing two imported dishwashing machines are used.

For cutting of vegetables two imported machines are used.

To wash the rice, vegetables, legume’s three imported machines are used.

For grinding flour online mill unit is sated up.

For cooking rice steam cooker is used.

The readymade material of flour, spices, turmeric, coriander powder etc are not used. They are made through pulverizing or grinding machines using raw materials.

The cold storage facility is available for vegetables & dry foods.

(Information collected from the web).

Sai's Blessings and love

Thank you so much mySaiGuruDeva
25 July 2020 (Saturday) ..... NagaPanchami..... 

Today after morning house chores, i told Sai we will read something holy and purifying for me about the auspiciousness of this day.

Wikipedia article was interesting.

i Came across an article where a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva called NagChandeshwar which is located within the Mahakaleswar temple in Ujjain.  i bookmarked one image.  On closely looking at the image i saw mySai's Samadhi Mandir photo in the image 😊 

Always mySai's message to me is very clear.....He is All. He is The Universe.

Love You truly mySai.
Please accept me forever, please forgive me..... and kindly grant me eternal shelter at Your Holy Feet.

Sai Devotee - Savitri Bai Tendulkar

Shirdi Sai's Devotees

Savitri Bai Tendulkar and Raghunath Tendulkar were

ardent devotees of Shri Sai Baba. Savitri Bai lived with her husband Raghunath Tendular and four children in Bandra Mumbai. She and her family were devoted to Baba. Every Thursday she made a pilgrimage to Shirdi carrying prasad and garland made of Bakul flowers. In the compound of her Bandra home there was a Bakul tree. The tree gave an abundance of flowers for three months and then the flowers started waning off. Early in the morning the tree would shed myriads of flowers. Savitri Bai would gather these flowers and offer them to Baba. It was a ritual that she liked to do daily. She had a small photograph of Baba and she performed pooja to it. First she made a bed of flowers and then placed the photograph on it. Meticulously she mad garlands of various sizes and placed them on the photograph. The rest of the flowers she offered doing Naam Jap. Thus mounds of flowers were in front of Baba’s photograph.

Smt.Savitri Bai Tendulkar

On one of her visits to Shirdi, Baba was sitting with a large group of people, when He pointed to her and said, “I was not in Shirdi for the last three months. I was in mayee’s home. She smothered me with Bakul flowers. I am intoxicated by their smell” .

Savitri Bai and her family belonged to the Warkari Sampradaya. Though her family was of a religious bent, Savitri Bai was very progressive for her times. She wrote the famous “Sri Sainatha Bhajana Mala” in the form of “Padas  and Abhangs”. This Book was co-authored by her husband Raghunath Tendulkar. These were about her experiences of Baba’s Leelas and Divinity. Another intimate Sai Mahabhakta Shri.Hari Sitaram Dixit has written the Preface to this famous Bhajanamala which is a shower of Nectar to the every thirsty Sai devotees (Chapter 2, Shri Sai Satcharitra).

Raghunath Tendulkar was a man of of sharp intellect, solemn nature and great learning. While Savitri Bai Tendulkar was a prolific write and wrote several articles for the Shri Sai Leela Magazine.

Raghunath Tendulkar

Savitri Bai Tendulkar and Raghunath Tendular’s eldest son was Babu Tendulkar alias Madhav Rao Tendulkar. He was born in the year 1898.

Babu was very hyperactive when he was young. Therefore Savitri Bai brought him to Shirdi and left him with Baba. When Bapu first came to Shirdi, he was eight years old. When Baba went for Bhiksha, Bapu used to accompany Him. Bapu would then run ahead and collect the Bhiksha. Finally when Baba would return after His Bhiksha rounds, Bapu was the first to receive Baba’s Bhiksha Prasad. Fortunate was this child, as he was looked after by Baba daily.

Babu Tendulkar

On one of her visits she saw that the boy was running a high temperature. He was lying in a corner near Dhuni Maa groaning and moaning. At once she asked Baba why this was so. Baba calmly replied, “Don’t worry Mayee, he will be allright. Just give him a little Udi mixed in water”. She did as she was told by Baba and to her surprise the boy recovered after sometime.

