Latest News from Shirdi in 2009

Latest News from Shirdi in 2009 ::::::: Devotee presents Diamond-Studded Gold Crown at Shirdi:::-Nashik, Aug 25 2009 (PTI) A devotee has donated a Diamond-Studded Gold Crown worth Rs 1.3 crore to Sri Saibaba Temple in Shirdi through a 'Gupta Daan' (secret donation).Union Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and his wife Vrushali Deshmukh yesterday handed over the Crown to the Temple in the presence of Saibaba Sansthan's Chair-person Jayant Sasane, Deputy Chairman Shankarrao Kolhe and others.However, on the request of the Devotee, hailing from Mumbai, the Sansthan has kept the donor's name a secret.Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust also cancelled its decision to take Shri Saibaba's 'Paduka' (metal-slippers) to the United States by its trustees following strong opposition from the villagers of Shirdi, Sansthan sources said today...........Shirdi Villagers withdraw Agitation.---Ahmednagar, Aug 23rd 2009 : Villagers of the temple town of Shirdi, who were on a hunger strike since last two days, protesting the decision to take Padukas (footmarks) of Sai Baba to America, withdrew their agitation today after the temple trust decided against the move. The villagers had also demanded removal of the present Board of Trustees managing the Sai Baba Sansthan, but withdrew their agitation after the Board decided against the visit.Sai Baba Sansthan president Jayant Sasane pacified and assured the local residents that the decision to send the Padukas to the US had been cancelled. Talking to UNI, Mr Sasane confirmed that he had cancelled the proposed visit to America. ''The devotees of Sai Baba, living in America, had written a letter to the trust requesting them to bring Sai Paduka for a darshan, but I have decided to cancel the same after protest by the villagers."................SHIRDI TO GET 200 ROOM BHAKTNIWAS FROM RAILWAYS.-12 June 2009, By M.T. Correspondent. Shirdi-- If travelling by Train to Shirdi, you don't have to travel far for Accommodation since Railway is building a 200 Room Accommodation Hotel at Sainagar railway station.This has been declared by the Central Railway Minister K H Muniyappa.The Minister himself is a devotee of Sai Baba and he and his family are regular visitors in the Sai Temple at Shirdi. Being a Road & Transport / Highways Development Union Minister in the previous government , on the request of AshokRao Kale, he had approved the project for building Four Bridges over Godavari River Near Kopergaon allocating a budget of Rs 30 Crore.After being elected as the Railway Minister, K H Muniyappa immediately came to Shirdi to seek Saibaba's blessings.During this visit, he visited the Shirdi Railway Station and while addressing the media guys there he said that since the station is important for devotees of Saibaba and a large number of devotees visit Shirdi throughout the year he would improve the frequency of trains as well as facilities in the station.Devotees face a lot of issues for accommodation and taking this into consideration Muniyappa declared that the railways would built a 200 room Accommodation campus alongwith the help of the Shirdi Sai Temple Committee.A New Train service along this route Loni-Sangamner-Akole-Bhandardara Dam was requested by the devotees for which the railways commented that they will check its feasibility and then decide on it...........Central Railways rakes in Rs 2cr from Train to Shirdi. The Times Of India. 21 May 2009, 0130 hrs IST, Roana Maria Costa, TNN MUMBAI: There has been a whopping rise of over 30% in the number of devotees visiting the Saibaba temple at Shirdi between 2007 and 2008. Shirdi Saibaba Sansthan officials are confident that the number will go up further because of the Central Railway (CR) service from Mumbai right up to the pilgrimage place. Correspondingly, the amount of money flowing into the temple coffers as donation has also grown between 2007 and 2008. This recorded a growth of around 40%-higher than the increase in the number of devotees. In 2007, the trust received Rs 180 crore as donation, but the amount went up to Rs 250 crore in 2008. Even CR has not missed the devotees' largesse. It has raked in at least Rs 2 crore since February, when it started the direct train service to Shirdi. Over 2.1 crore devotees thronged the Shirdi temple for Saibaba's blessings in 2008; the figure was 1.62 crore in 2007, officials said. The CR service seems to have pushed up the numbers even more. "We have noticed a 10% rise over 2008 figures ever since the train service started. But we will have to wait till the end of the year for a proper audit,'' Shirdi Saibaba Sansthan chairman Jayant Sasane said. "The number of devotees is counted based on the amount of prasad that is distributed. We also know that about 50% of the visitors take the prasad,'' he added.. There