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Author Topic: Shirdi visit I longed for!  (Read 3922 times)

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Offline Purnima Guliani

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Shirdi visit I longed for!
« on: August 17, 2019, 03:18:35 AM »
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  • Jai Sai Ram :)

    In the past, most of the times I have visited Shirdi to thank Baba for His blessings in the form of a new job, promotion, etc.

    Presently, am going through a rough patch and was thinking of getting this sorted and visit Shirdi like always to thank Baba with good news in tow. But as we all know Baba's planning is different than ours and His word will be!

    When you are happy and busy with regular life, the events just flow and you don't have time to reflect on them.  It is only when you are sad, depressed and distracted from work or your daily chores, is when your mind works overtime and you are looking for quick answers to your problems.  Some months back, one of our relatives had gifted us a book "Sai Prashnavali" to get answers and directions from Baba.  So far, I have been using Sai Satcharitra to get my directions. I would randomly open a chapter and most of the times the story mentioned in the chapter would have some indication towards the solution of my problem.
     
    As I mentioned earlier, when your mind is clogged and puzzled and you are curious for your worries to end soon, that is the real test of your 'Saburi'.   My husband, who is also a devotee of Baba, used the Prashnavali to ask a question about my job and the reply came, "Come to Shirdi, your problem will be solved!"

    With full faith we decided to book our tickets and hotel and proceed to Shirdi on the upcoming weekend!  In my heart, I wanted to go to Shirdi once I got the job, so I could thank Baba for His blessings and start my new job, but as Baba indicated through this book, that we should visit Shirdi now, so we did! 

    If you haven’t visited Shirdi lately, come, I will virtually take you on a divine Shirdi experience with me!

    We had a flight on Saturday morning at 8.45 am and thus, we had to wake up early and be on time.  So, my husband had set up the alarm for 5 am, as for domestic flights, one has to reach one hour prior and owing to rain, we thought of keeping some buffer for traffic snarls.  But, guess what, the alarm did not ring as his phone settings had alarm setup for weekdays only and with Baba’s grace, he himself woke up at 5.15 am and woke me up too!  Small things but when you start feeling Baba’s presence, they mean a lot!

    We reached airport well in time, had a pleasant flight and this was our first time to land at Shirdi International Airport.  It is so convenient to visit Shirdi now.  The airport is just 20-25 minutes’ drive from Shirdi and the road is fantastic.  The air of Shirdi is so pure and serene!  One day I wish to settle down there in Shirdi!  This time our hotel was right opposite Baba’s temple and we could see the temple from the hotel lobby on 1st floor and the Aarti was audible in our room! Oh, so divine an experience.  We also went to Shani temple at Shingnapur, being a Saturday and had good darshan there too!

    Early evening, we went to Baba’s temple and thought that we may be stuck in the line when the evening aarti starts but, we got beautiful darshan and we were out even before the aarti started.  While we were in the main hall, the line was getting bifurcated, one to go from side and one to take darshan from the middle. I and my husband almost reached the line that goes from the side and he did mention it to me and I said, “Let Baba decide how He wants to give us darshan!”  You may not believe me but right then, a man standing in the queue held my husband and told him to shift to the other line!  He clearly said that this queue will help us get darshan from the centre. No one in the existing queue retaliated our entering mid-way, nor did any security guard say anything and we were accommodated in the centre line and got Baba’s darshan.  My eyes were flowing with tears of joy and blessed feeling of Baba’s kripa.
     
    After taking darshan, we stood in the queue for Kakad aarti passes for Sunday morning; though we had a reference number but we were unable to get any VIP passes being weekend and too much rush.  Again, we left it to Baba and thought of getting in the regular queue the next morning.  Went to Sai Bhojanalaya for prasad, which in itself is a divine experience. The aura of the place is so positive, it feels that Baba is feeding you with His own hands. 
    We then returned and retired for the day in our hotel around 10.30 pm and woke up at 12.45 am to get ready for Kakad Aarti.

    After getting in the queue for free pass line, by the time we were in the temple queue for the Aarti it was 1.45 am and then, we waited till 4.00 am, when the doors open and everyone fills in the halls.  I always wanted to sit in the first hall and listen to the Aarti and though we had lot many people in front of us, I was somehow accommodated in the third row in the first hall.  As they make men and women sit separately during aarti for better management reasons, my husband also got a good seat in the first hall itself.  Oh, indeed it was better than VIP pass as there, you have to stand for the entire Aarti and sometimes there is pushing and chaos.  Where I was sitting, it was little angular and the view was not letting me see Baba but the huge screen there was good enough and the idea of being seated in the Samadhi Mandir during Kakad Aarti was so divine.  Baba is everywhere and especially in Shirdi, He is in everything, He is in that air!

    Sometimes, we get greedy and I wished in my heart if I could have direct view of Baba from where I was.  Just after they finished the Aarti and they were making Baba wear new clothes, there happened some chaos near the door and all the women got up thinking that the line has started to move ahead.  In that chaos, as I was also standing, I could gradually shift to the left and there, I saw Baba as I had reached the centre and Baba was right in front of my eyes.  What else do you call it, if you don’t call it Baba’s miracle?  I prayed to Baba with tears of happiness and gratitude flowing from my eyes.
     
    After coming out, we visited Shiva, Ganapati and Shani temple which is also in the same vicinity.  This was the first time we visited these temples and it was again a very divine experience during early morning hours.  We then visited Dwarikamai and sat there for a while, followed by visit to Chavadi. We had thought of looking out for Bayjabai’s house as we hadn’t seen it earlier.  It’s just a little walk from the Chavadi.  Though it was locked but in our imagination, we could see Baba standing out and accepting food prepared by Bayja Ma! 

    After distributing some food, we visited our last hotel, where we had connected very well with the Pandit ji.  Please remember that Baba cannot come down in person and show you the way, thus, He sends help and guidance through someone.  For me the help came in the words said by this Pandit ji.  He inspired me not to lose hope and to start writing and share my experiences with other Sai devotees and Baba will guide me what to write. 

    After returning, I have already shared my earlier experience that has already been published online and I have now been accepted as a volunteer for one of Baba’s online magazines.  I feel so blessed.  Though my professional trouble is yet to get sorted but somehow, the vibes I am now getting are very positive and I have full faith that Baba is taking care of me and of all of us always! 

    So, I have promised myself to channelize my anxiety to write about the blessings and experiences of Baba and not to lose hope and my faith in Baba! 

    Jai Sai Ram!

     


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