Arriving at the mosque for the first time, you may be rather surprised. Was this simple, unadorned
structure really the home of “God on earth?” Was this really the centre from which so many
miraculous events sprang? Could such a modest building have been the scene of the highest spiritual
instruction that flowed forth in almost as many different forms as the number of visitors seeking it?
With its corrugated iron roof and rough stone walls, the mosque could never be described as grand.
Yet, in spite of this – or rather, because of this – it seems to have suited Baba very well. Describing
himself as a simple fakir, Baba was a model of dispassion and holy poverty. His personal
possessions amounted to little more than a few pieces of cloth, some chillim pipes, a stick, a begging
bowl, and a change of kafni – and not even always that. Whenever his devotees wanted to refurnish
the mosque, Baba resisted and said that it was not necessary, although basic repair work was
gradually carried out.
To the devotees of Sai Baba, Dwarkamai is one of the treasures of Shirdi. The spirit of tolerance,
acceptance and welcome for all is very much alive. Baba has said that merely going inside the
mosque will confer blessings, and the experiences of devotees confirm this. Sai Baba respected all
religions and creeds, and all had free access to the mosque. It is typically unique of Sai Baba that he
regarded a place of worship – the mosque – as a mother. He once told a visitor, “Dwarkamai is this
very mosque. She makes those who ascend her steps fearless. This masjidmai is very kind. Those
who come here reach their goal !”
On entering the mosque one is struck by its powerful atmosphere and the intensity and absorption
with which visitors are going about their worship. Another point we notice is the great diversity of
devotional expression. Some people will be kneeling before Baba’s picture of making offerings, others
will be praying before the dhuni (perpetually burning sacred fire), some may be doing japa or reading
from sacred texts, and others will be sitting in contemplation. If we spend some time here we may
become aware of a mysterious phenomenon.
The “mayi” aspect of the masjid reveals itself in a number of ways and we feel we are sitting in Baba’s
drawing room. See that child over there happily crawling around with a toffee in its mouth, or her
sister colouring a comic book ? And what about the old man complaining to Baba about his aches
and pains, or that women sitting with her son on her lap telling him a story ? Opposite is a large family
group. The granny has a tiffin tin, and having offered some to Baba, she walks around giving a
handful of payasam (sweet rice) to everyone in the mosque. We feel we are receiving prasad almost
from Baba himself, and perhaps we are then reminded of some of the stories in Baba’s life in which
devotees brought offerings, or when he affectionately distributed fruit or sweets with his own hand.
The atmosphere is so homely in the abode of Sai mavuli ! But what is perhaps more remarkable, is
that his homeliness co-exists with a powerful experience of the sacred and transcendent. The spirit is
profoundly moved by “something” – something indefinable, something great, something mysterious,
something magnetically attractive. As we explore Sai Baba’s Shirdi, this aspect of Baba – at once the
concerned mother and the Almighty – is shown again and again. Many devotees relate to Baba as a
mother, and many as a God supreme. That these two are so perfectly synthesized in Baba – see his
care for both the smallest domestic detail as well as the ultimate spiritual attainment – is perhaps the
most beautiful and unique aspect of Shirdi Sai.
When Sai Baba moved into this mosque it was an abandoned and dilapidated mud structure, much
smaller than the one we see today. In fact, it extended only as far as the steps and wrought iron
dividers enclosing the upper section, with the rest of the area an outside courtyard. There were no
iron bars around the mosque or the dhuni as there are today, and according to Hemadpant, there
were “knee-deep holes and pits in the ground”! Part of the roof had collapsed and the rest was in
imminent danger of following, so it was a rather hazardous place to live ! Once when Baba was sitting
in the mosque, eating with a few devotees, there was a loud crack overhead. Baba immediately
raised his hand and said, “Sabar, sabar,” (“Wait, wait”). The noise stopped and the group carried on
with their meal, but when they got up and went out, a large piece of the roof came crashing down
onto the exact spot where they had been sitting!
Baba’s devotees sometimes pestered him to allow them to renovate the mosque, but his initial
response was always to refuse. For him there was no need for any alterations. Once, in the mid1890's, a devotee had some building materials delivered to the mosque, with the intention that they
should be used for repair work, but Baba had them redirected to a couple of local temples that were
in need of restoration.