has been a 30% rise in the number of devotees every year for the last five years. Of the millions who flock to Shirdi, the highest percentage come from Andhra Pradesh (20%). Gujaratis and north Indians (including Delhi) each make up between 10% and 15% of devotees. People from abroad also flock to the temple; NRIs from the US, Singapore and London number about 2 lakh. It's not only Hindus who visit the holy city. "People of all faiths come to pay homage; Hindus make up about two-thirds of the total figure. Spotting film actors, industrialists, bureaucrats and high court judges is common,'' Sasane said. Devotees are happy with the new train service, but want faster trains. The daily service takes over 12 hours, while the weekend train takes only half that time. Sasane has approached railway officials to cut down the week-day travel time and improve hygiene and sanitation on trains. Source - http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Mumbai/CR-rakes-in-Rs-2cr-from-train-to-Shirdi/articleshow/4557800.cms.........................Indian State plans Airports Expansion By Nadia Saleem Staff Reporter Published: May 20, 2009, 22:39 Dubai: Maharashtra Airport Development Company will build seven new airports in India with a government investment of $3 billion (Dh11.03 billion). The airports will connect locations that are over 100 kilometres away from the larger international airports in the country. The seven airports in Maharashtra will include Shirdi, Phaitan, Karad, Solapur, Jalgaon, Gadchiroli and the airport at Nagpur will see an expansion and upgrade of the existing airport by the company. R.C. Sinha, vice-chairman and managing director of MADC and additional chief secretary of the government of Maharashtra told Gulf News that the airports are expected to be operational within four years. The airport at Shirdi, which will be an international airport, could have see up to 20 aircraft per day in two years from the completion date. The location sees about 8,000 to 10,000 visitors to the shrine everyday. The airport is expected to be operational by early 2011 at the latest. Source - http://www.gulfnews.com/business/Aviation/10315505.html.......Guava Barfi (Sweetmeat) for Saibaba devotees BY CHENNAIVISION Saturday, Jan 10 2009 IST Devotees at the world-renowned Saibaba temple in Maharashtra's Shirdi will henceforth be able to savour mouthwatering guava barfi along with the regular laddus. ''The step has been taken keeping in mind the fondness that Saibaba had for guavas and the fact that the fruit grows abundantly in Shirdi and several surrounding districts,'' Shri Sai Sansthan Trust Chairman and Maharashtra MLA Jayant Sasane told UNI. The barfi would be made at the Sansthan and discussions were underway for assistance and guidance -- from Haldiram's and the Pune-based Chitle Bhandar -- regarding the machinery, cold storage etc. More than 500 persons would thereby find employment. The barfi is likely to be sold at Rs 7 to Rs 10 per kg. ''The Sansthan's information centre will soon be set up at Connaught Place (officially Rajiv Chowk). Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and her Maharashtra counterpart Ashok Chavan are being invited for the occasion. The centre will supply details regarding the shrine, places of residence for devotees, travel arrangements and publications,'' the visiting legislator added. ............................................Thousands of Sai Baba devotees receive Anna Dana Wed, Mar 18 02:35 PM Shirdi (Maharashtra), Mar.18 (ANI): Tens of thousands of devotees of Sai Baba were recently given Anna Dana at the annual prasadalaya function here, taking forward a tradition first started by the Sai Baba himself. Devotees accepted the delicious prasad at a nominal rate. Sources at the Shree Sai Baba Sansthan Trust said, nearly 1.5 crore devotees benefited from the prasad and the meals that were served. The trust spends Rs.25 crore annually on the prasadlaya. The donation is considered very valuable in today's age, which is known as KALYUG in the Hindu mythological context. According to the trust, one should constantly endeavor to donate and help the needy, especially those who are suffering from hunger and malnutrition. Legend has it that Sai Baba used to feed the hungry in his own unique way, taking the whole process to a spiritual plane. He used to prepare the food himself, and ground the spices on a grinding stone. He also used to purchase foodgrains that were to be cooked and subsequently distributed by him personally. The trust is really a place of faith for all Sai Baba devotees. They relish their food, which can be procured for as little as Rs.5 per person and Rs.2 for a child. On any given normal day, 35,000 to 40,000 devotees attend the activities at the Sai Baba Trust. During occasions like festivals and vacations, the number goes up