Baba has promised, “I shall be active and vigorous even from the tomb,” and it is perhaps in the Mandir that we can most fully experience the phenomenon of Sai Baba and the remarkable way he has touched the hearts and lives of millions of people from all over the globe. Baba’s omniscient presence is felt when one has Baba’s glance, when one sits at Baba’s feet .
At any given point, the shrine temple is full of devotees eagerly queuing up to have Baba’s darshan. People carry flowers, garlands, sweets, or fruit to offer Baba at his Samadhi. Some may have personal items- such as a shawl, book, key to new possession, etc, for which they want to get Baba’s blessing by offering it at his feet and having it touch his tomb. “Sri Satchidananda Sadguru Sainath Maharaj ki Jai !” (Hail the great Sadguru, Lord Sai, who is beingconsciousness-bliss!) is the chant on the lips of most of His devotees while most others may sing bhajan or whisper prayers. At busy times, especially during festivals, the queue for darshan used to stretch for hundreds of meters along the village streets, though the recently constructed Queue Complex has changed this. People may wait up to eight hours just for the opportunity to pay brief homage to their Lord. The atmosphere of fervent and one-pointed devotion reaches its zenith here. “Attention one and all!” commands the noon arati psalm, “Come, come quickly and make obeisance to Sai Baba!” This is exactly what the devotees are hastening to do, and to be part of this torrent of emotion is a powerful experience. In this form, thousands of people a day are able to take Baba’s darshan and pay their homage to Him.
The shrine which houses Baba’s tomb was originally constructed as a wada (large private house)
during Baba’s last years in his physical body. It is built on some land that Baba had tended as a
garden. Sai Baba seemed to like growing plants and in his early days he cleared and levelled this
land, which had been used as dumping ground. Using seeds that he had brought from Rahata, he
planted it with jasmine and marigold. For about three years Baba would water the plants every day
and distribute the flowers to the local temples. Now that his tomb is here and Baba is receiving so
many devotees, it seems that he is nurturing plants of a different nature – and still sowing seeds.
The shrine was built by a wealthy devotee from Nagpur, Gopalrao Booty. The Sri Sai Satcharitra
describes him as a “multimillionaire”. He was introduced to Baba by S. B. Dhumal about ten years
before Baba’s Mahasamadhi.
The wada was originally intended as a rest house and mandir. The inspiration for the building came to
Booty in a dream, when he was sleeping beside his friend and fellow devotee, Shama, Baba
appeared and told him to build a house and temple.
Excited by his vision, Booty immediately woke up and pondered its significance. He noticed that
Shama had tears in his eyes and asked him what the matter was. It transpired that Shama had just
had the same dream and was deeply touched by it. He told Booty, Baba came near me and said
distinctly, “Let there be a wada with a temple so that I can satisfy the desires of all.” Together then
they drew up some rough sketches, showed them to Dixit for approval, then took them straightaway
to Baba to ask his permission to go ahead with the plan. Baba responded warmly and gave his
blessing to the project.
The work was begun around 1915. It was built in stone and was therefore known as dagadi (stone)
wada. Shama supervised the construction of the basement, ground floor and well. Later, Bapusaheb
took over job of supervising the work.
When Baba passed the site on his way to Lendi, he would sometimes offer suggestions. As the
building progressed, Booty asked Baba if he could include a temple on the ground floor with an statue
of Murlidhar (a form of Lord Krishna). Baba readily gave permission, and said, “When the temple is
built, we shall inhabit it and ever afterwards live in joy.” Shama then asked Baba if that was an
auspicious time to start the work and Baba replied that it was. Shama immediately fetched and broke
a coconut as Mahurat (good omen) and the work was begun. The foundation was quickly laid, a
pedestal prepared and an order placed for the idol. However, the significance of Baba’s comment
was appreciated a few years later.
It was around this time that Baba fell ill and his devotees feared the worst. Booty also felt dejected,
wondering whether Baba would live to even see the completed wada, never mind grace it with his
presence. The whole construction seemed pointless to him if Baba was not going to remain there in
his body. However, Baba was to move into the wada in a way that had not been foreseen by others.
His health rapidly deteriorated and on 15 October 1918 he lay with his body fading fast. His last
words were ,”I am not feeling well in the masjid. Carry me to the dagadi wada”.
Baba was indeed carried to the wada, and was buried in the place where the image of Murlidhar was
to have been placed: an edifice was later raised over the tomb.
The day that Baba took Mahasamadhi, Tuesday 15 October 1918, was a very auspicious one for
Hindus ; it also happened to be the Muslim month of Ramzan. October 15 was the Hindu festival of
holy Vijayadasami, a few minutes into ekadasi (a significant lunar cycle in the Hindu calendar). Two
months previously Baba had sent a message to Banne Mia fakir, saying that “On the ninth day, of the
ninth month, Allah is taking away the lamp he lit”. He also sent some offerings to the fakir
Shamsuddin Mia and a request to do moulu, qawals (both are types of devotional singing) and nyas
(poor –feeding). Thus right up until his final moments in the body, Baba was embracing both
communities.
