This blog is dedicated to Shri Shirdi Sai baba

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

Very fortunate is the one who has learned to admire, but not to envy................ Pin all your hopes in god, and then you will not be pinned down by man................. The wealth of a rich man can be stolen or burnt, but the happiness & wisdom of the wise remain................ Life may be struggling, but is very good............ When in doubt, just take a positive step......... Life is too short, but we all have to go long way....... Your work would not take care of your health, but your Prayer to Baba,who is your father, mother & friend, will answer it............ Never be anxious to win every argument. Listen to others also................. Smiling is more healing than crying alone. Never get angry, Baba knows, when & how to take care of you............... Save for retirement starting with your first pay cheque. Make peace with your past & don't screw up the present. Never compare your life with others to make yourself miserable............... Never make any relationship a secret............... Everything can change in the blink of an eye. Have Shraddha & Saburi inBaba.............. Take a deep breath to calm the mind........... Be resourceful to acquire what you love in life....... Burn the candles to enlighten others. Don't save it for a specialoccasion. Today is special............ No one is in charge of your happiness but you. Be selective & choosey.............. Forgive & Forget to make others happy. Time heals all the wounds. Have patience. Good or bad is never permanent, welcome a change. God loves you because you are one of His creations. Come out & adopt positive attitude to witness miraculous ways of Baba........... Envy is a waste of time............ The best in you is knocking your door. Look in to feel His presence........... Never get into any arguments; feel fresh, get up, dress up & show upwith a smile................... Life isn't tied with a bow, but still is a gift showered by GodAlmighty................... If I keep the weaknesses of others in my mind, they soon become a part of me................... The ego is the poison of the soul...drink in the bliss and spit out the poison............... To be free from negative thoughts is to be free from punishment.................. In the long run the most difficult thing is to search for an easy way out............... If I enjoy praise, it means I can be easily hurt by defamation.................. Try to conquer greed now because “while man becomes old, his greed becomes youthful........... The end of birth is death. The end of death is birth........ The stronger your attachment the greater the power of the Maya (the illusion : Her creation) over you..... "I put firm faith in the words of my Guru, considering them more valuable than all the shastras put together." ........... Don't poison your soul, mind, heart and body with negativity....bathe in Divine positive love............ Your Soul is always trying to be heard above the noise of your mind, when you quiet your mind your Soul takes command!.................... Pin all your hopes in god, then you will not be pinned down by man................. Remember that you are very special. NO ONE can play your role better than you.................. If someone defames you or insults you, shower him with flowers, smiles and good wishes............ When you get angry, you lose more than your temper When all your attachments are with the one God, then your achievements are many............... When people cannot stand you because they do not understand you, God will stand by you........... To give happiness to others is a great act of charity. A slip of the foot we many recover, but a slip of the tongue leaves a deep imprint............ Life is like a drama. If I understand the plot, there is great happiness........... To smile in the face of disaster is the result of a stable mind............ If God answers ur prayer,He is increasing ur faith. If He delays,He is increasing ur patience. If he doesn’t answer,He knows u can handle........... 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!................ Never do anything which you would not wish to do during the last hour of your life.............. 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.......... Only the joy that comes from right conduct is true happiness- Other pleasures are really sources of pain and causes of shame.......... A god-fearing person can never be religious, because if you fear God you cannot love him............. 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..................................................................................With lots of good wishes and regards to all from Deepa H and family [ debu7366@yahoo.com ] ...............May Sai always give us peace of mind and May he always make us feel His presence where ever we go.... Saibhakt, Deepa H [You can always contact me at debu7366@yahoo.com ]......................................

One step closer to Brahma Gyaan

One step closer to Brahma gyan:::: A 'devotee' goer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to the Temple . 'I've gone for 30 years now, he wrote, and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 mantras. But for the life of me, I can't remember a single one of them. So, I think I'm wasting my time and the Gurus are wasting theirs by giving services at all. This started a real controversy in the 'Letters to the Editor' column, much to the delight of the editor. It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher: I've been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this... They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to the Temple for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today! When you are DOWN to nothing.... God is UP to something! Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible and receives the impossible! Thank God for our physical AND our spiritual nourishment! ------------------------------ So easy to beat yourself up over mistakes you've made. So many amongst us live in the past rather than loving the present and building a brilliant future. Some people stay stuck for years over something they did or a failure they've experienced. Sad. A life is a terrible thing to waste. But let me ask you a question: "is there really such a thing as a mistake?" First of all, no one tries to fail or mess things up. Every one of us wakes up in the morning, walks out into the world and does the best we can do based on what we know and the skills we have. But even more importantly, every so-called "mistake' is actually a rich source of learning. An opportunity to build more awareness and understanding and gain precious experience. Experience that will help us do, feel and be even better. So, just maybe, there are no mistakes. Just maybe what we could call failures are actually growth lessons in wolf's clothing. And just maybe the person who experiences the most wins. ---------------------- A sick man turned to his doctor as he was preparing to Leave the examination room and said, 'Doctor, I am afraid to die. Tell me what lies on the other side.' Very quietly, the doctor said, 'I don't know.' 'You don't know? You, a Christian man, Do not know what is on the other side?' The doctor was holding the handle of the door; On the other side came a sound of scratching and whining, And as he opened the door, a dog sprang into the room And leaped on him with an eager show of gladness. Turning to the patient, the doctor said, 'Did you notice my dog? He's never been in this room before. He didn't know what was inside. He knew nothing except that his master was here, And when the door opened, he sprang in without fear. I know little of what is on the other side of death, But I do know one thing... I know my Master is there and that is enough.' ------------------------------- A boy and a girl were playing together. The boy had a collection of marbles. The girl had some sweets with her. The boy told the girl that he will give her all his marbles in exchange for her sweets. The girl agreed. The boy kept the biggest and the most beautiful marble aside and gave the rest to the girl. The girl gave him all her sweets as she had promised. That night, the girl slept peacefully. But the boy couldn't sleep as he kept wondering if the girl had hidden some sweets from him the way he had hidden his best marble. Moral of the story: If you don't give your hundred percent in a relationship, you'll always keep doubting if the other person has given his/her hundred percent.. This is applicable for any relationship like love, employer-employee relationship, friendship etc., Give your hundred percent to everything you do and sleep peacefully ---------------------- The tragedy of life is not death,but what we let die inside us while we live.When u were born,the world rejoiced while u cried,-live ur life in such a way that when you die,-the world cries while u rejoice.. -------------------------------- Your days are your life in miniature. As you live your days, so you craft your life. What you do today is actually creating your future. The words you speak, the thoughts you think, the food you eat and the actions you take are defining your destiny â€“ shaping who you are becoming and what your life will stand for. There's no such thing as an unimportant day. Each of us is called to greatness. Each of us has an exquisite power within us. But for this power to grow, we need to use it. The more you exercise it each day, the stronger it gets. The more this power gets tapped, the more confident you grow. The best among us are not more gifted than the rest. They just take small steps each day as they march towards their biggest life. And the days slip into weeks, the weeks into months and before they know it, they arrive at a place called Extraordinary. ----------------------------- If you can not respect , love , care about ,stand by or be honest with your own parents ,-who gave birth to you and were the very first people who fell in love with you -- then whether you accept this or not but you do not love anyone else in this world either with all your heart and soul ....and time will show that none of your children will stand by you either- when you will need them the most.. ----------------------------------- If you sit with a person who is smoking, even without ur knowledge- You will end up inhaling second hand smoke.In the same way, if you be in the company of saints who constantly preach about the importance of doing good karma-, automatically even without ur knowledge- u will end up doing a lot of positive and humble deeds. If you be in the company of a person who keeps saying bad words and abusing others then then obviously whether u like it or not -- u will end up being the same kind of person sooner or later. And if u constantly listen to Gods name, his praises, his bhajans-even without you being aware of it - the words that will come out of your mouth will be nothing but the nectar of love and bliss. So be in the company of God and even without your knowledge-You will find him seated in your heart - talking to you and finding solutions to ur problems and worries.You just need to take one step towards Him and He will take 100 steps towards you.. By Deepa H inspired by Sai -------------------------------------------- Always tell someone that you love them because you never know what day Will be their last, or your own. Always seek to resolve your problems or disagreements with loved ones Because if either of you should pass on before, the one who is left alive will have the rest of their life to ponder those unresolved feelings but will never find closure. And closure usually brings Peace... ......................................................................................With lots of good wishes and regards to all from Deepa H and family [ debu7366@yahoo.com ] ...............May Sai always give us peace of mind and May he always make us feel His presence where ever we go.... Saibhakt, Deepa H [You can always contact me at debu7366@yahoo.com ]

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My Experience With Baba

Devotees and my online friends often ask me about my experiences relating to Sai baba and also what makes my devotion in Baba so strong?

Sometimes,I think if I started to reply to them- I really would'nt know where to start and where to end. I have been going to shirdi since my childhood days. My dad had a lot of faith in Baba and He used to take us to shirdi every month. I still remember those days when I was a small kid and I used to play in Samadhi mandir and in those days ,Samadhi mandir did not have a roof all the way--It was connected to Dwarkamayi-I rememeber my dad giving abhishek to Baba's murti and Baba's samadhi in samadhi mandir.I have a lot of memories of how Shirdi used to be several yrs ago-specially those small alleys where we walked on barefoot --one could actually feel that you are stepping on the same mud where Baba must have once walked on. I remember seeing those 9 coins which were given by Baba to Laxmi bai. I was fortunate to go to this great devotees house and meet her family.I remember there used to be 3-4 furnished bunglows which were just reserved for vip's and we often stayed over there. Those bunglows are not there anymore but the memory will always be.