to 70,000 or 80,000. One hall can accommodate up to 5,000 devotees, and a meal often includes servings of rice, roti, dal, two vegetables and a sweetmeat. Free provision of food is given to the poor, blind, the physically challenged and hermits. The prasadalaya purchases the foodgrains once a year, and it includes 9000 quintals of wheat, 5,500 quintals of rice, 6,500 quintals of besan, 9,500 quintals of sugar, and 11,000 quintals of tur dal, besides 6,200 quintals of vegetables which are stored in the cold storage of the trust. Another 2000 quintals of food grains is also purchased every year. The prasadalaya operates for twelve hours every day and has 474 workers., 404 of whom are permanent. The prasadalaya is the largest of its kind in India. A one storeyed building which has been built on seven acres of land at a cost of Rs.20 crores. (ANI) ...........................................New train will take you to Shirdi in 7 hrs-Shwetaa Karnik / DNA-There is good news for devotees who want to reach Shirdi to attend the kaakad aarti of Sai Baba which takes place from 5.15am to 5.45am. Starting March 20, the Central Railway (CR) will operate a train that will reach Shirdi in less than seven hours. After commissioning of the dedicated railway line planned from Puntamba to Shirdi, CR was run-ning Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus-Sainagar Shirdi passenger train every day. Introduced in the last week of February, the daily passengers train goes via Daund towards Ahmednagar right up to Puntamba to Shirdi and covers a distance of 455.2 km. It takes around 13 hours to reach Shirdi. “However, this new train will go via Nashik right up to Manmad without halting at Puntamba to reach Shirdi. It will have only six halts after CST at Dadar, Kalyan, Igatpuri, Nasik , Kopargaon and Shirdi,” said Sriniwas Mudgerikar, chief PRO of CR. The special train will leave CST on March 20 at 10.20 pm and reach Shirdi at 5 am the next day. It will then return to Mumbai on the same day. However, a senior CR official said that the special train would be run on experimental basis to see whether people would benefit from it. “If it is successful it will be introduced as weekend special in the future.” ..............................................SHIRDI PLAN HITS FUNDS HURDLE-15 Mar 2009- MUMBAI: The Shirdi makeover plan has hit a roadblock as the implementing agency, Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), has not been given enough funds. The money cleared by the government is just about enough for land acquisition and some minor road projects, a senior MSRDC official has said. The project will cost Rs 112 crore but the MSRDC has got only around Rs 28 crore. The projects are to be funded from Shirdi Sansthan funds. But the law and judiciary department, which controls the funds, has raised objections saying the sansthan is a charitable organisation that cannot give money for infrastructure projects. Shirdi Sansthan chairman Jayant Sasane admitted that there were some problems but the work would be completed by December. A senior MSRDC official said nearly Rs 24 crore would be spent to acquire land for road widening, gardens, skywalks and other projects. "The funds were insufficient but they wanted us to start work. We insisted that the government must clear funds for a few projects as Congress and NCP ministers wanted to show that they had undertaken Shirdi's makeover. To start the project, we are taking up two road widening projects.'' The MSRDC is planning to make money from the commercial utilisation of five plots where they have planned malls. It is also planning a multi-layer car park and a 6-km skywalk around the temple.Cafetarias and waiting halls will also be built. The gardens will have amusement park-type facilities and joyrides for children. The MSRDC will widen around 25 km of road in and around the city. ..........................Sai Baba`s Treat -February 10, 2009 -The Shirdi Sai Sansthan (SSS), the second richest shrine board in India, is planning a bonanza for Sai devotees in its centenary year for Sai Baba’s Palki. For one, there will soon be direct train services, and an airport near Shirdi is on the cards. What’s more, devotees in Mumbai will now be able to get darshan passes from the Sansthan’s Mumbai office, which means they need not stand in the long queue at the temple any more. There will also be an 18-storey Sai Tower built in place of its office at Dadar, where Sai devotees will get all Saibaba-related material under one roof. Outstation devotees can stay here before they embark on their journey to Shirdi. The trust is also planning shelters for devotees at Katara in Jammu and at Tirupati..............................Sai Tower:: For outstation devotees wondering where to stay in Mumbai en route to Shirdi, the Sansthan’s Mumbai office at Khodadad Circle, Dadar, is