Later, Nana Chandorkar and Nana Nimonkar were determined that some reconstruction should go
ahead, while Baba appeared to be equally adamant that it should not, although he eventually gave
permission for it through the intervention of Mahalsapati. At first, whatever work was done, Baba
would undo. It seems not an uncommon occurrence with Baba that whenever a new proposal was put
forward, particularly with regard to renovation, he would first oppose it, often vehemently, even
violently, before eventually acquiescing and allowing the work to go ahead. Eventually the
construction team resorted to working at night, and then only on those alternate nights when Baba
slept in Chavadi.
By about 1912 the renovation work was complete and all that remained to be done was the metal
roofing for the courtyard. For this, one of Baba’s most intimate devotees, Tatya Kote Patil, and some
others, arranged for materials to be brought from Bombay. They then set about the work, including
digging a trench for the erection of some iron poles, without asking Baba’s permission.
When Baba returned from Chavadi to the mosque and saw what was happening he appeared to be
furious, demanding, “What is going on ? Who had done this ?” He promptly ripped out the poles with
his own two hands (though it had taken several people to carry them), and threw stones at the
labourers to drive them away. Then he grabbed Tatya by the scruff of his neck until he was unable to
speak and almost choking, and violently berated him.
Most of the labourers fled in terror and Tatya was left with Baba. Despite his precarious predicament
and Baba’s vehement objection to the project, Tatya insisted that the work should be done. Baba
threw him to the ground snatched off the turban that Tatya always wore, flung it into the trench and
set fire to it. Still Tatya insisted on the need to make repairs and vowed that he would never wear a
turban again until the work was complete. Baba finally relented and by evening had cooled down
sufficiently to call Tatya and tell him to again put on a turban. Tatya, however, refused. Eventually, in
his loving concern, Baba gave money to someone to bring new cloth and himself tied a new turban on
his steadfast devotee.
Some time after this event, Kakasaheb Dixit replaced the original mud floor with tiles and the work
was complete.
When Sri Sai Baba moved into the mosque permanently, he had already been in Shirdi for a number
of years, staying mostly under the neem tree, with an occasional night at the mosque or in the near
vicinity. It could be said that Baba’s settling in the mosque marked a turning point in his life, or rather,
in that of the village itself, as the shift brought him into closer contact with the local people.
Baba’s fondness for lamps - Lamp is the symbol of holy light - light of knowledge in darkness of
ignorance.
Although Baba had been healing people since his early days in Shirdi and was sometimes called
“Hakim” (“doctor”), it was a specific and dramatic event which brought him to the attention of the local
people, and it took place in the mosque. Throughout his life Baba displayed a fondness for lights and
lamps and would regularly light panatis (small earthenware pots with cotton wicks and oil) in the
mosque and certain local temples, in accordance with the Hindu and Muslim view that places of
worship should be illuminated at night. For this he depended on the generosity of a few local shopkeepers from whom he used to beg oil. One day, however, both suppliers brusquely refused to give
him any oil, claiming that they were out of stock. Baba took this calmly and returned to the mosque
empty-handed. The shopkeepers followed him in the gathering gloom, curious to see what he would
do. What they witnessed brought them to their knees in awe and wonder. Baba took some water from
the pot kept in mosque, and put it in the jar he used for collecting oil. Shaking it up he drank the oily
water, then took another jar of water and filled the four lamps with it. Next he lit the lamps, and – to
the shopkeepers’ astonishment – they not only burned, but remained alight all night. Afraid of being
cursed by a man of such powers, the shopkeepers begged Baba’s forgiveness. This was freely given,
but Baba pointed out the importance of speaking the truth – if they did not want to give, they should
simply say so directly and not lie about it.
The wondrous nature of this event, which is said to have taken place in 1892, and the many such
leelas which followed, precipitated an influx of visitors to the Shirdi mosque that has never stopped
growing. To this day, lamps are burnt continually in Dwarkamai, providing us with an unbroken link to
Baba and the lamps that he himself started and lovingly kept alight.
During Baba’s time Dwarkamai was always referred to simply as “the masjid” or mosque. The name
“Dwarkamai” came into popular vogue only after Baba passed away but was first coined when a
devotee once expressed a wish to make a pilgrimage to Dwarka, a town in Gujarat sacred to Krishna.
Baba replied that there was no need as that very mosque was Dwarka. “Dwarka” also means “manygated”, and “mai” means mother, hence “the many-gated mother” (and Baba did often call it the
“masjid ayi”). The author of Sri Sai Satcharitra, identified another definition of Dwarka given in the
Skanda Purana – a place open to all four castes of people (Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and
Sudras) for the realization of the four corresponding aims of human existence (i.e. moksha or
liberation, dharma or righteousness, artha or wealth and kama or sensual pleasure). In fact, Baba’s
mosque was open not only to all castes, but also to untouchables and those without caste.