When I was a kid, before any exam or test that I had in school -my mom used to give me Baba's udi before leaving the house. We called it Babuti. And today, I do the same with my 12 yr old daughter. And by His grace, I have never ever been out of my Baba's sacred udi .Infact, when I moved into my new house, instead of doing any ghar pravesh pooja-- I made my daughter take the first step in the house with Baba's picture in her hands and then I put Baba's udi all around my house on the outside and inside every corner of each room. So now even Baba lives in that house with us .We all have felt His presence in the house in some way or the other.

A few years ago, I got very angry with my daughter for something wrong that she did and in front of Baba's picture, I slapped her like any normal parent would do --and in a couple of seconds - I heard a voice from deep inside my heart that" You have done so many mistakes in your life - have I ever punished you-then why did u punish ur daughter". I realized my mistake and since that day no matter how angry I become on any one-- I hold on to Baba's name and handle the matter with patience and understanding.Great is Baba and even Greater are His leela's.

He has shown me so many miracles and it is hard to list them all but there is one that I can never ever forget. About 5-6 yrs ago, I had gone to Shirdi with my mom and my sister's family. There was a very kind Sai devotee who was my friend in those days who arranged for the hotel stay and the vip pass for me and my relatives for the morning Kakad aarti. Anyways, we all reached Shirdi at midnight so we were all tired. But I was all set to attend the Kakad aarti. In the morning, I tried to wake up everyone who had come with me to attend the aarti but all of them to my surprise said that they wanted to sleep and will attend the aarti later. Anyways, so I got ready and at 5 am, I was able to get in the Samadhi mandir with the Vip pass. I was so happy to get such a nice darshan of Baba. Finally the aarti started and at the time when the aarti was going on--my mind started thinking of a wish that I had since long. Something that only I knew about.Something that bothered me and left me confused for a long long time. Anyways, the aarti was over and I was able to also get in for the satyanarayan pooja, buy the Sai satcharitra books , get extra udi for my friends in USA and did all the fun stuff that I usually do in Shirdi. And when I came back to the hotel, all my relatives were still sleeping. I woke them up and now they wanted to attend the madhyan aarti at noon and so they asked me if I would be able to get the vip paas for them for the madhyan aarti . But not even a leaf can move without Baba's approval so no matter how much I tried and they tried but they were not able to get in for the aarti. After the aarti, they did a very quick darshan of Baba at Samadhi mandir and then we left for mumbai. This had happened in may or june. Usually, I never go to India ,with in 6-8 months but like Baba said "My people do not come to me of their own accord; it is I who seek and bring them to me."

Things took a turn and I had to go to Mumbai once again alone for some reason. And , one thing led to another- and I reached Shirdi on my Birthday itself. I went there with a couple of my friends and the plan was to be in shirdi for 2-3 hrs and come back to mumbai the same day. We reached at 1 :00 in the afternoon and miracles started happening since then. We went to a restaurant and over there, I saw a very big original picture of Baba and I said to myself, I wished I had that picture too and then I completely forgot about it. Anyways, we went to Samadhi mandir and we were able to get a very nice darshan of Baba since it was not all that crowded. I was really happy to get blessings of Baba on my special day and when I came out of the Samadhi mandir, a kid came to me who was selling the exact same picture of Baba which I had seen in the restauraunt and that too a pretty good size.I was shocked to see that picture, only I knew that I wanted to have that picture. To me, it was Baba's birthday gift for me.

Anyways, once again, I did my usual stuff- got some extra udi and Sai Satcharitra books etc and then I told my friends that I will meet them in 30 mins at 4:10pm or so cos I wanted to read the Sai Satcharitra in Dwarkamai and then we will be off to Mumbai. They went their way and I once again started my tirth yatra in Shirdi by visiting all the small temples. I started reading the Sai Satcharitra in a temple other than Dwarkamai.I finished reading it and there was a fakir dressed in orange kafini with a turban on his head whom I noticed was watching me. He was sitting near the moorti .Anyways, in 10 mins , I got up and prayed in front of the moorti there and was about to put some dakshina in the donation box when I noticed that fakir looking at me again so instead of putting the money in the box -I offered him to take the dakshina. He said no put it in the hundi so I did that and as I was leaving the temple, I felt like giving something to that fakir, so I turned behind and I had the bag of prasad in my hands - I took out a packet of sweet pedas and thought that since the fakir did not want any money ,let me give him this packet of Baba's prasad. So I offered to give him that itself, He took it gladly and he raised his hand and blessed me. And for a minute it felt like Baba raised his hand to shower his grace and blessings on me. My heart started beating fast,what more could I ask from Baba on my birthday. I left that temple happily once again to meet my friends . But this was not the end of His leela's.

When I was walking towards the place where I was suppose to meet my friends--I passed Samadhi mandir and reached the place where there r 3-4 small temples of Lord Ganesh, Lord Shiva etc and over there I got attracted to this small door where everyone was going. My feet automatically were drawn towards that door and when I went inside, I saw a big line chanting Baba's name - That line was going to the samadhi mandir I guessed. I dont know what happened to me but I held Shri Sai Satcharitra close to my heart and started chanting Baba's name in a way that I had never chanted before and started walking and I actually started passing all those devotees who were waiting in the line before me and see the miracle of Baba, no one even once dared to stop me and with in 5 mins I was at almost the begining of the line and as soon as I reached there , the gates were opened and everyone rushed up and down the stairs to go to the Samadhi mandir. And with in minutes, I too reached inside the temple only to realize that I was standing at the exact same spot where I was standing a few months ago when I had the vip pass for attending the Kakad aarti and not only that I was wander struck, when it was announced that the dhoop aarti will be starting soon .I kept looking at Baba's moorti and was speechless. I looked at my watch and realized that my friends must be waiting for me so I called them from my cell and told them that I am sorry that they have to wait. I am in Samadhi mandir and I am attending the aarti. Its amazing, we can not enter or leave Shirdi unless He wishes. Although the bus tickets for returning to mumbai were already booked, and they were waiting for me at the bus station- they had to cancel the tickets and reschedule it for a later time. Great are Baba's leela's . The very same day, some other events had also happened which had satisfied my long awaited wish and cleared the confusion that I had since many many yrs and this was the very same wish that I had when I had attended the Kakad aarti..This was His miracle , otherwise, me standing at the very same vip spot without having a vip paas would not have been possible. Once again, Baba showered his grace on me and I was able to attend the dhoop aarti but my friends were not able to do that .And on my Birthday, this time when I was attending the aarti, my mind was only set on him and it did not wander for any uncompleted wish or some mind bothering confusion. My mind was clear and only fixed on Him and his grace. Tears of devotion kept falling from my eyes ,the entire time- while the aarti was going on.He gave me what I wished for and besides that He made my Birthday very special for me.I happily and with a contented mind left shirdi at 8pm or so after having the dinner and all.

Truly, Great is Baba and even greater are His leelas. He very well knows what His devotee wants and He gives it to him . It is just we human beings who do not have patience and do not have faith in His judgement.Since that day, I fully beleive that Sai is not so far away. He is not in the heavens above, nor in hell below. He is always near you.

[Continued]

My experiences and the leelas that I witnessed during the trip to India in 2010::

My this trip to India was much more interesting than what I had planned or anticipated.It was definetly filled with leelas and miracles of Saibaba. I went to Shirdi on Ramnavami and I not only had a very good darshan over there but I also attended the Aarti as a VIP.Thanks to the two messengers of Sai without whom I would have been totally lost. They helped me in every possible way to make sure that I get whatever I needed in Shirdi and Baba thru them made sure that I am able to do everything in Shirdi to my hearts content. Infact at one point, one of them wandered and said to the other- I have never met Deepa before but I wander why am I doing all this !!!!!!!!... He carried on his shoulders 700 plus Sai Vrat Katha books and other stuff that I had purchased and walked bare foot from Dwarkamai to Prasadalaya.It was abt 10:30 pm and they made sure that I safely reached my hotel and on the Ramnavami day before saying good bye to me-They presented me with a big framed picture of Baba which was one of a kind and not easy to get. It seems they had got that picture for some other devotee but that devotee never showed up.. Ofcourse, to me this was a leela of Sai - I had tears in my eyes when I saw that picture cos just before leaving for India-- I had sent a very big picture of Sai to a father whose daughter was not feeling well and in my mail to Him- I had written to him that Sai is coming to ur house!!!! And there I was in Shirdi on Ramnavami day and a Sai bhakt presented me with Babas big picture -- I felt as if Baba is coming with me to my house. May be it was a blessing from the heart of that father that Sai has come to my house or perhaps it was a blessing from Sai that on Ramnavami day He showered His grace on me. No matter what the truth is but when ever I see that pic in my house in my temple -I just say to myself -Great is Baba and even greater are his leelas. Inspite of the huge crowds of devotees everywhere, I also was able to do the Satyanarayan pooja and do everything else that I normally do in Shirdi. This reminds me of another leela that happened the next day after Ramnavami .I woke up at 7:30 am or so and the first thing that came to my mind was that I wish I could do the Satyanarayan pooja so I hurried to the sansthan to get the parchi for the 8:30am pooja but when I reached there - I was told that there was no place-the hall was full and they could give me the parchi only for the pooja that will be at 1:30 in the afternoon.I knew I can not attend the 1:30 pooja cos by then I had to leave for Mumbai.I had completely lost hope and just then Sai alone knows what happened-it was like Sai Commanded and the person sitting way inside the office suddenly instructed the clerk to give me the parchi for 8:30 am ... I was so so so happy- I immediately got the parchi and ran to the place where the pooja was going to be held -it was already 8:30 by then -when I reached the hall- the guy inside the hall saw my parchi and gave me the seat in the very first front row and I sat just across the pandit who was performing the pooja....
Many leelas kept happening during this trip to Shirdi.Out of which one also happened on Ramnavami during the day. I had never ever met or seen or even spoken personally to the designer of the above Sai Picture whom I often refer as the True Sai Devotee.....But on that day, I met him in Shirdi outside Dwarkamai- of course that meeting was planned --- anyways, we both then went to Shri Abdul Baba's cottage which you see in the below picture and sat there to chat.But before entering Abdul Baba's cottage, I saw everyone eating pulao outside Dwarkamai. It sure looked tasty so even I wanted to have that prasad but could not find who was distributing it.Anyways, Is it possible that you sit in Baba's Darbaar on Ramnavami day and you go without eating the Prasad??? Nope Not Possible!!!! Anyways, The true Sai devotee who designs the pictures everyday for the Shirdi Sai Speaks mails and I were chatting in Abdul Baba's cottage and suddenly the person who was distributing the pulao came inside with her dish-- filled the plate with pulao and offered it to us. Vow!!! What more could I ask !! Nobody knew except Sai, that I was dying to have that tasty pulao and there it was in my lap..Baba's Prasad to me along with jalebi and udi while sitting in Abdul Babas cottage!! To others, this may be a co incidence but to me they are leelas which make me feel as if Sai is with us at every step we take .