Once Babu who had the benefit of Western Medical Education from a Medical College was so filled with doubts and misgivings that he did not appear for the examination. He had studied hard, burning the midnight oil and had casually asked an astrologer whether he would pass the examination. Turning over the pages of Panchang, the astrologer examined the planetary positions, counting on his fingers, the stars, the zodiac signs, etc., looking quite grave and concerned, he said; “you have studied hard, but this year the planetary positions are not favourable. But next year your planetary position would be good and you would undoubtedly pass the examination the coming year”. Later on, after some days, Savitri Bai and Babu went to Shirdi to have darshan of Baba. She bowed her head at Sai’s feet. After enquiring about His well being, he narranted to Sai Baba what the astrologer had predicted about Babu’s medical examination. Baba told her to set aside the Horoscope and asked Babu to appear for the examination. Encouraged by Sai’s words, Babu appeared for the written examination. Since he had not performed well in the written examination, he did not appear for oral examination. But the Examiner sent words through another student that Babu has cleared the written examination and that he should appear for the oral examination. Babu was extremely happy on hearing this news from his friend. So, he appeared for the oral examination and got through in the MBBS Examination in flying colours (Chapter 29, Shri Sai Satcharitra).

Madhav Rao grew up to be a fine doctor. His Clinic was called Sainath Clinic. It was then situated at Worli, Mumbai.

The small photograph that Baba gave Savitri Bai Tendulkar is still with her descendants. It has a lot of sentimental value, so much so that the family will not even  wipe it, as they do not want to wipe off Baba’s touch!

 

Baba's Photograph in Tendulkar's Home

(Source : Shri Sai Satcharitra Chapter 2, Chapter 29 and Baba’s Rinanubandh by Vinny Chitluri, Photo Courtesy: Shri.Nagaraj Anvekar, Bangalore)

mySai's Eyes

The Loving Eyes of mySai.

Sai, Your Eyes are so deep and compassionate that my whole world is reflected in Them.

Sai, Your Eyes holds the lustre of sunrise.

Sai, Your eyes are captivating because of the unspoken words of assurance They hold within Them.

Sai, in the depth Your Eyes, i am able to visualise everything……my hopes, my dreams, my desires, my ambitions, my goals, my thoughts, my secrets and even my whole life, of which i want YOU to be a part forever.

Sai, Your smiling eyes bring solace to my soul.

Sai, Your assuring hopeful Eyes, puts together the broken pieces of my existence and gives me a reason to survive.

i long to gaze into mySai's Eyes forever.
💖Sai's Eyes looks into me so full of affection.
💖Sai's Eyes tells me - be brave. His Eyes are so benevolent.
💖Sai's Eyes looks at me with compassion.
💖Sai's Eyes makes me feel His Divine Mercy.
💖Sai's Eyes makes me emotional.
💖Sai's Eyes shows me His fatherly support.
💖Sai's Eyes so full of Grace, fills me with glee.
💖Sai's Eyes always heals my heavy heart. 
💖Sai's Eyes that are illuminating and immaculate. His Eyes wipes away my illusions.
💖Sai's Eyes makes me joyous.
💖Sai's Eyes that are all-knowing.
💖Sai's Eyes shows His special love for me.
💖Sai's Eyes makes me mesmerized.
💖Sai's Eyes nourishes my soul.
💖Sai's Eyes shows His oneness with me.
💖Sai's Eyes oozes out His Peace on me.
💖Sai's Eyes tells me to be quiet for He cares and will do the rest.
💖Sai's Eyes rejuvenates my energy and radiates hope.
💖Sai's Eyes soothes my agony.
💖Sai's Eyes shows His togetherness with me.
💖Sai's Eyes uplifts me with utmost mercy.
💖Sai's Eyes are ever vigilant. Sai's Eyes speaks volumes.
💖Sai's Eyes shows His wholehearted concern and love for me.
💖Sai's Eyes are eXtremely intriguing.
💖Sai's Eyes says He forever yearns my welfare.

💖Sai's Eyes are ever zealous. His Eyes makes my joy reach its zenith.

at Your Holy Feet i seek refuge mySai.

Images - Shirdi

Shirdi - old pictures

The above image is of Lord Hanuman.

These idols were in the Hanuman Mandir near Chavadi in Shirdi.

After renovation of the temple these idols are shifted to the museum.

This is the well which Sai used to draw water from. This well still exists in the Lendi Bagh in Shirdi.

One of the earlier picture of Sai Samadhi Mandir.

These are Sai's Holy Foot prints.

Kept in a holy temple of Sai in Kopergaon.