planning an 18-storey tower. The new building will have a spacious community hall, which will be used for educational, medical and other activities. “We are still discussing things with existing tenants. Most of them are ready to have the property redeveloped. We may start work within three-four months,” said Jayant Sasane. Tenants on the property will be given flats in the newly built tower, while the rest of the place will be used for social activities in general public interest. ................SHIRDI GETTING IT`S OWN AIRPORT. Lucknow | Feb 06, 2009 -Ashok Khambekar, Managing Trustee, Shri Sai Baba Sansthan (SSBS), Shirdi (Maharashtra) , who was here in Lucknow to announce Sai Bhakt Sammelan to be organised in Lucknow on March 1 with expected presence of over one lakh devotees, said that such Sammelans would be organised in different parts of the country as this year would mark completion of 100 years of Sai Baba's "shobha yatra" from Dwarkamai to Chavri. "This year on Dec 10, 100 years of the shobha yatra would be completed as it was first taken out in 1908," he said. Khambekar said a Rs 303 crore plan had been drawn up for development of the Sai Baba temple at Shirdi under which An Airport, a Hospital & a Guest House would be built. 1). He said over 1,000 acres of land had been acquired by the Civil Aviation Ministry for construction of the airport at Kakde, about 15 kms from Shirdi. The airport would be completed in the next two years, he added. 2). A 334-room guest house costing Rs 17 crore was under construction while Sai Ashram, which could house 16 thousand devotees was being built at a cost of Rs 25 crore. 3). The super speciality hospital was being built at a cost of Rs 22 crore while Rs 35 crore was being spent to construct a "Prasadalaya" (a place where prasad is made) equipped with modern equipment.. About the programme being organised in Lucknow, a statue and paduka (shoes) of Sai Baba would be brought here from Shirdi and a pujan would be held on March 1 in which over one lakh devotees would participate. . "Besides the state Governor and Chief Minister, priests of over 15 Sai temples and people of different religions will be invited to the programme. A debate on national integration will also be held later in the day", Vice President of Shri Shirdi Sai Dham Trust, Lucknow Ajay Kumar Singh Aditya said. Shri Sai Baba Mandir in Shirdi, Maharashtra received a record secret donations of Rs 81 crore cash, 120 kg gold and 440 kg silver in calendar year 2008. "Secret donations received by the temple last year is a record in its history. We received Rs 60 crore cash, 104 kg gold and 235 kg silver in 2007 which rose to Rs 81 crore cash, 120 kg gold and 440 kg silver in 2008," Ashok Khambekar, Managing Trustee, Shri Sai Baba Sansthan (SSBS), Shirdi (Maharashtra) told reporters here........................Sai Baba`s Paduka Darshan in Lucknow,Raipur, Chhattisgarh, Kolkata, Bangalore , Baroda, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad,New Delhi,Tanzania & Sydney Ahmednagar, Feb 25 : Shree Sai Baba Temple Trust has organised a 'Sai Baba Paduka Darshan' function. Speaking to UNI today, a temple trustee said, ''About 100 years back in 1908, devotees of Sai Baba had taken out a procession from Dwarkamai temple to Chavdi temple in his honour. To commemorate this procession, the 'Paduka (footwear of Sai Baba) Darshan' function after Panjim -Goa, now has been organised in Lucknow on March 1st. Similar functions are being organised on March 5 in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, and on March 15 in Kolkata. In the function in Lucknow, in which at least one lakh people are expected to attend, a performance of Anuradha Paudwal's bhajan has also been organised, he said, adding various other spiritual activities have also been planned on the occasion. --- UNI http://www.newkeral a.com/topstory- fullnews- 100086.html ************ ***** Thursday, January 29, 2009 3:42:00 AM Ashok Khambekar, trustee of the Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust, also stated that the trust shortlisted places like Raipur, Bangalore, Baroda, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad and New Delhi, where such programmes will be held in the near future. Among the destinations abroad the trust is thinking of Tanzania in Africa and Sydney in Australia to hold the devotee gatherings, dates for which will be decided soon. The trust has decided to open information centres at four places in the country -- New Delhi, Secunderabad, Chennai, and Bangalore. These centres will be connection points to Shirdi and people will be able to access information on days to visit, programmes, books, literature, stationary, transportation, train and bus timings, and bookings for bhakt niwas - the lodging arrangements at Shirdi. In New Delhi, the centre will function from