This is the picture of Abdul Baba's cottage which is across Chavdi.

It is believed that No one can leave Shirdi until Baba Permits and ofcourse, I have witnessed that in my life many times .This time during my visit to Shirdi during Ramnavami of 2010 ,a similar thing happened.I had a very nice darshan on the Ramnavami day and I was also lucky enough to attend the aarti.On the next day, with the grace of Sainath- I was also able to do the Satnarayan pooja and get a couple of chaddars from the auction as requested by a couple of Sai devotees. I had finished all my work and headed to exit the Sansthan gate and leave for mumbai but on that last day, I did not go to Dwarkamai or Samadhi mandir.

However, Sai had not yet given me permission to leave the premises. I exited from the Shirdi Sansthan gate and the second I did that-- something in my heart said that I have to go back in since I did not get anything from Shirdi for my best friend.The voice inside me was so loud that I could not stop myself- I turned back to get in but that was the exit gate near the Samadhi mandir so no one was allowed to get in from that gate. But I requested that havaldar that I just came out and I have forgotten something so it was very kind of him to let me in once again.Anyways, Things have changed a lot in Shirdi now and the gates really confuse me-as I was heading back in the opposite direction of the crowd-By mistake , I entered another entry which led me straight to the steps which led to the Samdhi Mandir.It was the very end of the Samadhi mandir where people were doing just a quick darshan and tears started rolling down my eyes when I noticed that even though I am standing way in the end but I am in Samadhi Mandir paying my respects to Baba and asking him the permission to leave Shirdi. Although I had already exited from the gate but Sainath called me back to give me His Blessed Darshan.

Anyways,with Baba in my heart- I proceeded to the place where the auction is held to get a chaddar for my best friend.But unfortunately just as I reached there , the auction got over. I inquired from the person who was conducting the auction if he had any more that I could purchase and he directed me to the room where I could buy the chaddars that were touched by Baba's samadhi but when I went there, there was just 1 small chaddar left by the grace of SAI and obviously, I got my hands on it. I paid for it and Sai knows what got into me that I gave the clerk my best friends name to type on the receipt.

After that , I noticed that there was a Sterling Silver coin and a gold pendant of Baba on sale too over there. I got so attracted towards those two things that without any second thought, I went ahead and purchased that for myself. But just when I was coming out-I saw the receipt for the silver coin and the gold pendant and to my surprise, it had my best friends name on it.- The clerk had forgotten to ask my name when he was making the second and third receipt and I completely forgot that I needed to give him my name for those 2 articles.... At this point , I realized what exactly had just happened and I had just witnessed another leela of Baba..

For you to understand the leela behind this let me share an incident with you that happened last year---- Since abt 19 yrs or so, I had been carrying a small purse which had all my lucky tokens- Those lucky tokens were so dear to me that no matter where I went-- Mexico, Thailand, Dubai, Canada, Alaska, India -- I took them with me. I even carried them everywhere in my routine life and even if I changed my big purse still I made sure that the small lucky token purse is always with me. It had a small gold pendant of Baba which my dad had bought for me in Shirdi when I went with him last before coming to States 17-18 yrs ago. Since my dad is no more, that pendant was very close to my heart.

That visit to Shirdi with my dad abt 17-18 yrs ago, itself was a miracle--- I still remember, I had got my visa to usa and I was very excited to go to states and meet my hubby and start my married life.I booked my ticket for the first available date and was all set to fly.I had said good bye to all my friends and relatives .However, on the day, I was suppose to leave from India- I got a call from Air India saying that the pilots have gone on some kind of indefinite strike and the flight had been cancelled until further notice.Oh ! I was so frustrated. But my dad who was an ardent devotee of Sainath saw the good in it and said to me that lets go to Shirdi..We will return in 1 day.You are going so far, u should take Baba's blessings before starting ur new life.So Papa and me, both headed for Shirdi and there he got me that gold pendant. We went to the Samadhi mandir and made the priest touch the pendant at Baba's feet and at His sacred Samdhi.I seeked Baba's blessings-took His permission to leave India and then as soon as I came back- I flew that very same day to states. It was a pure leela of Sai where He made me come to Shirdi just the day I was suppose to leave for states.

Anyways, that very same gold pendant was in that lucky token small purse of mine along with a sterling silver coin which one of my well wishers had given from Siddhi Vinayak abt 15-16 yrs ago.In that lucky token purse,there was also a 1 Rupee note with the numbers 786 written in the serial number which was given to me by this very same best friend many many yrs ago whom I had got the chadar for...786 is believed to be a lucky number for any muslim .Neither my friend nor me r a muslim but since we both have been a Sai devotee since our child hood days-- We have faith in all religions. Baba always said 'Allaah Maalik hai' .. Anyways, that small lucky token purse which had some other stuff besides this- had got stollen last year. Since the time, that purse was stollen, I had become so scared that all my confidence had started wearing off.I would start crying on the smallest problem. I am in the medical field and seeing blood was so normal for me but after that lucky token purse got stollen -the sight of blood made me nervous. I was sentimentally attached to that purse because it was filled with blessings and well wishes of my loved ones.It always made me feel protected and it gave me all the confidence and showed me the light that lead to the path of God.

Coming back to my trip to Shirdi in 2010-The miracle that happened after the U turn that I took for my best friend after leaving the Sansthan gate made me seek Baba's blessings and permission before leaving Shirdi. Baba also made me get- the sterling silver coin from the Shirdi Sansthan along with the gold pendant with Baba's picture on it and on the receipt was my best friends name on it instead of my name.. I realized that Baba gave me back the lost sterling silver coin of siddhivinayak along with the gold pendant of sai which my dad had given to me with the well wishes of my best friend .Baba gave me back my lucky tokens and once again I bloom with the self confidence with the faith that no matter where I go and what I do -- Sai is always with me and even if I loose something- He will surely give it back to me if I truly deserve it..Once again My Salute to Baba and His leelas!!!
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My experiences in 2012 in Shirdi
For all who were looking forward to hear about my experiences in Shirdi... Here it goes....

Before leaving for Shirdi I received many prayers to be taken to Shirdi. Those letters taught me a lot and made me realise that the grass is always greener on the other side! As in those letters Sai devotees had poured out their inner feelings, pains and problems to Baba. Some one wanted to have a baby and someone complained abt her childs ignorance. Someone wanted to get married and some one 's marriage was a complete disaster.It is so strange,what you might take for granted, that would be the only reason for me to live. Then there were prayers for the relatives who had health problems.And then there was this 26yr old guy from london who has a rare form of cancer at such a young age. I request all of you to pray to our Sadguru Sainath to show his miracle and bless his devotees with good health and a good life...

Anyways I removed the printout of those mails to Baba and headed for Shirdi. We thought we wont be able to reach in time for the Madhyan arti but we reached at 11am and I headed straight for the PRO office with my passport copy to get the vip pass to attend the arti but unfortunately the office was closed. I tried for abt 45 mins to somehow get the pass but it was all in vain and we lost all hope . I was thinking inside that I have come from so far and I am in time for the Madhyan arti but all the doors were closed for me.and I really wished that I could attend the arti. Anyways, we all know that not even a leaf can move without Sai's grace so we decided to move on and go to Dwarkamai for darshan,- thinking that now that most of the crowd has headed for the madhyan arti, darshan in Dwarkamai should be easier But alas ! when we went there, the line in dwarkamai was quite long and seemed like the doors were closed so the line was just not moving. Anyways , we just said Allaah Maalik and joined the line and as we all believe that if we move 1 inch towards Sai, He will move 10 inches closer to you. And that is what exactly happened. At 12 noon I stepped in Dwarkamai. We had a very good darshan and the second we passed between the window/door between samadhi mandir and dwarkamai - the madhyan aarti started. There was a tv just above where I was standing which gave me a blissful darshan of Sai in Samadhi mandir while I sang the Madhyan arti in Dwarkamai. This was definetly a vip pass for me from Baba.

After the arti , we went in that circle in dwarkamai where everyone meditates and were lucky enough to get naivaidya offered to baba as prasad along with coconuts. We then stood there praying to baba and thanking him for everything that he has given us. But to my surprise, when i opened my eyes, everyone was gone from that circle and no one was allowed in by the security guards except my friend and I. The gates to that circle were closed and we had the blissful darshan to our hearts content.

