Videos/Photos: Guru Purnima Celebrations`2012 & 2013 @ Shirdi

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The Gurupurnima festival originated during Lord Buddha’s time when the monks used to take Initiation
at the beginning of the rainy season. This practice was then followed by the Jain tradition and later the Hindus.
According to the Hindu Purans, worshiping the ‘Guru’ on this day started at the time of ‘Vyas’ writer of the 'Mahabharata'.

Once, in 1908, Tatyasaheb Noolkar came to Shirdi and stayed in Chavadi.
One day Baba told Madhavrao to tell him to worship that post (pillar).
The post Baba showed was near the Dhuni and Baba used to lean on it.
That was the day when he was glad to have chance to worship at least the post in Masjid.
Then Madhavrao Deshpande went into the Masjid.
Baba told him to worship the same post along with Noolkar.
But Madhavrao refused and insead requested to allow him to worship Baba himself.
After a thought, at last Baba gave the permission.

Dadasaheb Kelkar was unaware of this Puja.
Tatya Kote Patil was called from the farm. People gathered the ‘Puja’ material.
Dhoti was brought and people put the Dhoti on Baba, and worshiped him.
Baba had no use of clothes but he gave permission in order to start the routine of Vyas puja.
Thus this Puja was started at Baba’s time and now has taken form of Festival lasting for three days.
Various religious activities are arranged. Great number of people flock to Shirdi during this Festival.




On the occasion of Guru Poornima Utsav from 2nd July`2012 to 4th July`2012 in Shirdi,
more than Rs 4 crore worth gold, silver & cash were donated by devotees to Shirdi Sai Baba.

Collections: Rs.4 crore during the 3-day festival, as under:
Gold - 727 Grams.
Silver - 5 kg
Cash (Donation Boxes) - Rs.2 Crore 62 Lakh
Cash (Donation Counter) - Rs.63 Lakh
Foreign currency - 5,493 US Dollars and 620 British Pounds

There was a large influx of NRI & foreign national devotees who flocked to Shirdi on this occasion.
About 150 foreigners had visited the shrine while an NRI donated USD 33,000 to the Sansthan.

Note counting machines had to be used to count the huge amount of cash donated by the devotees.
The coins were collected in a large number of pails.
The currency notes included Indian rupees, Euros, US dollars and British pounds.

Around 75,000 Padayatris and Palki groups who had walked down from long distances,
 were provided free prasad bhojan on this occasion.


- CELEBRATIONS -

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NkC08zakZ0[/youtube]  


- COLLECTIONS -

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IufGKe1kiow[/youtube]















































From 21st July`2013 to 23rd July`2013, the 3-day long Gurupurnima Utsav
started at Shirdi’s Saibaba Temple with a procession of Saibaba’s ‘pothi’.
An extra 71,000 sq ft Mandap was made to accommodate the huge rush of devotees.
200 quintals of Ladoo prasad was prepared and for all the 3 days there was free Prasad Bhojan
for thousands of Padayatris and Palki groups who had walked down to Shirdi.
They were also provided Free stay at the recently inaugurated 'Sai Ashram' Phase 2.

There was no VIP or Online booking darshan for 3 days, while on Gurupurnima day itself,
the Samadhi Shrine was open the whole night for darshan,
as a result there was no Shej Arati nor Kakad Arati of Baba.
Baba's Mangal Snan was followed by his 'Rudrabhishek'
and then the breaking of the 'Dahi Handi' by Baija Bai Kote Patil's lineage.
The Shirdi villagers the performed the traditional 'Fugdi' dance amidst bhajan/kirtan program.
The Rs.20 lakh worth Flowers used for decorating the Samadhi Shrine were offered by a devotee from Pune.

There was a Blood Donation camp also held where many devotees donated Blood for a cause,
and the Shirdi Sansthan acknowledged them with a Certificate and a Coconut.

Collections: Rs.4.22 crore during the 3-day festival, as under:
Gold - 1 kg 240 Grams.
Silver - 9 kg
Cash (Donation Boxes) - Rs.2 Crore 60 Lakh
Cash (Donation Counter) - Rs.1 Crore 28 Lakh
Foreign Currency - Rs.8 Lakh
Sales of Vastra/Ladoo's/Coins/Canteen - Rs.71 lakh

The Ladoo prasad was sold for Rs.8/- per packet of 3 Ladoos instead of Rs.10/- per packet
and had a record sales of more than 1 lakh packets each day, earning the Sansthan Rs.25 lakh.


- CELEBRATIONS -

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-MjP95RNoI[/youtube]    


- COLLECTIONS -

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuql7Pb0KPc[/youtube]









































































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