Yadnya - The Dhuni – is a sacrificial rite (Yadnya) on a pyre – a pious devotional act of worship to
Agni (fire)
For many visitors, the dhuni is the most significant part of Dwarkamai, as it is so intimately associated
with Baba. The dhuni is the sacred, perpetually burning fire that Baba built and which has been
maintained ever since, though today the fire is much bigger and is enclosed behind a wire cage.
Yadnya produces ash which the purest substance on earth and has the power to destroy whatever
evil and impure. Baba very generously distributed Udi to His devotees for protecting them from
maladies.
The maintenance of a dhuni is important in several traditions, including Zoroastrianism, Sufism and
Hinduism (especially the Nath sect). Fire was also important to Baba, as wherever he stayed –
whether under the neem tree, in the forest, or in the mosque – he always kept a dhuni. Baba,
however, was not bound by any convention or set rules, nor did he worship the fire. He simply
maintained it, using it for his own particular and mysterious purposes. There were no classic
restrictions around Baba’s dhuni. Baba did not prevent others from touching it – indeed, villagers
would sometimes come to take embers with which to kindle their own household fires, and whenever
Radhakrishnayi used to thoroughly clean and whitewash the mosque at festival times, she would
move the dhuni into the street outside. Baba did not confine himself to burning only wood on the
dhuni, but would throw his old clothes on it once they were worn out, and he would adjust the fire with
his foot (in Indian culture it is considered disrespectful to touch or point to anything with the foot). One
day, the fire in the mosque got wildly out of control, with flames leaping up to the roof. None of those
present with Baba dared say anything to him but they were nervous. Baba responded to their
uneasiness, not by prayer or supplication, but by magisterially rapping his satka (stick) against a pillar
and ordering the flames to come down and be calm. At each stroke the flames diminished and the fire
was soon restored to normal.
When Baba returned from his morning begging-rounds with a cloth bag of food and a tin pot of
liquids, he would first offer some of it at the dhuni before taking any himself. We may not be able to
discern exactly why or how Baba used the dhuni, but it is evident that despite the apparent informality
around it, the fire was an important part of his routine. According to the Sri Sai Satcharitra, the fire
symbolized and facilitated purification and was the focus of oblations, where Baba would intercede on
behalf of his devotees. Once when Baba was asked why he had a fire, he replied that it was for
burning our sins, or karma. It is reported that Baba would spend hours sitting in contemplation by the
dhuni, facing south, especially early in the morning after getting up and again at sunset. Mrs.
Tarkhad, who had Baba’s darshan regularly, says that at these times “He would wave his arms and
fingers about, making gestures which conveyed no meaning to the onlookers and saying “Haq” which
means God.”
The spot where Baba used to sit is marked by a small pair of silver padukas. Look carefully – on the
floor just in front and to the right of the dhuni – for they are easy to miss. We feel awed when we see
the padukas and reflect on what issued form here – this was the spot where Baba stood and sat, his
finger on the pulse of the universe, controlling, effecting, giving, protecting, never resting but
constantly seeing to the needs of his devotees, for as he said, “If I don’t take care of my children night
and day, what will become of them ?”
Today the dhuni is maintained in a carefully designed structure lined with special fire-bricks, in the
same place that Baba used to have it. Baba made an intriguing comment about this spot, saying that
it was the burial place of one Muzafar Shah, a well-to-do landowner, with whom he once lived and for
whom he had cooked. This is recorded in Charter & Sayings of Sri Sai Baba, but as so frequently
when Baba speaks about his personal history, we do not know to which life he was referring.
In 1998 the Sansthan undertook the rebuilding of the dhuni pit and re-designed the chimney to its
distinctive shape.
From the earliest days, Baba would give udi – holy ash from the dhuni – to his visitors. The healing
power of Baba’s udi is well documented and there are numerous cases of people being healed of
pain or sickness by taking Baba’s udi both before and since his mahasamadhi.
Baba would sometimes apply udi to his devotees when they arrived, or when they were taking leave
of him, and he often gave out handfuls of it which he scooped up from the dhuni. The Sri Sai
Satcharitra tells us that “when Baba was in a good mood” he sometimes used to sing about udi “in a
tuneful voice and with great joy” : “Sri Ram has come, Oh he has come during his wanderings and he
has brought bags full of udi.” Udi is still collected from the fire for distribution. Since this is a
continuation of Baba’s own practice, and the udi comes from the very fire that Baba himself lit and
tended, it is considered extremely sacred. Today a small tray of udi is kept for visitors near the steps.
