Introduction Sai Baba of Shirdi

The title might raise some eyebrows. After 103 posts on this blog all about Sai Baba of Shirdi, an introduction?

Well, as the title of the blog suggests, the site devoted to the devotees of Shirdi SaiBaba. It was not needed, but now as the site is getting exposure on net, with many hits, there are westerners who stumbles to this blog through search engines, or the blog while submitted for web awards or web directories go through human editors from countries other than India, who probably comes across the name Shirdi Sai Baba for the first time.

As for the editor on bloggy awards states in

" Reading Enjoyment - 5

I have to admit that a lot of what the blog has to offer in terms of reading enjoyment was probably lost on me since I lacked the background knowledge necessary to appreciate some of the stuff on the posts. The author’s devotion and his level of introspection is inspiring. However, his entries are just way too long. This blog would make the average reader space out it just a few sentences. Advice: If you’re going to write about something that most people don’t know about you’d better make it pretty understandable and very appealing."

So this post will be linked on the top of the blog for those who comes across the name of Shirdi SaiBaba.

A young lad clad in the grab of Fakir (Roaming Muslim religious mendicant), was seen as a lad of about sixteen, in a little neglected hamlet, called Shirdi of Ahmednagar district in Maharashtra state India, in 1872 A.D. He used to stay under a neem tree, aloof from the townsfolk of Shirdi, seen sitting engrossed in meditation in day time and sleeping on the bare ground in the night. The place later came to be know as Gurusthan (the place of his Guru or the master).

Than the lad was not seen for few years and returned with a marriage procession. He first went to Khandoba Temple on the outskirt of village to make it his home, but the priest of the temple, Mahalsapati, thinking him to be a Muslim Fakir recommended him a Majid (Mosque), which is now popularly known as Dwarkamai, which was an old, little mud-walled Mosque, with walls looking frail and about to fall with uneven floor. Mahalsapati, later became the closest devotee of SaiBaba and spent most of his time with him.

The fakir made the mosque his home, the name Sai Baba exclaimed, by the same Mahalsapati, while welcoming him remained his name since. On inquiring of his name, his answer was, "they call me Sai Baba.".

Sai Baba is hugely popular in the huge country India.In India from the big metropolis cities to small villages one cannot roam about for few hours and not encounter Sai Baba's name, picture or statue. One can find it people's home, hotels, small and big shops, cabs, cars, mobile phone wallpapers, calenders, temples..........

One might be amazed with the popularity of the fakir who lived his life in physical form, in a neglected hamlet and begged for his food. What makes him so popular, loved and revered? His flaunting of miracles ? The answer would be his love and care for the devotees. His taking of keen interest in devotees welfare, in their spiritual and material welfare. He took it while he was in physical form and he still makes his presence felt subtly through his grace and even in physical form and by appearing in dreams and guiding them.

He shows this keen interest not only in his devotees but even to those who had never heard his name or seen his picture. One such incident of a Christian Nun, after he left his body has been recorded. Physical description of Sai Baba has already been posted on this blog. One can see few rare original pictures of Sai Baba, that are available today. Subtle presence experienced by the writer himself, when he was not much interested in Sai Baba of Shirdi. These are just two examples, books are filled with such experiences and also internet can be a good source to find many.

One can see the popularity of Sai Baba in videos of Aratis performed in Shirdi. So many devotees, each day, for the love of Sai Baba wake up early in the morning at about 3 to attend the morning Arati and also other Aartis performed in the temple.

One gift of Sai Baba to his devotees is the sacred text Sai SatCharitra. Hugely loved and revered by his devotees for it's divine and miraculous character.

The post can go on and on so will cut it of here with Meher Baba's statement about Sai Baba of Shirdi "You will never be able to understand thoroughly how great Sai Baba is. He is the very personification of perfection. If you know Him as I know Him, you would call Him the Master of Creation"

In 1918 A.D 15 october by Christian calendar, he dropped his physical body.Still today, to so many devotees in India his presence is felt and prayers answered, as stated above also appears in visions and dreams and guides.


Videos

Shirdi Sai Baba Life History (A Glimpse)

Part 1



Part 2