We saw the wall in Dwarkamai where Babas miracle picture was noticed a few days ago. My friend Aditi , could make out Babas picture on the wall but all I could clearly see was Lord Buddha. Strange, I could bet anything that it was not Sai on that wall of Dwarkamai but it was Lord Buddha giving me his blissful darshan... To me , this was a very wonderful leela of Baba that he made me see Lord Buddha on that wall. There were two reasons behind this leela of Baba - according to my understanding. I was desperately wanting to visit the Palitana Jain temples.

I had my mind set to go there but since I was in India only for 8 days and my 4-5 days went just attending the wedding functions of a close relative- and 1 day was set aside for shirdi- it was not possible for me to go there. I asked so many people during the wedding and they all told me that according to the plane timings and everything else , it would not be possible for me to go there.I did not have enough time on my hands-- may be that is why on that wall of Dwarkamai- Baba gave me the darshan of Lord Buddha .

The second reason is that personally, I think I have become very greedy since the past few months .. I have been having this urge to go for the Kailash Mansarovar yatra. And I want to be there specifically on the 4th of June 2012 to attend the Saga dawa festival during this sacred yatra and also pay my respects at the holy abode of Lord Shiva..

The Saga Dawa festival is celebrated on the 15th day of the 4th Tibetan month and is one of the most important religious festivals celebrated in Tibet. This auspicious day coincides with three important events in Buddha's life namely his birth, nirvana and parinirvana (death). Since the Saga Dawa festival falls on the holiest month of the Tibetan calendar, it is believed that good deeds and prayers are multiplied thousand fold during this event. So we can see everyone immersed in prayers and trying to appease the gods.

I really dont know if I will be able to make it. All my family and friends know abt this that I have my heart set on this Yatra..But now the chances of me going there do not look so good .May be that was the reason out of no where, Baba made me see Lord Buddha in Dwarkamai where everyone else could see Baba's face.I dont know what you will call this but I definetly beleive that ,-this was the most blissful leela of Baba for me..

Moving on we went near the Shani gate where the 3 small temples are located : They are dedicated to Ganesh, Shani (Saturn) and Mahadev (Shiva). I went to the Ganesh temple and then paid my respects to the Shani devta and then at the entry of the Lord Shiva temple - there was a security guard doing nothing. I dont know what got into him- He took a lota- filled it with water and asked me to put it on the Shivling in the Shiva temple.Out of so many people, he chose me. I just can not express how I felt when I entered the temple with water for the shivling in my hands and to add to that I found the bail leaves for the shivling too.Great is Baba and even greater are his leelas.Baba gave me the bliss of being in Kailash when physically I was in Shirdi itself. I had goose bumps all over my body , my heart was filled with content, my soul felt baba's bliss around me and the faith grew stronger that Sai knows what I desire. He will make my wishes and dreams come true in his own way thru his own amazing leelas.

After that ,We arranged for the VIP dhoop aarti passes at the PRO office, which according to me was another leela of Baba but I will share that some other time . Anyways, I did my routine Sai Seva work which I normally do in Shirdi. And then headed for the dhoop aarti.We had a wonderful darshan of baba during the dhoop aarti ,-since we were so close to baba in the VIP section..My friend Aditi and I , both read all the mails which were addressed to Baba and prayed individually for each one of them while we were waiting for the arti to start.After the arti we were able to give all those letters to the priest and he put them all on babas feet and gave it back to us.And later on, we were able to request one of the Sai Sansthan people to immerse those letters in the sacred dhuni.. So lucky were those people whose prayers reached the holy dhuni and I am so sure Baba that will take care of their problems now..

Ofcourse, My trip to Shirdi does not end there. Sai Miracles continued .At abt 7pm, While doing my normal Sai Seva work, I came across a person from the Sai Sansthan who spoke to me at Baba's command. He blessed me and made me realize abt my biggest mistake.He told me things about myself that only I knew.He enlightened me with Brahma Gyan and in the end he put the orange cloth with Baba all over it,- on my head and my shoulders. What more could I ask for. I received his blessings and a sign that no matter where I am- He will always be with me to take care of me and show me the way to His lotus feet...

I can go on and on with his leela's but I think for now this is enough. I will surely share more , If He permits me to do so. May the Merciful Sri Sai Baba always shower His grace on us and our families and remove our problems and anxieties by giving us all - strength , goodluck, success and happiness with peace of mind.

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Today, 27th Jan 2012- I had another strange experience which made me say- How is this happening???

I was at work and was replying to the messages sent to me by my friend Reena on my facebook account thru my cell phone. And suddenly I noticed that when I type a message and send it to her " Jai Sai Ram " in bold letters gets typed automatically after I pressed the send button. "Jai Sai Ram" was visible to me only after I pressed the send button but amazingly , Reena could only read the message that I typed and surprisingly when I pressed the refresh button -All my messages to her get accumulated and the Jai Sa Ram disaapears. How is this happening is still a mystery to me but its the most amazing miracle of all to me. Everytime, I think - I have seen the most amazing leela of Baba where He makes me witness His presence- I see another one making me go one more step closer to him. I tried sending message to another friend of mine but the Jai Sai Ram did not come on that one.. Another amazing part of this whole miracle is that I usually utter Om Sai Ram in my mails and in person but Jai Sai Ram is uttered by my friend Reena - all the time. I was able to take a picture of my cell phone... Its hard for me to find a logical reason behind this -. But no matter what-- I salute to Baba for showing me his presence and making my faith in him grow stronger and stronger....

Notice the 2 pictures and the "Jai Sai Ram " in bold . It gets on my cell phone screen automatically after I type a message and hit the send button but when I refresh my screen- It disaapears..... Its visible on my phone but not on hers.. However,I was able to click a picture of this amazing miracle thru another cell.