For devotees of Sai Baba there is an emotional attachment to udi as a tangible form of Baba’s
blessings, a vehicle for Baba’s grace and a link to Baba himself. People usually put it on the forehead
and/or in the mouth.
Udi is available in small packets from a small booth outside the Samadhi Mandir.
In the southwest corner of the mosque by the dhuni is a waterpot on a stand, and below it, an earthenware dish known as a kolamba. Baba used to beg for his food at least twice a day. He generally visited only five houses – those of Vaman Gondkar, Vaman Sakharam Shelke, Bayajabai and Ganapat Kote Patil (Tatya’s parents), Bayaji Appa Kote Patil and Nandaram Marwadi – and stand outside them calling for alms. Baba would collect the solid food in a cloth bag and any liquid offerings in a small tin pot. When he returned to the mosque he would offer some at the dhuni, the empty it all into a kolamba and leave it available for any person or creature to take from, before eating a small quantity himself. In continuance of this tradition, a kolamba is still kept here beside the water pot. People leave naivedya (food offerings) here as a gesture of offering bhiksha to Baba, and take it as his prasad. As Baba used to keep one or two water pots by the dhuni (for drinking and performing ablutions), this tradition is also maintained. Devotees like to take the water a symbol of Baba’s teerth (holy water).
On the western wall of the mosque – in the direction of Mecca – is a nimbar or niche, with a set of
lamps in front of it. The nimbar is a standard feature of all mosques, but the lamps were put there by
Baba. In Dwarkamai this spot, which is near where Baba used to sit, is decorated with a garland of
flowers.
The Sri Sai Satcharitra relates that it was here that Baba used to have his midday meal, sitting behind
a curtain with his back to the nimbar, and a row of devotees on either side of him. This is also the
place where Baba would sleep with his head pointing towards the nimbar, with Mahalsapati on one
side of him and Tatya Kote Patil on the other.
A grinding stone – a common household item in rural India – is kept in the north corner of the western
wall. Baba apparently had two or three such stones (another is on display in the Samadhi Mandir),
which he occasionally used for grinding wheat. The most famous of these became the inspiration for
Hemadpant’s celebrated Sri Sai Satcharitra. It is described as follows :
“One morning, some time after the year 1910, while I was in Shirdi, I went to see Sai Baba at his
mosque. I was surprised to find him making preparations for grinding an extraordinary quantity of
wheat. After arranging a gunny sack on the floor he placed a hand-operated flour mill on it and, rolling
up the sleeves of his obe, he started grinding the wheat. I wondered at this, as I knew that Baba
owned nothing, stored nothing and lived on alms. Others who had come to see him wondered about
this too, but nobody had the temerity to ask any questions.
As the news spread through the village, more and more men and women collected at the mosque to
find out what was going on. Four of the women in the watching crowd forced their way through and,
pushing Baba aside, grabbed the handle of the flour mill. Baba was enraged by such officiousness,
but as the women raised their voices in devotional songs, their love and regard for him became so
evident that Baba forgot his anger and smiled.
As the women worked, they too wondered what Baba intended doing with such an enormous quantity
of flour... They concluded that Baba, being the kind of man he was, would probably distribute the flour
between the four of them… When their work was done, they divided the flour into four portions, and
each of them started to take away what she considered her share.
“Ladies, have you gone mad!” Baba shouted. “Whose property are you looting? Your father’s? Have I
borrowed any wheat from you ? What gives you the right to take this flour away ?”
“Now listen to me,” he continued in a calmer tone, as the women stood dumbfounded before him.
“Take this flour and sprinkle it along the village boundaries.”
The four women, who were feeling thoroughly embarrassed by this time, whispered among
themselves for a few moments, and then set out in different directions to carry out Baba’s
instructions.
Since I was witness to this incident, I was naturally curious as to what it signified, and I questioned
several people in Shirdi about it. I was told that there was a cholera epidemic in the village, and this
was Baba’s antidote to it ? It was not the grains of wheat which had been put through the mill but
cholera itself which had been crushed by Sai Baba, and cast out from the village of Shirdi.
To this day, a grinding stone is kept in the mosque with a sack of wheat beside it, as it was in Baba’s
time. This tradition goes back many years to the time when two devotees – a farmer (Balaji Patil
Nevaskar) and his landowner – came to Baba for arbitration. Although Nevaskar had been cultivating
the land for decades, the owner wanted it back. Baba advised him to comply with the owner’s wishes,
but instead of giving the crop to the owner he sent the whole of it to Baba, keeping none for himself ?