the Maharashtra Parichaya Kendra building and the Shri Saibaba Sansthan has spent Rs30 lakh to make the centre functional. The trust has also secured an assurance from the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh to make land available to the Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust at Tirumalla, to build a guesthouse for devotees going to Tirupati from Maharashtra. Soon, this project will also be undertaken, Khambekar said. The trustee added that the Sixth Pay Commission and all facilities have been implemented for the 4,000 employees of the Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust. The trust employees an additional force of 2,000 employees on daily-wage basis......................Blackmailing SMS / Mails in the name of Gods - -18 Feb 2009 - Jai Sri Shirdi Saibaba Ki. Send this message to at least 18 people to get luck. If you fail to do so, you will experience bad luck within 24 hours.´ c users are being subjected to `emotional atyachaar´ in the name of God _ Shirdi Saibaba, Tirupati Venkateswara Swamy or Madurai Meenakshi. Even before the cellphone users can complete the task mentioned in one SMS, they receive another SMS in their phone mail box demanding not to break the message chain which would cause something bad to their loved ones. "These SMS messages are nothing but emotional blackmailing. Though atheists would ignore them, people like me can neither ignore nor forward such messages as they are sent in the name of some God or the other,´´ says P Supraja, a God-fearing student of St Ann´s College. She says that even if something bad happens accidentally after ignoring such SMS, she holds herself responsible for not forwarding the messages. For people who are willing to forward these SMS messages, it always costs a bomb. ``Just imagine if you receive a message every week asking you to forward it to about 20-30 people. Unlike junk mail, we cannot even restrict these SMSes as we receive them from our own friends and relatives,´´ points out Rajasekhar, an event manager. He says that the chain SMS messages and chain emails are nothing but modern versions of postcard and leaflet campaigns for religious promotion made earlier. However, people like Neeraj Pohankar use such SMS messages as a weapon to take revenge on their rivals. Whenever Neeraj, a science graduate of Aurora College, gets angry with her friends or relatives, she sends them such SMS in the name of God, asking them to forward the message to about 50 people. Fear of God or just a funny instrument to take revenge on your rival, the chain messages are definitely a boon to cellphone service providers who are making profits with scores of SMS messages doing rounds on cellphones........................ From Sunday, Sai devotees can take a train to Shirdi-27 Feb 2009, MUMBAI: Thousands of devotees who flock to Shirdi to catch a glimpse of Sai Baba will be blessed with a direct train from Sunday. The train will leave CST at 10.55 pm and reach Shirdi at 10.30 am the next day. The much-awaited service will be flagged off by Union railway minister Lalu Prasad. "The inaugural train will flagged off on Saturday at 3 pm. But it will be from Puntamba to Shirdi. Regular services will commence from Sunday,'' an official said. -"Putamba station is on the Manmad-Daund section of the CR. It is about 70 km from Manmad and about 20 km from Shirdi. Earlier, after reaching Puntamba the only way to get to Shirdi was by road. With the completion of the Puntamba-Shirdi rail project, pilgrims will be able to reach Shirdi without any break in journey,'' said chief PRO, CR, S C Mudgerikar. Initially, there would be just one service per day. "But depending on the demand, we can increase services subsequently, '' he added.. Even though the project was sanctioned in 2000-01 at a cost of Rs 30.22 crore, its execution got delayed. "Getting land from the state government took longer than expected,'' an official said. Shirdi station will include two waiting rooms and a dormitory. "The building is aesthetically designed with a touch of local architecture. It will have a 500 metre-long platform to accommodate a 22-coach train,'' an official said. The entire project has been completed at a cost of Rs 78 crore. From CST to temple town - About 12hours- Route - CST- Dadar- Thane- Kalyan- Pune- Daund- Ahmednagar- Puntamba-Shirdi- Distance - 457Km -Halts - 22 -Bookings for the first train From Saturday 28th Feb'2009-Average ticket prices - Rs 130 -Station to shrine -A 10-minute walk -Sainagar shirdi railway station, just 2kms distance from shri sai samadhi temple, shirdi, maharashtra. Routes planned - Igatpuri- Nasik- Manmad- Puntamba- Shirdi . CST- Manmad- Puntamba- Shirdi . Coach composition- 1 AC three-tier, 2 three-tier non-AC, 2 general seating compartments, 1 luggage-cum- seating compartment .Timings - Leaves CST at 