This image is about Sai grinding wheat to be spread along the borders of Shirdi. (Mentioned in chapter 1 of Sai Satcharita).

Sai is always alive - His Idol in Shirdi Samadhi Mandir

Holy Shirdi | SamadhiMandir - The Statue and Tomb of Sri Sai Baba

Cherished statue of Sri Sai Baba

For pilgrims to Shirdi, darshan at Baba's tomb is the climax of their visit and the statue above the tomb represents the living, breathing God. As such, it is the focus of all their longings, hopes and desires, and a concrete form to which they can express their love. The statue is admired as an extraordinary andexquisite image, exuding grace and benevolence, and a mysterious vitality. Baba sits relaxed, natural and majestic, gazing benignly on the millions of diverse visitors who flock to him for succour. Many have commented on the life-like quality of the eyes, as these are typically the most difficult feature to portray in a stone sculpture. In this statue, though, they really do seem to be looking at us and responding!

Baba repeatedly assured devotees that he would never cease to answer their call even from his tomb, and that his mission is "to give blessings". The pull of the tomb, above which the statue sits, is powerful and intense and draws seekers to Shirdi in numbers that increase every year. Here, devotees address their heartfelt prayers, beg for help, give thanks and offerings for prayers answered and wishes fulfilled, sing their devotion, and pay humble obeisance to their beloved deity. For them, the statue does not merely represent God, it is God; and the opportunity to prostrate before it and make oblations may be the fulfilment of a lifetime's ambition.

The statue, which has become such a famous and well-loved image of Baba, was not installed until 1954, and there is an intriguing story behind it. Some white marble arrived from Italy at the Bombay docks, but nobody seemed to know anything about it - who it was for, or why it had come. In the absence of a claimant, the dockyard auctioned it and the purchaser offered it to the Shirdi Sansthan (temple authorities). Impressed by the quality of the marble, they wanted to use it for an image of Baba and gave the commission to a sculptor from Bombay, Balaji Vasant Talim. However, the latter had only one black-and-white photo of Baba to use as his model and was struggling to get the likeness. One night Baba came to him in a dream, remarked on his difficulties and then showed him his face from various angles, encouraging Talim to study it thoroughly and remember it well. This gave Talim the fillip he needed and after that the work flowed easily and the result exceeded all expectations.

Baba's darshan

The statue was installed on 7 October 1954, on Vijayadasami day, the 36th anniversary of Baba's mahasamadhi. The ceremony was performed by Swami Sai Sharananand who, as a youth (then named Vaman Patel), had had direct contact with Baba during the eight years before Baba's mahasamadhi. The Nandi bull (statue of Shiva's vehicle) now seen at the entrance of the temple was added later. The silver throne upon which the statue is seated and from where Baba governs his spiritual empire weighs 60.82 kg. A grand new throne weighing 205 kg was installed on Ramanavami 2002 and is used on special festival days.

Baba's tomb with padukas in front.
"My bones will assure you from my samadhi.
It will communicate with you.
It will respond to whoever surrenders to it."

As the main object of adoration in Shirdi, the statue is accorded all due honours. As one of the chief Sansthan officials said, "We believe that Baba is still alive." Out of their love for Baba, devotees wish to provide every comfort and respect they can. Accordingly, Baba is given a hot water bath in the morning, offered breakfast, lunch and dinner, has his clothes changed four times a day before each arati and is adorned with a silver or gold crown for the arati worship. At night a mosquito net is hung and the tomb is spread with a special plain white cotton cloth, of the type that Baba's kafni was made. A glass of water is kept by his side. Each morning at five o'clock Baba is woken up, the mosquito net is removed, and incense is offered while bhupali (a morning raga) is sung

After the first arati of the day, abhishekam (ritual bathing of the statue with water, milk, curd, ghee etc) is performed. Devotees may sponsor the abhishekam by contacting the Donation Office. Visitors may also donate cloth for Baba, which will be wrapped around the statue. Later, all the cloth that Baba has "worn" is put on sale in the Sansthan shop, just a few metres from the mandir. Many people like to buy cloth that has been sanctified in this way and use it for their altar or some other sacred purpose.

Devotees queue for darshan inside the Samadhi Mandir

Believing that their work is service to a living Sai Baba, a living god, the priests carry out their duties with tender love and care. One of them related that once when bathing the statue, he inadvertently dropped the water container onto it.