Baba took a small portion of it, which he kept beside him all year, and returned the rest. In this way
the custom was born and the ritual was repeated every year. These days a bag of wheat is kept in a
glass case by the grinding stone throughout the year, and is replaced annually on the festival of
Ramnavami.
A grinding stone – a common household item in rural India – is kept in the north corner of the western
wall. Baba apparently had two or three such stones (another is on display in the Samadhi Mandir),
which he occasionally used for grinding wheat. The most famous of these became the inspiration for
Hemadpant’s celebrated Sri Sai Satcharitra. It is described as follows :
“One morning, some time after the year 1910, while I was in Shirdi, I went to see Sai Baba at his
mosque. I was surprised to find him making preparations for grinding an extraordinary quantity of
wheat. After arranging a gunny sack on the floor he placed a hand-operated flour mill on it and, rolling
up the sleeves of his obe, he started grinding the wheat. I wondered at this, as I knew that Baba
owned nothing, stored nothing and lived on alms. Others who had come to see him wondered about
this too, but nobody had the temerity to ask any questions.
As the news spread through the village, more and more men and women collected at the mosque to
find out what was going on. Four of the women in the watching crowd forced their way through and,
pushing Baba aside, grabbed the handle of the flour mill. Baba was enraged by such officiousness,
but as the women raised their voices in devotional songs, their love and regard for him became so
evident that Baba forgot his anger and smiled.
As the women worked, they too wondered what Baba intended doing with such an enormous quantity
of flour... They concluded that Baba, being the kind of man he was, would probably distribute the flour
between the four of them… When their work was done, they divided the flour into four portions, and
each of them started to take away what she considered her share.
“Ladies, have you gone mad!” Baba shouted. “Whose property are you looting? Your father’s? Have I
borrowed any wheat from you ? What gives you the right to take this flour away ?”
“Now listen to me,” he continued in a calmer tone, as the women stood dumbfounded before him.
“Take this flour and sprinkle it along the village boundaries.”
The four women, who were feeling thoroughly embarrassed by this time, whispered among
themselves for a few moments, and then set out in different directions to carry out Baba’s
instructions.
Since I was witness to this incident, I was naturally curious as to what it signified, and I questioned
several people in Shirdi about it. I was told that there was a cholera epidemic in the village, and this
was Baba’s antidote to it ? It was not the grains of wheat which had been put through the mill but
cholera itself which had been crushed by Sai Baba, and cast out from the village of Shirdi.
To this day, a grinding stone is kept in the mosque with a sack of wheat beside it, as it was in Baba’s
time. This tradition goes back many years to the time when two devotees – a farmer (Balaji Patil
Nevaskar) and his landowner – came to Baba for arbitration. Although Nevaskar had been cultivating
the land for decades, the owner wanted it back. Baba advised him to comply with the owner’s wishes,
but instead of giving the crop to the owner he sent the whole of it to Baba, keeping none for himself ?
Baba took a small portion of it, which he kept beside him all year, and returned the rest. In this way
the custom was born and the ritual was repeated every year. These days a bag of wheat is kept in a
glass case by the grinding stone throughout the year, and is replaced annually on the festival of
Ramnavami.
In the corner by the grinding stone you will see a cupboard. It was in this niche that Baba used to
keep his chillims. He was fond of smoking tobacco through these clay pipes and used to pass the
pipe around to this close devotees. At such times he might tell stories and the atmosphere was one of
good humour and friendliness.
As with many of the apparently ordinary things around Baba, there was more to the chillim as a
means of bestowing grace. G. S. Khaparde observes in his Shirdi Diary that one day Baba “was very
gracious and repeatedly gave me smoke out of his pipe. It solved many of my doubts and I felt
delighted.” There are also reports of Baba using the pipe for healing purposes. Hari Bhau, for
example, suffered from asthma. He had never smoked before Baba offered him the pipe one day.
Because it was given by Baba, he took it and smoked. From then on, his asthma was cured and
never bothered him again.
None of the pipes can be seen in Dwarkamai now, but a few are on display in the Samadhi Mandir.
Baba received many pipes in his lifetime and would often give them away.
Baba would spend much of his time in the mosque sitting in front of the dhuni, often with his arm
leaning on a little wooden balustrade. A large portrait of Baba, sitting in the same posture, is now to
be found here. The picture is kept on a throne-like platform and is the focus of worship, just as Baba
himself was when he sat here. Baba sits relaxed and calm, looking out at us with a warm, welcoming,
almost amused expression; at the same time the gaze is both penetrating and searching. On seeing
the finished work, Baba is reported to have said, “This picture will live after me.”