Sai bhakt,

Deepa H

debu7366@yahoo.com

Latest News from Shirdi in 2010

Latest News from Shirdi in 2010 :::::::DEVOTEE ALLOWED TO CLIMB AND SIT ON SAI BABA'S SAMADHI`SHIRDI !!! 23rd October`2010 According to the rules of Shirdi Sai Trust made in 1979, except for the Temple's Pujari's, NOBODY IS ALLOWED TO CLIMB AND SIT ON SAI BABA'S SAMADHI, be it any VIP, the Sansthan Trustees or even the President of the country. But Recently, THE SHIRDI SAI TRUST BROKE ITS AGE OLD RULE, BY ALLOWING A SAI DEVOTEE TO ACTUALLY CLIMB UP SAI BABA'S SAMADHI AND SIT RIGHT NEXT TO BABA'S IDOL !!! A Sai Devotee from Andhra Pradesh, Shri.Adi Narayana Reddy, was actually allowed to climb up Baba's Samadhi and sit next to Baba's Idol. Shri.Adi Narayana Reddy is the same devotee who in the past had donated 150 kgs of Gold to the Sai Temple for Sai Baba's Throne / Walls & Pillars. - CONTEMPORARY DEVOTEES VERSUS SHIRDI SAI TRUST - This has raised strong objections from the family of Shri.Gopalrao Mukund Butty (who had got the Butty Wada made) and other contemporary devotees like Shri.Mukund Rao Kote and Shivaji Gondkar, who have all got together and set up their own Committee (Samiti), to object certain ways of the Shirdi Sai Trust like: 1) The way the Shirdi Sai Trust has changed the face of Baba's Samadhi Temple, by covering it in Gold. They want the Butty Wada's simplicity & authenticity to be retained for which they have asked the Shirdi Trust to resist such changes. 2) How can any devotee be allowed to climb up and sit on Baba's Samadhi, when its against the rules of the Sai Trust. 3) Why some devotees have an quick and easy VIP Darshan while others have to wait in long queues. 4) Why were the local devotees not given permission to sing Bhajans inside the Shrine, while the Rich are allowed to sit on Baba's Samadhi. According to Shri.Subhash Rao Butty (Grandson of Shri.Gopalrao Butty), if Sai Baba wanted the Butty Wada to be covered in Gold, his grand father (Shri.Gopalrao Butty) could have done so in 1918 itself, when he had got the Butty Wada made, as even then he had the all the means & sources to do so. But, Baba always preferred Simplicity and was very much against the display of one's Wealth or power. He never gathered any sort of wealth except for the Love of his devotees. And today, devotees in love and gratitude for Baba, offer Gold / Silver and other Precious items to Baba. So much so that, everything has now been covered in Gold, be it Baba's Throne, his Chariot or the Walls & Pillars of his Samadhi's sanctum sanctorum. In a way, Baba has now been immersed in all the things for which he stood against. Shri.Ashok Khambekar, Managing Trustee, Shri Sai Baba Sansthan has said that they would consider their demands and call them for talks also. To be noted: In Shri Sai Satcharitra, Chapter XIV it is said that Baba always used to get wild and scolded those who brought costly & rich articles. He had told Mr. Nanasaheb Chandorkar that His property consisted of 1 Koupin (codpiece), 1 stray piece of cloth, 1 Kafni & a Tumbler, and that all the people troubled Him by bringing all these unnecessary, useless and costly articles." Baba also never allowed Mahalsapati to accept any money or gifts that devotees who came to see Baba showered on him. Baba kept him poor in Kind, but rich in his Spiritual Heart. Baba gifted him the supreme Bliss, much more valuable than any physical and transitory richness. .............................18th October`2010 On the Occasion of Sai Baba's Punyatithi`2010 at Shirdi, during the "Bhiksha Zoli" programme,devotees have made anonymous donations to Sai Baba. ................................On 16th Oct`2010, a Devotee donated a Necklace made of 1kg Gold & worth approx Rs.20 lakh.Along with Rubies and Emeralds studded, it has a "OM" symbol made of Diamonds also.The Devotee has requested anonymity. .............................................On 17th Oct`2010, another Devotee donated Padukas made of 2kg Gold & worth approx Rs.41 lakh at Dwarkamai`Shirdi.After the proper Rituals, the Golden Paduka have been installed on the Stone on which Sai Baba used to Sit in Dwarakamai.The Devotee has requested anonymity.With these Gold Donations, now the Sai Sansthan has approximately 200 kg Gold and 3000 kg Silver. ................................INSURANCE COVER FOR DEVOTEES AT THE SHIRDI SAI BABA TEMPLE ~~Friday 08th Oct`2010-The Temple Authorities of the Sai Baba Temple in Shirdi have taken an Insurance cover of Rs 1.25 crore for its devotees.Under which 25 people can be reimbursed at a time against accidental death, disability and accidental hospitalisation. Mr.Vijay Thorat, officer in-charge of United India Insurance Ltd`Shirdi, feels that the Mandhar Devi stampede that claimed 300 lives, shook the big Temples across the country. “Big and famous Temples that attract larger crowds, especially during the festivals, are the ones that are susceptible to stampede. While booking a policy, many also consider things like militant attack,” said Thorat..................................SHIRDI SAI BABA TEMPLE TO GET SECURITY LIKE A FORTRESS - 04th Oct`2010-Mumbai: At a cost of Rs 5 crore, within the coming two Months the Security at the Shirdi Sai Baba Temple premises will become more stringent now. This is being done as the alleged masterminds of Pune's German Bakery blast recently made a Confession that apart from other places, the Shirdi Sai Baba Temple too was on their Hit List for an attack, for which they had carried out recce of the Shirdi Sai Baba Temple using fake names. It has to be noted that a few months back itself, on getting secret intelligence reports regarding a terrorist attack in Shirdi, the Shirdi Sansthan had already got the Security tightened in and around the Temple premises. The Shirdi Temple Trust: 1) Had raised the height of the Boundary walls in view of the terror threats and has also constructed Watch Towers. 2) Have made Seven emergency exits and installed 16 Cellphone jammers. 3) Have regular Security Drills and the local police conducts security checks too. 4) A Bullet-proof glass has been installed on the Temple's Door which is on the southern side from Baba's Idol, where devotees stand in the compound and have darshan. 5) CCTV Cameras / Scanners have been installed all around the Temple premises. It can also detect explosives like TNT, RDX and other explosives, if anyone sneaks them inside the Temple. 6) Luggage scanners too were installed. But after the confession of the Pune Blasts masterminds, the senior officials of the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and Force One visited Shirdi's Sai Baba temple to review the security. After studying it thoroughly, they found certain shortcomings in the Security arrangements made. So to beef up the Security of the Sai Temple, the ATS Officers have decided upon: 1) To make Under-ground Bunkers at each Gate of the Temple. 2) To Install Scanners which are feeded with the Data & Photographs of all the country's Culprits / Terrorists etc. So, if the Scanner spots any matching Data of any suspect entering the Temple premises, it will immediately send off an Alarm to the Security Agencies. 3) To Install Hi-Tech GQZ Cameras which have the ability to Zoom in on any suspects Face, giving a close up. 4) Some Retired Major General Rank Officer will see through the security measures being implemented. .............................. Rs.10 LAKH DONATED TO SAI BABA AT SHIRDI ~~03rd Oct`2010-Smt & Shri.Mallaiah, a Sai Devotee Couple from Hyderabad`A.P have donated Rs.10 lakh to Sai Baba at Shirdi. Shri.Mallaiah who works in the field of Electronics said that for the past 20 years, he had been saving this money in a Hundi (Temples Offering Box) kept infront of Shirdi Sai Baba's Photo at his home............................On Sunday 26th Sept`2010, -A few Devotees - men & women, climbed on the barricades of the Gurusthan and were trying to pluck the fresh Leaves of the Neem Tree and not the ones fallen down as mentioned earlier. But, the Temple's Security Guards present there objected to them in doing so, leading into an argument. ....................... CONSTRUCTION OF PAVEMENTS & RING ROADS IN SHIRDI Friday 24th Sept`2010-For the development of Shirdi Town,Roman Tarmat, a company engaged in the business of creating infrastructure has received Letters of Intent worth Rs 33.83 crore for the Construction of Flexible and Rigid Pavement for DP & Ring Roads in Shirdi, Ahmednagar district, Maharashtra for Shri. Shirdi Saibaba Sansthan Trust.This “ISO 9001:2000” accredited company also carries out Civil engineering works, including Highways, Airside works, Pavements, Roads & Civil works sponsored by Government or Government agencies, including the Central Government, State Governments and Municipalities......................................931 Gram GOLD CHAIN OFFERED TO SAI BABA AT SHIRDI - Thursday 23rd Sept`2010-When Baba fulfills the wishes of his devotees, the devotees in-turn thank Baba by making considerable offerings to Baba at Shirdi. On Thursday 23rd Sept`2010, a Devotee couple from Hyderabad Smt & Shri.Krishnaiah, donated a 931 Gram Pure Gold Necklace worth Rs.18 lakh to Sai Baba at Shirdi.Lately also, many a devotees have made such Gold/Diamond Studded donations to Baba at Shirdi..................................."SAI NAAM JAAP AANDOLAN" PROTEST IN SHIRDI - Tuesday 31st August`2010-Shirdi: On Tuesday 31st Aug`2010, around 2,500 Workers of the Shirdi Sai Sansthan went on a "Sai Naam Jaap Aandolan" - a One Day Peaceful Protest, while chanting Baba's Name. This Strike was called by the "Jai Sai Nath Kamgar Seva Sangh". They were demanding their wages be raised from Rs.3000/- per month to Rs.5000/- per month, as it was difficult for them to run their houses in todays Inflationary Times. They were also demanding to be made Permanent instead of Temporary Workers.They had all gathered in front of Baba's Samadhi Mandir on the Pimpalwadi Road and were Chanting Sai Baba's Mantra "Om Sai Namoh Namaha" continuously, with a small Palki of Sai Baba kept infront of them. As it was a peaceful Protest, there was no confusion or trouble caused to the devotees visiting the Samadhi Temple. ................FOUNDATION STONE LAID FOR SHIRDI AIRPORT ~~Friday 27th Aug`2010-Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan today laid the Foundation Stone for the Airport in Shirdi`Ahmednagar, Maharashtra. Over 30,000 devotees visit the Saibaba temple everyday and on Thursdays and Sundays, the number goes up to 70,000 whilst the shrine sees around 150,000 people on Diwali and New Year’s Day. Improving the infrastructure of this pilgrimage centre is expected to go a long way in making travel more convenient for visitors.The Rs.2.6 billion Airport is expected to be operational by November 2011. A 280-acre site has been chosen for the airport, located at Kakdi Village, 15 kms from the Shrine. Chavan said that around 2,000 devotees are likely to take a flight to Shirdi daily and several airlines have already expressed interest in catering to them.Ownership of the Airport will