The news of Baba’s passing spread quickly, and thousands came to Dwarkamai for a final darshan,
queuing for five or six hours. The body was kept on the handcart all night, while preparations –
digging a pit and building the platform – went on. Before the burial, Baba’s kafni was removed and he
was given a final bath. It is reported that even at this stage, his body remained soft, as if he were
merely sleeping, Earlier, while the body was in the wheel chair, his nose started to bleed (usually
impossible for a corpse).
Thirty-six hours after he had left his body, Baba was finally interred. Certain personal articles were
buried with him: the broken brick, now mended with gold and silver wire, one of his satkas, a chillim,
needle and cotton (Baba would mend his clothes until they were a mass of repairs, a cause of
affectionate amusement among close devotees), some spices to preserve the body, and an old cloth
bag that Baba never allowed anyone to touch, but which devotees investigated after his
mahasamadhi and found that it contained a green kafni and a cap.
The burial was completed by very early Thursday morning. A photograph of Sai Baba was placed on
a throne on the platform of the tomb. It remained there until the statue was installed in 1954. That
picture is now kept in the recess of the Samadhi Mandir where some other things of Baba’s are on
display (see below).
The Mandir that we see now is about twice the size of the original building, having been later
extended back from the stone arches. As the temple authorities try to find new ways of coping with
the ever-increasing flow of visitors, various alternations are made. In 1998 a hall was added to the
back of the mandir, so that it has again almost doubled in size. A big beautiful hall, connecting Masjid
(Dwarkamai) has been built up. Sai Devotees waiting in a queue.
In the Museum some things associated with Baba are on display. These include three pairs of sandals (though Baba was almost always barefoot), his folded clothes in a glass fronted cupboard, several chillims, ornaments for Shyam Sunder the horse, cooking pots and a silver palanquin.
There is one other item here which, though insignificant looking, perhaps holds the greatest fascination for Sai devotees, and that is Baba’s leelas. It is not that Baba gave it so much importance (as he did, say, to the brick), but whenever someone or something was to be chastised or driven out, we usually find that the satka is there, being shaken, waved threateningly, or beaten on the ground. For example, when a sudden cyclone hit Shirdi, trapping the devotees in the mosque and causing them to fear for their lives, crops and livelihoods, Baba upon being appealed to, simply shook his satka and ordered it to stop. In a similar way, he once commanded the wildly leaping flames of the dhuni to be calm. The satka was also used to intimidate the group of Muslims waiting to attack Mahalsapati outside the mosque.
On another occasion, Baba used the satka for healing purposes. He had warned Mahalsapati that some misfortune would hit his family, but that Mahalsapati should not worry as he would take care of it. Soon after, several of Mahalsapati’s family fell seriously ill. Some devotees who were doctors offered Mahalsapati medicine, but Baba discouraged him from using it, saying simply that the sick should stay in bed. With that, he walked around the mosque waving the satka exclaiming,”Come on, show us your power ! Let’s see it, such as it is, and I will show you the power of my satka if you (dare to) come and face me.” This was the way Baba treated the disease and cured it without any other medicine.
Arati is a form of congregational worship with music and lights, which is celebrated with particular
elan in Maharashtra and especially in Shirdi.
For many who come to Shirdi, attendance at Arati is one of the highlights of their visit. It is perhaps
during arati that we can most easily experience the essence of Shirdi and the power of Baba’s
presence. Some people experienced a heightened state and speak of a dissolution of the sense of
separation, the erosion of the boundary between self and God. Others say that this is the time when
Baba comes “alive” for them and answers their questions and prayers.
The effect of the group and its stirring emotion – of faith, longing and devotion, - acts powerfully on
the heart. The atmosphere becomes highly charged and there is a palpable sense of the numinous.
In Baba’s time too, it seems that arati was an occasion when his grace was particularly felt and
experienced by the devotees. G.S.Khaparde who, in his own phlegmatic style, speaks of a particular
elation at such times records some of these instances in his book, ‘Shirdi Diary’.
The impact of the ceremony is intensified by dazzling sensual input: for the eyes there is a dynamic
kaleidoscope of colourful images (the lovingly decorated statue and Samadhi, the waving Arati flame,
the red and gold uniform of the mace-bearing chopdars); for the ears there are melodious and
passionately rendered songs accompanied by harmonium and other instruments – not to mention the
thrilling cry of praise at the end; and for fragrance there is the aroma of incense, rosewater and
numerous flower offerings.
Of the thirty or so devotional songs sung in the Aratis, about half were specially composed to Baba
and the remainder are traditional arati songs by the medieval poet-saints of Maharashtra. Most of
them are in Marathi with a couple of each in Hindi and Sanskrit.
Arati is held four times a day at Baba’s Samadhi: at 4.30 am, at noon, ,sunset (around 6.30) and at
10.30 p.m. A siren resounds throughout the village a few minutes before the noon and sunset Aratis,
and at four o’clock in the morning. The bell is also rung in Dwarkamai and the ceremony is broadcast
by an amplified system throughout the village. To attend Arati it s best to go early and join those
waiting in the Queue Complex, where there will be a separate line from the regular darshan queue.
It was in Dwarkamai that arati was originally performed to Baba and devotees still flock here to
frequently join in the Arati Worship.