Something of that freshness is evident when we look at the portrait here. No matter how many times
we take its darshan, we feel that Baba is greeting us a new. For that, we are indebted to the artist, S.
R. Jaikar, from Bombay. The original picture was painted under commission from a close devotee (M.
W. Pradhan). At first, Baba did not give permission for the work, claiming that he was just a simple
beggar and fakir and what was the point of painting such a person. It would be better for Shama (who
relayed the request to Baba) to get his own portrait done, suggested Baba. Luckily for future
generations though, Baba later relented and Jaikar actually painted four pictures, one of which was
touched by Baba.
The picture was installed in Dwarkamai after Baba’s mahasamadhi. The painting that we see now is a
recent copy of Jaikar’s original, which has been moved to a Sansthan office to preserve it from the
drying effects of the dhuni.
In front of the portrait is a pair of silver padukas which was installed later. Here it may be worth adding
a note about the significance of padukas. They are used throughout India, but particularly in the Datta
cult in Maharashtra. Padukas may be a pair of carved “footprints” or a pair of shoes used by the saint.
It is the former which we mostly see in Shirdi. Padukas signify the presence of the saint – wherever
the feet are, the rest of the body will be ! – and thus they are revered.
In Dwarkamai alone, there are five sets of padukas, symbolizing Baba’s presence and giving us the
opportunity for remembrance and worship. Taking the lowest part of the saint’s body, we touch it with
the highest part of our own (the head) as a gesture of obeisance and respect, in an act of namaskar.
When we bow down we are adoring our Beloved, affirming our hallowed connection, and in this way,
asking for continued blessings.
Baba has told his devotees, “I am a slave of those who always remember me in their thoughts and
actions and do not eat anything before offering it to me.” If you are in Dwarkamai around midday, you
may see people offering food to the portrait. After being offered, the food is then taken back to the
person’s house and shared as prasad or distributed among those in the mosque. The Sansthan also
offers food to Baba here (as well as at Gurusthan and the Samadhi Mandir). Afternoon arati, it is
given out to all those present in Dwarkamai.
In the context of offering food to Baba’s portrait, we may recall the story in the Sri Sai Satcharitra of
the Tarkhad family. Mrs. Tarkhad and her son were planning to visit Shirdi, but the son was reluctant
to go, as he was afraid his father would not properly carry out the daily worship to the large picture of
Baba he lovingly kept at their house in Bandra. His father assured him that he would, and mother and
son left for Shirdi. For three days all went well, but on the fourth day, although Mr. Tarkhad performed
the puja, he forgot to offer the customary few pieces of lump sugar. As soon as he remembered his
omission, he postrated before the shrine, asked for forgiveness and wrote a letter to Shirdi.
Meanwhile, around the same time in Shirdi, Baba turned to Mrs. Tarkhad and said, “Mother, I went to
your house in Bandra to get something to eat, but the door was locked.
I managed to get in
somehow, but found that Bhau [Mr. Tarkhad] had left nothing for me to eat so I have returned
unsatisfied.” Mrs. Tarkhad did not understand what Baba was talking about, but the son immediately
realized and asked Baba if he could go home, Baba refused, but let him do his puja in the mosque.
The son wrote to his father imploring him not to neglect the puja and the two letters crossed in the
post and were delivered the next day. This shows that in a mysterious and inexplicable way, when we
offer something to a picture of Baba, it is not merely symbolic, but we are offering it to Baba himself.
The principle of dakshina {monetary sacrifice performed by giving money by way of donation to Baba:
Baba used to accept or not accept according to HIS wish money as dakshina from devotees for
retrieving them from their the evil effect of sins. Life becomes pure and rich by sacrifice. This is the
preaching from upanishada (religious scripture about knowledge) – which means learning by sitting at
the feet or in the company of SatGuru(the Supreme Teacher)}
Until around 1909, Baba almost never asked for dakshina (donations) and rarely accepted monetary
offerings, except occasionally a few small coins which he used for buying fuel. Then, for some
reason, Baba did start asking, although he had no personal need or desire for money, and by the end
of each day he had always given away whatever he had received that day, remaining true to his
principles of non-attachment and poverty. A few devotees (such as Bade Baba and Tatya Kote Patil)
were even given a fixed amount every day.