be vested in the "Shri Saibaba Airport Charitable Trust" to be formed soon with the chief minister as its chairman. .....................................MUMBAI TO SHIRDI DIRECT SUPER-FAST EXPRESS TRAIN ~Now, Devotees of Sai Baba will be able to take a Direct Super-fast Train from Dadar`Mumbai to Sainagar`Shirdi from Friday 27th August`2010. As, this Train is super-fast, it will only stop at 6 Station in-between so the Time taken to reach Shirdi will be 6 hrs only as compared to the earlier Shirdi Fast Passenger/1333 from CST`Mumbai to Sainagar`Shirdi, which took had 22 halts and took around 12hrs to reach Shirdi~~ INAUGURATION CEREMONY ~~Friday 27th Aug`2010-Shirdi: Chief Minister Ashok Chavan Flagged off the special Sainagar Shirdi-Dadar Train at Sainagar Shirdi. The Inaugural Train was bedecked with Flowers and Festoons with a huge poster of the Sai Baba on the Engine. Chavan also announced the extension of the Manmad- Secunderabad Express, Manmad-Kakinada Town Express and Manmad- Vijayawada Express up to Shirdi to facilitate devotees. Speaking on the occasion, he said that the new Train service connecting Mumbai with Shirdi would prove to be a boon for millions of Sai Baba devotees from India and abroad who throng there round the year....................................SHIRDI SHRINE GETS Rs.3 CRORES IN 3 DAYS`GURUPURNIMA` 2010: Shirdi: During the 3 day Hindu festival of 'Guru Purnima', a day of honouring teachers and mentors, the famed shrine to Hindu saint Sai Baba at Shirdi collected more than Rs 30 million as donation. According to Shri Eknath Goenkar, Trustee Member of Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust, the Sansthan received donations of more than Rs.3 crores (30 million) in just 3 days, mainly because of the fact that more than 5 lakh devotee's flocked to Shirdi for Baba's darshan on Gurupurnima. The Donation received by the organization includes Cash, Gold and Silver and other items. “In the Cash box here, we have got Rs.1,92,35000 ($ 412,648.15) in Rupees & Foreign Currency. Beside that we have got 277 gram of Gold and 2818 gram of Silver. And the Cash receipts amount to Rs.1,20,55000 ($ 258,542.78) as donation,” said Goenkar. The Cash donation was so much that the Sansthan had to use Note & Coins Counting Machines, apart from a 100 of its employees. Mumbai-based devotee Shri Rajesh Shetty offered a pure Gold & Diamond studded Wall Clock costing Rs.11.50 lakhs. This clock can been seen shinning on the Wall of the Temple's Sanctum Sanatorium. It has the word "SAI" embossed on its Dial, while all the numbers are studded with real Diamonds. Another Devotee donated Golden Charan Padukas worth Rs.4.50 Lakhs. One Muslim devotee from Karnataka got Saibaba's Wooden Chariot (Rath) completely Silver Plated, at a cost of approx Rs.33 lakhs, with approx 140kg of Silver, while another Muslim devotee from Hyderabad got this Silver Chariot completely Gold Leafed, at a cost of approx Rs.45 lakhs, with approx 350grams of Gold. And at around 09:00pm, Baba's Palkhi was taken out on this very Golden Chariot (Rath) around Shirdi. One devotee, anonymously donated a 1140 gram Gold Necklace, studded with 250 real Diamonds/Ruby' s and costing approx Rs.40 lakh. And on Gurupurnima itself, this Necklace was adorned on Baba. Maharashtra medical and higher education minister Rajesh Tope and Shirdi Sansthan Trust Chairperson Jayant Sasane performed mahapooja of Shri Saibaba on the occasion. .........................................SHRI GURU PURNIMA CELEBRATIONS 2010`SHIRDI ~~Shirdi: On the occasion of 'Guru Purnima' festival, a large number of people flocked to Shirdi, to offer their prayers to their Guru "Shri Sai Baba" on Sunday 25th July`2010. A festive ambience pervaded the small town of Shirdi in Maharashtra, where a sea of believers converged at the famed shrine of the revered saint, Sai Baba, to offer their prayers. Around 5 lakh devotees queued up outside the shrine since early morning just to get a glimpse of the deity, who used to be viewed as the Guru by many people. "Baba is the central force of the universe. When Baba used to sit in the shrine, his followers used to offer prayers and worship him on the Guru Purnima (full moon day). This practice gained prominence ever since and has been followed till date, to commemorate Baba's influence on his followers," said Vidya Kshirsagar, a priest. Devotees offered Garlands, Sweets & Gold / Diamond / Silver Items to the Shrine of the Saint, as they sought his blessings. The number of devotees was estimated at around 5 lakh in one day itself, which was mainly because: 1) Gurupurnima celebrations had completed its 100th year since it was first celebrated in Shirdi, 2) The Temple remained open the entire night for devotees to have Baba's Darshan. 3) 25th July being a Sunday (Holiday), poured in more than expected number of devotees. The Temple authorities made elaborate security arrangements to avoid any untoward incident. Even though it had been Raining the whole day, devotees from all over reached the Temple since early morning, on the auspicious day. Apart from Baba's Traditional Wooden Chariot (Rath) which is now converted into Gold, the Shirdi Sansthan possesses one another old Wooden Chariot (Rath) also, which it had planned to auction away on Gurupurnima itself but on strong objections by devotees, the Sansthan had to cancel the Auctioning off. Reasons attributed by the devotee's were that when the Sansthan is not short of Money or Space to keep the Chariot, then why were they Auctioning away Baba's items. Also, owing to the ever growing rush of devotees at Shirdi, the Stone in Dwarkamai on which Baba used to Sit, has now been enclosed in a See through Glass frame. ............................................................1000 CRORE FOR REDEVELOPMENT OF SHIRDI ~~ 18th July`2010- Mumbai: The State Government is planning to take a delegation to the Centre, seeking Rs 1,000 Crore in funds for Redeveloping Shirdi and it's surrounding areas. The State is preparing for the year 2018— "The Centenary of Shirdi Sai Baba". State Law and Judiciary minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil said, “We have already appointed Hafeez Contractor to short-list three Architectural Firms.’’ ................................................................................"VIP & DONOR DARSHAN PASSES" ABOLISHED IN SHIRDI Raksha Shetty - CNN-IBN -10th July`2010-Mumbai: People with Influence and VIPs will soon not get any Preferential Treatment at Shirdi’s Sai Baba Temple, Siddhi-Vinayak Temple or any of the Temples that are run by the State. The VIP visits had irked thousands of other devotees who have to patiently wait their turn in the long lines. And, after receiving a string of complaints from the public, the Maharashtra government has decided to abolish VIP passes that enable speedy darshan. Law and Judiciary Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil on Thursday told that a Government Resolution is in the pipeline that will Abolish VIP and Donor Darshan Passes, and make it mandatory for all Devotees at any of the 3,067 State-run Temples to stand in a single Queue. The list also includes Kolhapur’s Mahalaxmi Temple and the Pandharpur Temple.Around 30,000 people visit Siddhivinayak daily & the number exceeds 2.5 lakh on Tuesdays and other important dates. Only 10 per cent of the devotees get to use the separate queue and get darshan in five minutes. “It’s not fair that people are made to wait because they are not donors or don’t have influence,” said Vikhe-Patil, adding that the state will take action against erring committees. He did not specify what it would do. The Minister laid the precedent on Wednesday by announcing that no VIP Passes will be issued at the Vitthala Rukmini Temple in Pandharpur, where an 18-day pilgrimage trek will end on July 21. Senior Citizens, Pregnant Women, and Parents with children, however will be given Direct Entry. The devotees have also welcomed the decision.For the VIPs, though, it looks like it will be a long wait from now on. ................................CR TO RUN SHIRDI TO YESHWANTHPUR SPECIAL GARIB RATH ~~09th July`2010 -Mumbai: The Central Railway (CR) today announced that it will run special 'Garib Rath' Weekly from 13th July`2010 to December`2010 end between Sainagar Shirdi and Yeshwanthpur, to clear the extra rush of passengers. Yeshwantpur- Sainagar Shirdi-Yeshwanthpur 0685 Garib Rath Weekly Special : Will leave Yeshwanthpur at 0730 hrs from next Tuesday onwards till 28th December`2010, and arrive in Sainagar Shirdi at 0800 hrs next day (Wednesday), an official release said here. On return journey, Sainagar Shirdi-Yeshwanthpur 0686 Garib Rath Special : Will leave Sainagar Shirdi at 1820 hrs every Wednesday till 29th December`2010, and arrive Yeshwantpur at 2000 hrs next day (Thursday). It will halt at Solapur, Daund, Ahmednagar, Belapur and Puntamba in both directions, the release added. The Train will have 18 coaches, comprising 16 3-tier A.C. high capacity coaches and two generator cars. ................................................Rs 5 CRORE HIGH TECH SECURITY SYSTEM FOR SHIRDI SAI BABA TEMPLE - Yogesh Naik - TNN-08th July`2010::MUMBAI: Security at Shirdi Sai Baba Temple is being beefed up at a cost of Rs 5 crore and the new system can detect explosives. Shirdi Sai Sansthan Trust officials said the system can also locate and alert the Temple staff to the presence of thieves, pickpockets and even terrorists. The officials held a meeting with additional chief secretary (home) Chandra Iyengar on Wednesday O7th July and the government has decided to hold Security Drills too. "We have told the local police to conduct security checks,'' she said. Dr Yashwant Mane, additional chief executive officer of the trust said, "We are installing 150 cameras. The system will also have Scanners to detect explosives like TNT, RDX and other explosives if anyone sneaks inside the Temple. There will be luggage scanners too''. According to Mane, there have been at least five to six cases of Chain-snatching, Bag lifting and similar offences recently that have been reported to the police. The New system will enable the uploading of pictures of such habitual offenders into the system and whenever they come within the ambit of CCTV cameras, authorities will be alerted, added Mane. The Temple has four main doors. Over 16,820 people can be accommodated in the Temple and on the campus. The Temple trust has raised the height of the walls in view of the terror threats and has also constructed Watch Towers. They have made Seven emergency exits and installed 16 Cellphone jammers. The Temple has a door on the southern side of the Saibaba idol from where devotees stand in the compound and take darshan. Many stand in the compound for prayers. The trust has installed a Bullet-proof glass on this door to ward off attacks. ............................................