Devotees who walked with Baba

Devotees who walked with Baba​

As we do Parayan we come across many characters in Sai Satcharithra and Everytime I read, I started framing an image for each in my heart...

I then came across the original pics of the devotees and wanted to share the same...

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Shri Abdul Baba​

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Abdul Baba came to Shirdi in around 1890 from a poor family and through a fakir who received instructions in a dream to send him. Baba greeted him with the curious words "My crow has come".

He was a dedicated worker and it was he who cleaned the mosque, washed Baba's clothes and collected water. He swept the streets outside the mosque, lit the lamps in Lendi and obeyed Baba's instructions to the letter.
Baba took care of his welfare, and often had him reading aloud passages from the Koran.

 

Shri Mhalsapati

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Mhalsapati was a poor devotee (gold smith) who worshipped his hereditary deity Khandoba. Baba made His appearance at the gate of the temple of Khandoba. When Mhalsapati saw Him he spontaneously uttered ‘Aao Sai’ as if addressing Him by a name to the nameless. When asked about it he got fumbled and just said, I do not know. It is as if Khandoba made me utter these words through cosmic inspiration. Mhalsapati had the fortune of being in the constant company of Baba day and night. Baba protected him from all calamities in his wordly life. Though Mhalsapati was poor Baba never gave him any money and brought about Mhalsapati’s spiritual upliftment (Uddhar- Liberation)

 

Shri Annasaheb Dabholkar (Hemadpant)

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Annasaheb Dabholkar is most notably known for being the author of the beloved work The Sri Sai Satcharitra.

He lived in Bombay and, although he was not a greatly educated man, he rose to being a magistrate in the Bombay government.

He was a poet by heart and long before he began his noted work, which he started in 1922 with Baba's blessings and completed it in 1926. It was Baba who called him Hemadpant after a well known 13th century poet.

 

Shri Das Ganu

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Mr Sahastrabuddhe was a great poet gifted with the omniscient power to write religious and other poetry aiming at God Realisation and social reform. Initially he was an atheist and he himself said that to regard Baba as a God is an exaggeration. However his approach to Baba totally changed when (as witnessed and told by Das Ganu) – Baba performed a miracle. Das Ganu expressed his desire to go to pilgrimage to Pandharpur (holy place of Lord Vitthal)and to have a bath by the holy waters of Chandrabhaga, the holy river along Pandharpur. However Baba explained to him that when he is at His feet there is no necessity of going to places of pilgrimage because He was a Satguru and waters of holy rivers are at His feet and to his surprise Das Ganu saw two streams of water flowing from Baba’s feet. Das Ganu then took the vow to perform musical recitals (Bhajans and kirtan) at various places as His service to describe and sing Baba’s glory to the people at various places. Consequently Baba as a God Incarnate came to be known to many people.

 

Shri MadhavRao Deshpande (Shyama)​

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Shyama was among Baba's most intimate devotees, and acted like his personal secretary. Baba once told Shyama that they had been together for 72 generations.

His parents had moved to Shirdi from Nimon (5 kilometres away) when he was only two. He became a school teacher in a room next door to the mosque.

There was a small window in the this room which overlooked the mosque and Shyama used to watch Baba through it soon realising Baba's remarkable powers and so kindling his faith.

 

Shri Tatya Kote Patil​

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Tatya had a unique relationship with the Baba and was under his wing from the age of about seven.As a child, Tatya addressed Baba as “Mama” or “Uncle” and they would play and romp together, with Tatya climbing on Baba’s back and sitting in his lap. Being so close to Baba afforded him priviledges that few had. Only he and Mahalsapati were allowed to sleep with Baba in the mosque and this he did for 14 years until his father died and family responsibilities compelled him to go home.

 

Smt Bayajabai Kote Patil​

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Bayajabai Kote Patil was an ardent devotee of Baba. Right from the time they ‘found’ Baba as a young lad sitting under the neem tree, the parental feelings were aroused for Baba as if He was their son. Mrs. Bayajabai kote Patil showered love and cared for young Baba who abruptly would rush to the cactus jungle, an unknown old isolated place and actually pursued Baba to give Him bread (Bhakari) and salty smash of chana dal (Jhunka) and onion and chilly simple food items which Baba cherished most. Baba also used to pay a visit to Kote Patil’s house to have lunch (bhojan) of His choice. When Bayaja expired Baba lamented over her demise. So was the unthinkable tie of love between Bayaja and her family and Baba the love incarnate. The present generation of Patil family still observe meticulously and very religiously the ritual of giving offerings of Thali (Naivedya) containing the above mentioned food items to Baba at Dwarkamai.

 

Shri Hari Sitaram Dixit (alias Kakasaheb Dixit) ​

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Kakasaheb Dixit was an influencial lawyer, active in public life who was persuaded to visit Sai Baba in 1909 by his friend Nana Chandorkar. He came originally to get a cure for his leg which had been injured while studying in London,but soon forgot the reason exclaiming that the handicap of his leg was nothing compared to the limitations of his mind!

Dixit was so struck by his first darshan with Baba that he immediately began plans to construct a building which after receiving Baba's blessing he completed in early 1911.

Known as Dixit Wada, this building was to provide a valuable resting place for various visiting devotees and in which he settled in a small room on the first floor.

 

Smt Laxmibai Shinde​

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Laxmibai Shinde was one of Baba's very close devotees and was the only woman who was allowed into the mosque when the curtain was down. This curtain acted like a door and screened the upper part of the mosque. She regularly prepared food for Baba and served him with great love and devotion. Every day Baba used to give her four rupees and just before he passed away he gave nine rupees which are thought to symbolise the nine characteristics of a good devotee.