For the next two days he had a severe pain in his knee, went to the doctor, had injections, took painkillers and did everything he could to try to alleviate it. Eventually he prayed to Baba and asked why he had to suffer in this way. That night Baba came to him in a dream and said, "You think you're in pain, but how do you think I felt when you dropped the jar?" Thereafter the priest was careful not to injure Baba in any way, and to respect the statue as if it were the living Baba in a physical body.

The feeling and experience that Baba is still alive and present pervades all the Sansthan facilities and activities of his devotees. As you move around Shirdi, you will see that this sentiment informs life, worship and pilgrimage here and contributes to the mystique and magic of what we call Shirdi.

(Source : https://holyshirdi.saibaba.com/samadhi-mandir/thestatue-1.html)

Shirdi Sai's Holy DHUNI in Dwarkamayi

Dhuni

For many visitors, the dhuni is the most significant part of Dwarkamai, as it is so intimately associated with Baba. The dhuni is the sacred, perpetually burning fire that Baba built and which has been maintained ever since, though today the fire is much bigger and is enclosed behind a wire cage.

The maintenance of a dhuni is important in several traditions, including Zoroastrianism, Sufism and Hinduism (especially the Nath sect). Fire was also important to Baba, as wherever he stayed - whether under the neem tree, in the forest, or in the mosque - he always kept a dhuni. Baba, however, was not bound by any convention or set rules, nor did he worship the fire. He simply maintained it, using it for his own particular and mysterious purposes. There were none of the classic restrictions around Baba's dhuni. Baba did not prevent others from touching it - indeed, villagers would sometimes come to take embers with which to kindle their own household fires, and whenever Radhakrishnayi used to spring-clean and whitewash the mosque at festival times, she would move the dhuni into the street outside. Baba did not confine himself to burning only wood on the dhuni, but would throw his old clothes on it once they were worn out, and he would adjust the fire with his foot. (In Indian culture it is considered disrespectful to touch or point to anything with the foot.) One day, the fire in the mosque got wildly out of control, with flames leaping up to the roof. None of those present with Baba dared say anything to him but they were nervous. Baba responded to their uneasiness, not by prayer or supplication, but by majesterially rapping his satka (stick) against a pillar and ordering the flames to come down and be calm. At each stroke the flames diminished and the fire was soon restored to normal.

When Baba returned from his morning begging rounds with a cloth bag of food and a tin pot of liquids, he would first offer some of it at the dhuni before taking any himself. We may not be able to discern exactly why or how Baba used the dhuni, but it is evident that despite the apparent informality around it, the fire was an important part of his routine. According to the Sri Sai Satcharitra, the fire symbolized and facilitated purification and was the focus of oblations, where Baba would intercede on behalf of his devotees. Once when Baba was asked why he had a fire, he replied that it was for burning our sins, or karma. It is reported that Baba would spend hours sitting in contemplation by the dhuni, facing south, especially early in the morning after getting up and again at sunset. Mrs Tarkhad, who had Baba's darshan regularly, says that at these times "He would wave his arms and fingers about, making gestures which conveyed no meaning to the onlookers and saying 'Haq' which means God."

The spot where Baba used to sit is marked by a small pair of silver padukas. Look carefully - on the floor just in front and to the right of the dhuni - for they are easy to miss. We feel awed when we see the padukas and reflect on what issued from here - this was the spot where Baba stood and sat, his finger on the pulse of the universe, controlling, effecting, giving, protecting, never resting but constantly seeing to the needs of his devotees, for as he said, "If I don't take care of my children night and day, what will become of them?"

Today the dhuni is maintained in a carefully designed structure lined with special fire-bricks, in the same place that Baba used to have it. Baba made an intriguing comment about this spot, saying that it was the burial place of one Muzafar Shah, a well-to-do landowner, with whom he once lived and for whom he had cooked. This is recorded in Charters and Sayings, but as so frequently when Baba speaks about his personal history, we do not know to which life he was referring.

In 1998 the Sansthan undertook the rebuilding of the dhuni pit and re-designed the chimney to its current distinctive shape.

Source:(https://holyshirdi.saibaba.com/mosque/dhuni-1.html)

Sai - please heal the world

Dear Sai Baba

The whole world is going through helpless phase because of Corona virus. Please intervene and heal the world. Protect all beings in Your armour.

Sorry Lord of the Universe, we did not think much when we ruin Mother Universe, but now it is a time to look within and change our ways and seek forgiveness 🙇🙅