~~ SHIRDI AIRPORT WORK IN FULL SWING ~~02nd July`2010-PUNE: The Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC), the state's special planning authority, has put the Shirdi airport project in Kopargaon taluka of Ahmednagar district, in a higher gear. The Rs 340-crore airport project is a vital part of the state government's effort to promote religious tourism at Shirdi, known for the temple of Sai Baba, one of the most revered spiritual gurus in the country. The devotees of Sai Baba span across the country as well as the continents. Tenders for a slew of project-related activities, including area-levelling, laying of runway, building of compound wall around the project area and laying of drainage, were opened on Wednesday. "We are now into the phase of issuing work orders over the next 15 days," a top MADC official told TOI on Thursday. The airport is to come up over a sprawling 400 hectare (ha) of land at Kakadi village, 11 kms west of Shirdi, and is slated to go operational by December 2011. "We have already acquired 300 ha land in the project area," the official said, adding, "The airport will have a single runway which is initially planned for 2,000 metres in length and eventually going up to 3,600 mt." Development of an approach road to the airport site has also started, the official said. "The idea is to start with the operation of domestic flight services and gradually expand the activity to international services in line with the growth in demand for such service," the official said. "The initially planned runway will mainly cater to smaller aircraft of up to 80-seat capacity and the final runway extension will enable landing of larger aircraft like Boeing 737s and 747s." On an average, 80,000 devotees visit the temple town each day and the numbers go up to 2.5 to 3 lakh per day during vacations, festival season and weekend holidays. A large chunk of these visitors are non-resident Indians (NRIs), foreigners as well as celebrities. As of now, the Aurangabad airport serves as the nearest airport for devotees planning to travel by air to the temple town. While Aurangabad is located 125 kms from Shirdi, cities like Pune and Mumbai are located some 200km and 325 km from Shirdi, respectively. Travel by road from these cities to the temple town is often a costly and time-consuming affairs. The Ahmednagar district administration sealed the deal for acquisition of land for the airport project on December 22, 2009 with declaration of compensation awards for land secured from farmers partly through consent and through compulsory acquisition process. Over 65 per cent of the total 700-odd farmers in the project area gave their consent to the acquisition process...................................HYDERABAD TO MANMAD TRAINS EXTENDED TO SHIRDI ~~ 01st July`2010-HYDERABAD: The South Central Railway (SCR) would introduce 28-new train services soon. These train services would operate between SCR and Southern, South Westren zones.The SCR would also operate four more local MMTS train services in the twin cities for passenger convenience. M S Jayanth, General Manager, South Central Railway released the new Southern zone timetable and MMTS of twin cities here today. Announcing the latest timetable of new trains, Jayanth said that at least 28 new trains would operate from July 1 from Hyderabad and Secunderabad stations extending 40 services covering South Central Railway, Southern Railway and South Western zones including local MMTS in twin cities.Secunderabad- Manmad express would be extended to Shirdi (bi-weekly), Kakinada-Manmad weekly express would be extended to Shirdi, Kakinada- Manmad bi-weekly train would be extended to Shirdi, Vijayawada-Manmad express would be extended to Shirdi (weekly) and Kacheguda-HS Nanded intercity express would also be extended to Akola. ...................................SHIRDI'S "SHREE SAIBABA SUPER SPECIALITY" HOSPITAL -ENTERS LIMCA BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS:: Many a times, we have heard about the Miracles of Shirdi Sai Baba who had served & healed innumerable sick people.This Tradition of Baba, has been kept alive by Shirdi's "Shree Sai Baba Super Speciality Hospital".It is believed that the devotees of lord Sai come over here for the cure of their ailment. Many people from all over the country come to this Shirdi's Hospital for Big/Small Heart Surgeries. All kinds of surgeries are undertaken over here. Even complicated surgeries like Open Heart surgery are done with ease here and that too at much lower charges as compared to other Hospitals. The Complication Rate in this hospital is also very low at 1% to 5% lesser than the International Levels and the other Big City Hospitals. People say that this is because of Sai Baba only.This Hospital, which is run by the Shirdi Sai Sansthan has successfully carried out big surgeries like Angiography, Angioplasty and Open Heart Surgeries. The Poor are given Treatment free of cost and operation's which can cost in lakhs elsewhere, are done here for a few Thousands only.Highly Professional & Experienced Doctors working 24x7 have carried out more than a 100 operations in a Day, because of which this Sai Super Speciality Hospital makes it in the Limca Book of World Records, for the Highest Number of Surgeries done..........................INDIA'S TALLEST SHIRDI SAI BABA TEMPLE INAUGURATED IN VIZAG- 16th May`2010-VISAKHAPATNAM: The Tallest Shirdi Sai Temple in India of height 120 ft and plinth area of 56,000 sq.ft. was inaugurated at Visakhapatnam Steel Plant's township on Saturday 15th May`10, by CMD of Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd., P.K. Bishnoi. A unique feature of the Temple is that the Idols of all the ‘Gurus' from Lord Dattatreya to Lord Shirdi Sai are installed under one roof. The ‘Prana Pratishta' of previous avatars of Sri Shirdi Sai Baba, viz., Sri Sripada Srivallabha, Sri Nrusimha Saraswathi, Sri Akkalkotkar Maharaj and Sri Manikya Prabhu was carried amidst Vedic chanting and traditional rites. The temple complex was built by Sri Sai Gayathri Institute of Human Transformation Trust, an organisation of Shirdi Sai Devotees of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant and its well wishers. Director (Personnel) Y. Manohar, Director (Finance) P. Madhusudhan, employees of VSP and large number of Shirdi Sai devotees attended. ............SAI TEMPLE'S IN PUNE, DEHRADUN, HYDERABAD & BENGALURU UNDER SHIRDI SANSTHAN`S SCANNER-- Pune, 20th Jan`2010- Aaj Tak- Shirdi Sansthan's Bolt can soon fall upon some Sai Baba Temple's all over the country. The Shirdi Sai Temples in Pune, Dehradun, Hyderabad and Bengaluru have come under the scanner of Shirdi Sai Sansthan. According to the Sansthan many temple's are misleading devotees of Sai Baba by making Baba's fake Samadhi's in their temple's. Shirdi is the eternal abode of Sai Baba. Shirdi is the place where Baba's showers his Grace. Shirdi is the place where Lakhs of devotees come to bow down to Sai Baba's Samadhi. Shirdi is the place where Baba spent his Life. Shirdi is the holy place where Baba took Maha-Samadhi. But, there are a few who are taking advantage of the faith Baba's devotees have in Baba. All over the country, many Sai Temple's have built Baba's Samadhi at par with the original Samadhi in Shirdi. Shirdi Sansthan has planned to take stern action against such individuals or institutions, who are using Baba's name to mislead people or who have made Sai Baba's Fake Samadhi's. According to Shri.Ashok Khambekar, Trustee Shirdi Sansthan, Baba took Samadhi on 15th Oct`1918 in Shirdi itself , and so Baba's Samadhi is only in Shirdi and no where else in the world. And it has come to their attention that some Sai Temple's in Pune, Dehradun, Hyderabad and Bengaluru, have made a replica of Baba's Samadhi, together with Baba's Idol, which is wrong and that action will be taken against them. The Sansthan said that by making such fake Samadhi's, people are playing with the sentiment's of the Baba's devotees and the Sansthan doesn't want Baba's Samadhi to be disgraced in any manner. They have also appealed to the people to beware of any such Fake people or institutions. .....................................................................ALL EQUAL BEFORE SAI: VIP darshan during weekdays banned in Shirdi: SANTOSH ANDHALE: Finally, all will be equal in the eyes of God, much to the disappointment of the country’s pious VIPs of course. A decision to ban VIP darshans during weekdays was taken on Wednesday at a meeting of the Shri Sai Baba Sansthan Trust (SSBST) held at Mantralaya. VIP darshans at the popular shrine has been a vexing issue because devotees were regularly inconvenienced when their queues were stopped to enable politicians and other bigwigs to worship first. The trust has now decided that ‘paid darshan’ where devotees can pay a fee to jump the regular queue will be allowed on Saturdays and Sundays only. On a regular day, over one lakh people visit the shrine, which is the second richest in India. On holidays and weekends, the number goes upto five lakh and during festivals, it exceeds eight lakh. Though most devotees are from Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, a large number come from other parts of India. In recent years, the shrine has been attracting devotees from abroad. “To do justice to ordinary devotees, we have taken the decision at our board meeting to stop VIP darshans because it caused inconvenience. Now, we are introducing a paid darshan like the Tirupati Sansthan which has this system. The facility will be available between 9.00 am and 12.00 pm on Saturdays and Sundays. We will work out the fees to be charged. At the meeting, some trust members suggested Rs 100 for regular darshan and Rs 500 for aarti. The facility will start at the temple within 7-10 days,” said Jayant Sasane of the trust. It has also been decided that the number of devotees who will be able to avail of the paid darshan will be limited to 10 per cent of the total number of people waiting in the queue for regular worship. “For instance, if there are 1,000 devotees waiting at the temple, we will allow only 100 people through paid darshan. Once they go out, another group will get a chance. Our intention is not to generate revenue but to avoid inconvenience of ordinary devotees,” added Sasane. The issue of VIPs holding up thousands of devotees has been a regular complaint. It is estimated that every VIP visit holds the queue for at least 15-20 minutes – not a minor inconvenience for pilgrims, some of who wait for five to six hours before getting close to the samadhi. During holidays, the temple town is so full of pilgrims that no accommodation is available at hotels and charity hostels. The number of pilgrims visiting the shrine has been on the increase in the last five years and there is also a growing demand for VIP darshan from ministers, political leaders, government officers and celebrities. The trust gets thousands of requests for VIP darshan every day. At any time, the trust’s public relation office is filled with people seeking VIP darshan passes to avoid waiting in a queue. Temple authorities say that most VIP darshan pass seekers want regular darshan for the early morning aarti that starts