10.55 pm reaches Shirdi at 10.30 am .Return train: Leaves Shirdi at 4.40 pm, reaches CST at 4.25 am ........CM promises yatri niwas at Shirdi-23 Feb 2009,PANAJI: Chief minister, Digambar Kamat, promised a yatri niwas for Goan devotees in Shirdi, speaking at the Sai Baba Paduka darshan on Sunday. Thousands began thronging to the pandal at Bandodkar stadium at Campal from 5.45 am on Sunday when the silver paduka of Shirdi Sai Baba arrived at the venue. Digambar Kamat and his wife Asha Kamat, performed abhishek and pooja and offered their prayers, thereafter opening the paduka that had travelled all the way from Shirdi. A large idol of Sai Baba towered over the stadium as faithfuls kept queuing up all day long at the Bandodkar stadium. The pandal set up to contain 25,000 devotees at a time did not seem big enough to accomodate the large number of people. As twilight spread across the city, the area outside the stadium was converted into a pilgrimage with footpaths taken over by vendors with flowers and agarbatti for sale. Among those present at the pooja in the morning were health minister Vishwajit Rane and businessmen Shrinivas Dempo, Dattaraj Salgaonkar and Anil Counto. NRI commissioner, Eduardo Faliero, former MLA Pandurang Madkaikar and Pale MLA Pratap Gawas were among those that came to pay their respects at the silver paduka. Police personnel were seen lining the stadium boundaries through the day and vehicular traffic were finding it harder by evening to pass through the area outside the Bandodkar stadium. At the Sai Melava 2009, held at 7 pm Anil Counto asked the chief minister to set up a yatri niwas at Shirdi for the benefit of devotees. And Kamat extended his support to the proposition. "I will back the proposal if the Shirdi Sai Saunsthan helps us in the acquisition of the land. I will also see that the devotees are provided all the facilities at Shirdi. Bringing the paduka to Goa has given the aam aadmi here a rare opportunity. And I appreciate the organizers without whose support this was not possible." Jayant Rao Sansane of the Shirdi Saunsthan said that an online service will be provided all the information on accomodation at Shirdi. He also promised to acquire land at Shirdi for the yatri niwas for Goans...........Thousands turn out to worship Padukas-PANJIM, FEB 22nd 2009 Over one lakh devotees thronged the Panjim Gymkhana Grounds, Campal today to pay their respects to the Padukas (sacred footwear) of Sai Baba. Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, who received the Padukas at Patradevi, was the first to offer pooja at 5.45 am. “Over 1 lakh people from Goa and neighbouring States of Karnataka and Maharashtra including politicians, industrialists and aam aadmi visited the “paduka darshan sohala”, said an organiser. The day started with the traditional Sai aartis that included kakad aarti, sanj aarti and shej aarti, besides making available mahaprasad (holy meal) and laddoos from Shirdi to the visiting devotees. Sai bhajans were also sung by well-known groups at the venue. The teachings of Sai Baba are very much relevant even today and go well with the secular nature of Goa. Sai Baba taught a moral code of love, forgiveness, helping others, charity, contentment, inner peace and finally, devotion to God and Guru. The sage has a large following of devotees from every religion. Seating arrangements for senior citizens, volunteers to accompany the visiting physically challenged persons, drinking water facility, security, etc were managed well by the organisers. The Sai Baba Saunsthan Trust, Shirdi, has organised this sammelan in Panjim with a view to commemorate the centenary of the weekly tradition of Sai Baba’s Palakhi (ceremonial palanquin procession) from Dwarkamai temple to the Chavadi (city gate) in Shirdi every Thursday.........Finally, a rail link to Shirdi, from Manmad via Puntamba Feb 9 th 2009 Mumbai: The day is not far when thousands of Mumbai’s Shirdi Sai Baba devotees can directly reach Shirdi for darshan by an overnight rail journey. The work on the new Puntamba-Shirdi line has been completed. The Commissioner of Railway Safety will inspect the tracks on February 10 and the line is expected to be opened for railway traffic by the end of this month. According to sources, the Railway Board has decided that Train No 1333, which goes to Manmad, will now go to Shirdi via Puntamba. The train, which departs from CST at 10.55 pm, is expected to reach Shirdi at 7.35 pm. In the return direction, it will leave Shirdi at night and reach Mumbai the next morning. K K Sharma, chief administrative officer (construction), said: “All the major works have been completed. The final touches on the tracks and the station building at Shirdi are being done now.” He said the Commissioner of Railway Safety’s inspection has been scheduled on February 10. “Hopefully, the