In around 1858, during the time of the British Raj, approximately 150 miles from Bombay (now Bombay, in the state of Maharashtra) there was an unremarkable, tiny and virtually unknown village called Shridi. Today, this village has emerges as a busy town attracting and average of 100000 visitors from all over the world every day.Shrirdi’s global identity and attraction is all due to the personification of hope for opinion is referred to as SHIRDI SAI BABA.
His words, actions and life style throughout the 60 years of His mortal presence (life) in Shirdi and His immortal presence afterwards, has continually left an enormous impression on society, which is influencing and transforming millions people.
No one know when or where Baba was born, what his real name was who his parents were. He was first seen in Shirdi as a young man of 16 undertaking severe penance beneath a Neem tree, not caring about the heat or cold. He barely over spoke to anyone and disappeared after few days before returning to Shridi with marriage party. The “Sai” name was given to him upon His arrival at Shirdi, by Mahalsapati, a local Khandoba temple priest. Mahalsapati recognized Him as a saint and greeted him with the words ’Ya Sai’ meaning ‘Welcome Sai’. Sai in Sanskrit refers to ‘Sakshat Eshwar’ or the divine, in Persian for Saint and baba in a Hindi endearment meaning ‘loved father’.
After Sai baba’s arrival in Shirdi, He used to live in the outskirts of the village. He started lining in debris of the old village wall, where people use to their garbage, where stream of filthy, striking water run. Baba stayed there unnoticed by the village people for about year or two. He used to sleep by digging a pit and no one knew what He ate. Mahalsapati was probably the first person to notice the greatness of Sai baba and he started introducing Baba to his friends. Baba then moved to a dilapidated mosque (which he named Dwarkamani) inside the village. He was always seen wearing a long white robe, which was torn and probably only washed occasionally.
He used to live on alms, sometimes He received tasty food and sometimes He would come empty-handed but He was never disappointed. He had no taste for food and use to mix and eat whatever he got. Almost all the food bagged y Him was placed in mosque for the hungry to eat. When animals took the food He never shooed them away. He treated every living being the same. He begged daily until 2 or 3 days before He left His mortal coil. At times individuals offered Him cooked food, but later He started cooking and distributing food Himself.
Baba used to collet dakshina (donation) from the devotees although HE sometimes refused to take from people who were willing to give. He never took donation from people who did not wish to give. Baba mostly asked for two rupees, which denoted Shraddha (faith) and Saburi (patience). He wanted His devotees to have faith and patience. The money collected during the day as donations was distributed to people who come to Dwarakamani (Mosque) and, by the end of the day He had nothing to himself.
All the above incidents prove that He never cared for external things; whet HE wore, where He lived or what He ate- His only motive was to help mankind in whatever way they needed him.
Baba started treating village people for their health issues. No doctor would have advised the way Baba treated people, however, miraculously disease disappeared. He cured leprosy, snake and scorpion bites, eyesight problems, alcoholism problems and there are several examples of childless couple being blessed with kids. As Baba’s miracles spread, more and more people started coming to Shirdi.
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