Baba’s purpose in asking for dakshina was always to benefit a particular individual by, for example,
driving a (frequently moral) point home, balancing a forgotten debt or conferring a special blessing. “I
do not ask from everyone,” he said, “but emblem of Muslim-Hindu unity. The provision of the tulsi in a
Muslim place of worship is an example of the many ways in which Baba fused Muslim and Hindu
elements and resisted being identified exclusively with one religion, while persistently challenging
sectarian divisions and prejudices.
Baba always wore “white” Kurta (not ‘saffron’) as a symbol of light. His posture is ‘Niralambasan’ – Nir
– without alamba – dependence. This means that Baba as a supreme eternal power does not require
any physical matter to rest upon. Another significant thing about Baba’s posture is that Baba never
raised his hand to give HIS blessing. However HIS right foot is parallel to ground so that devotees’
can have charan darshan (vision of HIS right foot and bare left foot on ground)
On the eastern wall opposite the steps leading up to the dhuni, hangs a large framed picture of what
is probably the most famous image of Baba. It is a painting of an original black-and-white-photograph.
He is seated on a large stone with his right leg crossed over the left thigh, his left hand resting on the
crossed foot. Baba is wearing a torn kafni, a headscarf knotted over his left shoulder, and he sits
relaxed yet alert, leaning forward slightly. His expression is at once intense, all-knowing and
compassionate, but above all, unfathomable. To Sai devotees, this is probably the most familiar
image of Baba. Consequently, many believe that this posture was a common one of Baba’s. Some
suggest that Baba adopted this pose deliberately, as in Indian iconography it represents sovereignty,
and is associated with gods and maharajahs (and some draw parallels with Dakshinamurti, who also
sits cross-legged facing south). Others say that it has no special significance and that it was not
Baba’s typical posture. Whatever the facts, the picture is treasured by Sai devotees as one of only six
or seven photos that we have of Baba.
Until Baba sat on it, the stone was used by devotees for washing their clothes (remember that in
those days, the mosque consisted of only the raised area around the dhuni, so the stone was
outside). One day Baba happened to sit down on it and someone took the opportunity to photograph
him. Once he had sat on it, the stone was considered sacred and no longer used for washing. It is
that stone, set with a pair of marble padukas, which is now under Baba’s photo. The owner of the
original painting of this photo, D. D. Neroy from Bombay, gave the painting to his guru, Kammu Baba,
who later gave it to the Sansthan. It is likely that this was the picture that the Sansthan gave as a
model to the sculptor who carved Baba’s statue for the Samadhi Mandir.
Devotees meditate on and worship this picture. Baba has said that there is no difference between his
physical self and his image. Indeed, he even proved this on a number of occasions. When Balabua
Sutar came to see Baba for the first time in 1917, Baba said that he had known him for four years.
This puzzled Sri. Sutar, but then he remembered that he had prostrated to a picture of Baba in
Bombay four years previously, and it was to that which Baba was alluding. Even more dramatically,
Baba once came to Hemadpant in a vision and told him he would be coming for lunch that full moon
festival day. In an extraordinary chain of events, a picture of Baba was unexpectedly delivered to
Hemadpant’s house just as the midday meal was about to be served !
The animal statues
On each side of the photo is a statue of an animal – to the right a tiger and to the left a horse – Tiger
is the carrier (vahaan) of original cosmic energy which takes female form of Devi – AadiMata –
(Mother) Horse is the symbol of complete masculinity (Purushat) Nandi in front of Baba is the carrier
of Shiva (cosmic purity). There is a remarkable history behind each of these.
Just one week before Baba’s mahasamadhi, a band of traveling dervishes brought a tiger to him
which they were exhibiting and thereby earning money. The animal had fallen sick and is described
as “very ferocious”. After trying various remedies in vain, the dervishes brought him to see the
renowned saint of Shirdi hoping he would be cured by darshan of a mahatma.
The group paid obeisance to Baba and told him about the tiger’s condition. “I shall relieve him of his
suffering,” said Baba. “Bring him here !” The dervishes wheeled the cage into the courtyard of the
mosque. The tiger, which was tied up tightly with chains, was taken out for Baba to see.
People watched the unfolding drama first in great apprehension and then in utter astonishment. The
tiger approached the steps and stared at Baba, who returned his gaze. It then thrashed its tail on the
ground three times, gave out a terrific roar and fell down dead “
The dervishes were dismayed at losing their means of livelihood, but later they were reconciled to it
and recognized the tiger’s exceptionally good fortune in dying in the presence of a saint (in India, this
is commonly thought to confer moksha or liberation). Baba consoled them saying that the tiger was
“meritorious” and that it had been destined to die there on that day and had achieved permanent bliss
by doing so. “The tiger’s debt incurred to you in a former birth is now cleared,” said Baba. He also
helped the dervishes financially by giving them 150 rupees.