around 4.30 am and Madhyanah Aarti which starts around noon. The SSBST (Shirdi) is one of the richest trusts in Maharashtra with an annual revenue that exceeds Rs 240 crore. The trust has invested huge amounts of money in property and government bonds which is estimated to be around Rs 450 crore. It also donates money to social causes and relief efforts. There are devotees of Sai Baba who are donating a crore of rupees to the trust each year. In the city, Siddhivinayak Temple Trust started the paid darshan system four years ago. “ We give one time darshan to anybody by charging Rs 50. These devotees have a separate queue. People mostly avail of this pass on Tuesdays and holidays. We also issue a yearly pass that costs Rs 6,000. those who avail this pass can come for darshan on any day during the year. It is a successful system. We have no problem implementing this system,” said Hanumant Jagtap, CEO of Siddhivinayak Temple Trust. .....................Shri Saibaba Super Speciality Hospital`Shirdi makes a Record- 21st Jan`2010-Shirdi : As part of its initiatives to help out the poor and needy people, the Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust at Shirdi in Maharashtra today offers Special Medical treatment for the people from rural areas. In doing so, the Shirdi Sai Baba Sansthan Trust run "Shri Saibaba Super Speciality Charitable Hospital" has created a record by successfully performing 6,197 Cardiac Surgeries in the year 2009. Together with this, the Sai Charitable Hospital has installed the country's 4th C.T Scan + MRI Machine. The Shirdi Sai Sansthan spends 45 Crore rupees annually on this Shri Saibaba Super Specialty Hospital. In 2009, alone the Sansthan has spent 8.40 Crore rupees for the surgeries of the terminally ill poor people who come to Shirdi from all over India. In 4 years only, this Super Speciality Hospital has become a major support for Medical treatment for Farmers, Labor's and Workers of the Rural area. Everyday, more than a 1000 people come to this Hospital to be Cured......................Shirdi Sai Baba Darshan By Charter Helicopter and VIP Pass. Private Jet & Helicopter Service Provider Airnetz Charter has started Helicopter Charter Services on Mumbai-Shirdi- Mumbai Route, together with Complimentary VIP Pass for Shirdi Sai Baba's Darshan. One can also Fly ahead to Shani Shinganapur where the Helipad is around 3 kms from the Main Shani Temple. Pick-up Point : MUMBAI JUHU AERODROME. Opp. Nanavati Hospital, S.V. Road , Vile Parle (W), Mumbai – 400 054, Maharashtra, India. Drop Point - PRIVATE HELIPAD AT HOTEL SUN-n-SAND. (Just 1 km away from the Shirdi Sai Sansthan) Village - Nighoj Taluka - Kopergaon Shirdi - 423 109. India. _ Flying Period : From Sunrise to Sunset. No.of Pax - 5 to 6 Passengers. Day Waiting Charges - Applicable if Day Waiting Period is more than 4 hours. Night Halt Charges - Applicable if Overnight Halt. _ Price-Rs. 2,45,000 + waiting charges as per the rate - $ 6282-For Fare Quotation : http://in.airnetzch arter.com/quickquote. aspx or info@airnetz.com or read more at http://scribd.com/doc/25506205 ..............Shirdi Saibaba Temple to take action against 'Duplicates' - Wednesday, January 13, 2010- Shirdi (Maharashtra) : The Shri Saibaba Sansthan here, which attracts lakh of devotees from around the world, plans to initiate legal action against Sai Temples who fail to remove the 'samadhi' of Saibaba from their premises. "There is only one samadhi of Saibaba and that is at Shirdi. Temples who have built samadhis should remove them or face legal action," Sansthan trustee Ashok Khambekar said here. Some people are misleading devotees by displaying duplicate items like 'paduka' (footwear) used by Saibaba, he said. "Saibaba did not appoint any one as his inheritor. But some sadhus are misleading devotees by wearing clothes like Saibaba and people blindly trust them," Khambekar said. Saibaba came to Shirdi in 1858 and was here till 1918. Two pairs of his 'paduka' are at the Sansthan and are on display for devotees every Thursday, he said. The Sansthan organised 'paduka darshan' in various parts of the country last year, including Lucknow, Raipur, Panaji, Kolkata, Guwahati and Kalimpong. "Shirdi has become a symbol of secularism and people from all religions throng here," Khambekar said. The Sansthan has no branch, he added. "There are around 4,000 Sai temples in India and abroad," he added. ......................Shirdi Saibaba Temple Receives Rs 9.9 crore as Donation in 9 Days-- Monday January 4th`2010---Kopargaon : The famous Saibaba temple in Shirdi has received nearly Rs 9.9 crore as 'Dakshina' in the last Nine days of 2009, temple sources said today. "The Shri Saibaba Sansthan's 'Dakshina Pethi' (Donation box) received a Donation of Rs 9.9 crore from December 23-December 31. The box was opened yesterday," they said. According to one of the trustees, AB Khambekar, the temple had received donations to the tune of Rs.7 crore in 2007, and Rs.8 crore in 2008 during the corresponding period. The Sansthan, which is the authorised body to control and manage the day-to-day activities at the temple, had received a whopping Rs.240 crore in 2009 in donations, with Chennai-based Sai Trust accounting for Rs.100 crore. Khambekar said the Sansthan, which has overall bank deposits of Rs.409 crore, has prepared a Budget of Rs.207 crore for 2010. ...................Shirdi Saibaba Sansthan hopes for Rs.250 crore Donation this Fiscal Year--Monday, January 4, 2010 --Surendra Gangan / DNA -Mumbai : With unprecedented rush in the past few days, Shirdi Saibaba Sansthan expects the Donations to touch a record figure of Rs.250 crore this fiscal year. The Collection in the Temple Hundi was Rs 9.9 crore between December 23rd and 31st`2009, with the estimated footfall to be over 10 lakh during the period. The Saibaba temple saw the highest number of devotees on 25th and 26th December`09. In December, the collection stood at Rs 11.45 crore. The collection in the same month in the previous two years were Rs.8 crore and Rs.7 crore respectively. According to chief account officer Hemant Jadhavar, the collection of Rs 9.9 crore comprises Cash, Ornaments, Offerings in kind and the returns from sale of Laddus. “The Collection in the past 9 days was the highest ever. The Comparative figures of December for the past two years show that the percentage in Cash offerings is more this year as it has risen by Rs 2.50 crore from last year’s Rs.1 crore. Hike in individual offerings could be a reason for the rise in donations,” said Jadhavar. The highest Donations to the Sansthan come in December every year. “We expect the annual revenue to rise over Rs. 250 crore from Rs. 231 crore in 2008-09 and Rs. 195 crore in 2007-08,” said Jadhavar. Earlier, the Hundi was opened every eight days, but now it is opened every third day. Though more than 2 lakh devotees visit the Temple every day on year-end, only 25,000 get official accommodation by the Sansthan. The rest is left with the option of Private Hotels at hefty rates. “We Accommodate 11,000 devotees in the Rooms and 15,000 in Pandals erected for the season. The Devotees are offered meals at Rs.10/- and breakfast at Rs.4/-. The Cost of production of the meals is double the amount that we offer,” said Yashvant Mane, chief executive officer of the Sansthan.................Shirdi Earns Rs.200 Crore's in 10 Days - 02 Jan`2010- Shirdi : From Christmas till New Year's ie, since last 10 days, Shirdi has earned a whooping Rs.200 Crore's. According to information, received Shirdi Sai Sansthan has made a net profit of Rs.8 Crore's in the last 10 days itself. 25 lakh Devotees had the blessed Darshan of Shirdi Saibaba and made around Rs.6.5 lakhs donation in all, as offerings to Baba. Apart from it, Shirdi Sai Sansthan earned Rs.1.5 Crore's by Prasad Bhojan distribution etc. During this period all the Private Hotels / Lodges have also made a good earning. Hotels, Lodges, Florists, Parking, Private Luxury Taxi/Bus services etc had hiked their Fares by Four to Five times. Inspite, of all this Devotees spent crore's generously in the name of Sai Baba. ............................ Shirdi Trust Hikes Prasad Price Unequally:: Yogesh Joshi - Hindustan Times- Pune.- January 02nd`2010- After Homes and Restaurants, the faithful of Shirdi are the latest to feel the burden of the Hike in Prices of food Grains and Vegetables. As of January 1st`2010 the Shirdi Temple Trust — one of the Richest in the country — has raised the price of the Prasad Thali sold to Devotees at the "SHRI SAI PRASADALAYA" , SHIRDI by Rs 4/- The Rate Hike applies only to the General Public and not the Privileged Devotees, including the rich and the famous, who will continue to pay the old rate. For General Devotees, the Trust has hiked Prasad price from Rs 6/- to Rs 10/- but for the VIPs, the Rate stays the same as before, at Rs 25/-. The Trust has not touched the Rs 5/- slab of Prasad Thali for Children. Devotees reacted angrily, expressing disappointment over the hike as well as the discrimination. According to information from the Trust, the Temple gets an average of Rs 350 crore in donations every year. The Trust said it currently loses Rs 25 crore every year because of the subsidy on Prasad rates. “The Trust subsidises the Prasad offered to every person by around Rs 17. However, with increased prices of vegetables and foodgrains, it is impossible to hold the Old rates, which is why the trust has hiked prasad rates,” said Urmila Jadhav, a trustee. Pune local Varsha Kulkarni, who visited the temple with her family, said: “This Trust has earnings running into Crores. Why don’t they offer free prasad? And hiking rates for the poor and retaining those for the Rich is Discriminatory.” At Temples across the country, devotees get Prasad free of Cost. Some of them — like the one at Shegaon, where thousands come to worship the saint Gajanan Maharaj, even offer Free Meals to all Devotees every day. Some also commented that the VIP's get a separate seating where they can eat at ease, unlike the other General Public. The trustees have now said they will also consider hiking Prasad rates for the Rich/VIP's also. “We had proposed hiking VIP rates also, from Rs 25/- to Rs 50/-, but some Trustees Opposed it. Now, we will consider it in the next meeting,” said Jadhav. Around 25,000 devotees visit Shirdi on weekends. On Auspicious days, like Ram Navami, around Two Lakh devotees come to the Sai Baba Shrine................... 01st January 2010 night 01:35 Darshan queue will be continued and Samadhi Mandir will remain open throughout the night but Kakad Aarti will not be there.Note: During Eclipse Period the Darshan queue will continue but without touching the 'Samadhi' or Baba's Murti..Schedule of Aartis at Shirdi Morning:: 04.00 am - Temple Will Open... Morning 04.30 am - Kakad Aarti... Noon 12:00 - Madhyanha Ararti... Evening 18:00 pm - Dhup Aarti... Night 21.15 pm - Thursday palanquin procession from Samadhi Mandir to Chavadi..........................................

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