line will be opened for traffic in February itself.” ... Tight security for Sai Baba relic exposition HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, FEB 11 2009 Tight security arrangements will be in place for the Sai Baba relic exposition on February 22 which is expected to draw over 1 lakh devotees. The devotees would pay their respect to the Padukas (sacred footwear) of Sai Baba, which will arrive in Goa on February 22 and displayed at a pandal at Gymkhana Grounds, Campal. The chairman of the Shri Sai Baba Paduka Darshan Sohala Samiti, Anil Counto, said that the Samiti has taken all precautionary security measure for the event. He said to stave off any security threat the organisers have decided to put metal detectors and CCTV cameras in place. With a view to commemorate the centenary of the weekly tradition of Shri Sai Babas Palakhi (ceremonial palanquin procession) from Dwarkamai temple to the Chavadi (city gate) in Shirdi every Thursday, the Sai Baba Saunsthan Trust has planned to organise a Sai Baba Sammelan in Panjim followed by those at Lucknow and Kolkata by sending the Padukas to these places. “We expect nearly 1 lakh people from Goa as well as neighbouring States to visit the “Paduka Darshan Sohala,” he added. Further, Counto said that the traditional Sai aartis including Kakad aarti, Sanj aarti and Shej aarti would be performed on February 22, besides making available mahaprasad (holy meal) and laddoos from Shirdi to the visiting devotees. Seating arrangements for senior citizens, volunteers to accompany the visiting physically challenged persons, drinking water facility, security, etc would be provided by the committee, he said. The Sai Bhajans would also be sung by well-known groups at the venue, he informed, appealing to the local bhajan troupes to join the celebrations and contact the committee, if interested in presenting Sai Bhajans. Counto said that the teachings of Shri Sai Baba are very much relevant in today’s times and go well with the secular nature of Goa...........Walls of Sai Baba temple in Shirdi adorned with gold sheets Shirdi- Jan 11 2009- The four walls surrounding the statue of Shirdi Sai Baba have been adorned with gold sheets weighing 50 kg and embossed with pictures of the 20th century saint.The sheets mounted over the walls, prepared using about 50 kg gold, 50 kg bronze and about 250 kg copper, have been donated to the temple's trust by a Hyderabad-based businessman Adinarayana Reddy, a Sai Sansthan trustee told PTI.Bangalore-based artist Raja Algar who has embossed the sheets with pictures depicting the saint, six in all, has been working on it since the past four months, he said.Algar has worked on the designs of many temples including the Tirupati Balaji in Andhra Pradesh, he said.In 2008 Reddy had donated the golden throne on which the Sai Baba now sits, after his wife Sulochana had a dream in which the saint asked her to get it made.The throne which costs close to Rs 90 crore was made using 100 kg gold. It was also prepared by Algar.The temple, the second richest in the country after Tirupati Balaji, see 25 per cent increase in the number of devotees each year, the trustee said.Shirdi Sai Baba temple has collected Rs 81 crore in cash, 120 kg of gold and 440 kg of silver in the form of donations during the year 2008, he added. (Agencies)

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Monday, November 30, 2009

My Favourite Thoughts and Inspirations.Read them , May be u will find the answer to ur problem

You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

If a relationship has to be a secret,you shouldn't be in it.

However good or bad a situation is, it will change

Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

How many times should I forgive, I am tired of forgiving? – Forgive as many times as you would wish God to forgive you! ~ Dada J P Vaswani

Never do anything which you would not wish to do during the last hour of your life. Dada J.P. Vaswani

Ego-based desire is the root cause of all suffering.

Contentment is the destroyer of all three - desires, anger and greed. Knowledge leads to freedom, but pride of knowledge leads one to hell.

A single act of selflessness can turn hell into heaven. The habit of giving rather than asking is the tool for an enduring relationship.

Silence is the best language. Sri Ramana Maharishi

Only the joy that comes from right conduct is true happiness. Other pleasures are really sources of pain and causes of shame.Thirukural

A god-fearing person can never be religious, because if you fear God you cannot love him. ~ Osho ~

The most beautiful thing is to see a person's simling face.And even more beautiful is, knowing that u r the reason behind it.
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Tuesday, October 20, 2009

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