Baba told the dervishes to bury the tiger in front of the nearby Mahadev Temple (one of the three
small temples that now lies between the Samadhi Mandir and the Queue Complex) and you can see
its samadhi by the Nandi. The statue of the tiger was erected much later (on 12 November 1969) by
Sri. Tryambaka Rao of Ojar village in commemoration of this blessed incident.
The story of the horse is equally remarkable, though somewhat milder ! The horse was given to Baba
in fulfillment of a vow by a horse dealer named Kasam, in about 1909. Kasam’s mare had not
produced a foal for a long time and so he resolved to give the first-born to Baba if she foaled. This
came to pass and Shyam Karni (meaning “black ears”, Baba’s name for him) became a great
favourite with Baba who lavished much love on him. Shyam Karn (also known as Shyam Sunder,
“Black Beauty”) was an integral part of the Chavadi procession. Extravagantly decorated, he would
lead the procession each time. He was present at puja and is also said to have been trained to do
namaskar to Baba. Nana Chandorkar hired a man to look after him. One day, when Baba was in the
mosque, he suddenly exclaimed in pain, “Oh they’re killing that horse ! Go quickly and fetch him !” It
turned out that the trainer had been beating him severely, but perhaps what is more extraordinary is
that when Baba revealed his back, the livid marks of a whipping could be seen on his own skin.
Shyam Sundar outlived Baba; his samadhi is in Lendi Gardens.
The tortoise tile - Tortoise is regarded as one of the God incarnations in Hindu religious philosophy.
On the floor of the mosque, about two-thirds back from the steps, you will notice a white marble tile
with a tortoise carved in relief. The tile is said to mark two things : the place where Shyam Sunder
used to bow down to Baba, and the original location of the stone on which Baba sat, which was
moved when the mosque was extended after Baba’s mahasamadhi. According to Hindu mythology, it
is a tortoise which bears the weight of the world on its back. As it is already underfoot, it cannot be
defiled by being trodden on, so is an appropriate symbol to use here.
To the left of the courtyard area of the mosque is the small hearth where Baba sometimes used to
cook. Like most things here, it is now enclosed in a wire cage but in Baba’s time and until recently, it
was, of course, open.
Here Baba would occasionally prepare large quantities of sweet milk-rice, pulav and other food for
distribution among visitors. He would supervise the whole process himself, including shopping,
grinding spices, and chopping the ingredients. The food was cooked in huge copper pots – enough
for 50-200 people – which are now on display in the Samadhi Mandir.
An outstanding aspect of Baba’s cooking style was that rather than use a ladle or a spoon, he would
stir the scalding food with his bare hand, without causing himself any injury. The Sri Sai Satcharitra
describes tenderly and in great detail how and what Baba would cook, “then with his own hands,
serve very lovingly to all, with great respect. And those desirous of eating would happily partake of
the food till quite full, even as Baba pressed them to have more, saying lovingly, ‘Take, take some
more !’ Oh, how great must have been the merit of those who partook of this most satisfying meal !
Blessed, blessed were those to whom Baba served, himself.” The author adds that once the number
of visitors became very large and the quantity of food offerings also huge, Baba cooked less often.
Baba never gave up the custome of begging for his food throughout his long life.
Beside the stove is a three-foot tall wooden post, which Baba would lean against while cooking.
Though it is unremarkable looking, it is thought to be invested with healing properties, since Baba
once advised a close devotee (Sai Saranananda), who was then suffering from severe knee pain, to
touch the post with his knee and then do pradakshina around it. After doing this the pain disappeared.
To this day, people with bodily aches and pains also like to lean against the post as a means of
receiving Baba’s blessing for their healing.
Padukas (God’s feet) are feet pairs of Vishnu (Parvar Digar) in which are combined the riches of
matter (Goddess Laxmi) and riches of Knowledge – Goddess (Saraswati).
Just behind the cooking area is the place where Baba would stand every day leaning against the mud
wall, usually before he went to Lendi. He would watch the villagers passing by and call out to them in
a friendly way, “How are you ?” “How’s the crop coming along ?” “How are your children doing ?”
Following Baba’s mahasamadhi, a pair of padukas was installed in this spot and a small shrine
placed over them. In the wall above is a smaller set of padukas placed where he is said to have
leaned his hand.
On each side of the lower section of the mosque is a small shed. One contains the palanquin used for processions and the other, until recently, used to house the rath, or cart, used at festival times.