Assurances Of SaiBaba

Sai Baba made eleven assurances to his devotees:

   1. Whosoever puts their feet on Shirdi soil, their sufferings will come to an end.
   2. The wretched and miserable will rise to joy and happiness as soon as they climb the steps of the mosque.
   3. I shall be ever active and vigorous even after leaving this earthly body.
   4. My tomb shall bless and speak to the needs of my devotees.
   5. I shall be active and vigorous even from my tomb.
   6. My mortal remains will speak from my tomb.
   7. I am ever living to help and guide all who come to me, who surrender to me and who seek refuge in me.
   8. If you look to me, I look to you.
   9. If you cast your burden on me, I shall surely bear it.
  10. If you seek my advice and help, it shall be given to you at once.
  11. There shall be no want in the house of my devotee.

Sai Baba Biography

Biographers of Shirdi Sai Baba  (e.g. Govindrao Ragulnath Dabholkar, Acharya Ekkirala Bharadwaja, Smriti Srinivas, Antonio Rigopolous) when writing about him base it on the accounts of what was said by various people who knew Shirdi Ke Sai Baba. But this is not the only source of information used in compling the biography of Shirdi Sai Baba. Their exists a diary written by Ganesha Shrikrishna Khaparde. This diary was written by Ganesha Shrikrishna Khapade while his stay in Shirdi. This diary describes every day of the author's stay at Shirdi. When speculating about the unknown episode's of Sai Baba's life, they mainly base their conclusions on his words.

However, there is only one source that may be called authentic and comprehensive. This is the compendium written about Sai's life and is known as the Shri Sai Satcharita, written in Marathi, in 1916 by Govindrao Ragulnath Dabholkar (translated into English by Nagesh Vasudevanand Gunaji with English title: Shri Sai Satcharitra) whom Sai Baba nicknamed Hemadpant, which is an account of his life, teachings and miracles of Shirdi Sai Baba. Other important sources about Sai Baba are books by B. V. Narasimhaswamiji such as Sri Sai Baba's Charters and Sayings or Devotee's Experiences of Sai Baba. Another important document is "Sri Sai Baba and His Teachings" by Acharya Ekkirala Bharadwaja which is an in depth study of Sai Baba's  life routine and activities.

Lendi baug

After gurusthan there is a place named Lendi baug. Baug is a hindi word which means Garden. It is said that this baug or garden was made by baba. He came here every morning and evening and watered the plants. He loved this garden very much. The word Lendi baug is derived from the hindi word Nalla which means a drain. The main attraction is a neem tree. This tree is said to have historical value because here baba sat and took rest every morning and evening. It is interesting that Baba chose neem tree as his resting place. This is because the neem tree is a actually a tree with medicinal properties with thick branches and dense foliage which provide big shadow in sunny days and keep the air cool. Under this neem tree Baba dug a two feet deep pit and kept an assortment in the form of a lamp in that pit. This lamp form in Hindi is known as deep. The place housing such a deep will be deepgriha. The old deepgriha does not exist anymore and has been replaced by a new marble stone deepgriha. This new place is rechristened as Nanda deep, it continously burns in a glass box. This deepgriha has been provided with the shade of two trees, one of them neem and the other a peepul tree.

Sai Satcharitra

Shri Sai Baba's  life and teachings are well documented in Sai Satcharitra by Shri Hemadpant in Marathi which was personally blessed by Shri Sai Baba.

Shri Hemadpant got Shri Sai Baba's blessings in 1910 to write this work. Said Shri Sai Baba "Let him make a collection of stories and experiences, keep notes and memos; I will help him. He is only an outward instrument." Subsequently SaiSatcharitra has been translated into a number of different languages. The one in English is called Shri Sai Satcharitra by Shri Nagesh Vasudev Gunaji.

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Schedule of daily program at Shirdi

Number     Programmes.................     Time

1.              Kakad Arati                       5:15 a.m.
2.              Holy Bath of Shri Sai Baba  6:00 a.m.
3.              Darshan Begins                 7:00 a.m.
4.              Satyanarayana Pooja         9:00 a.m.
5.              Abhishek                          9:00 a.m.    
6.              Noon Arati                        12:00 Noon
7.              Pravachan or Pujan            4:00 p.m.
8.              Dhuparati Sunset
9.              Bhajan, Keertan, Vocal Music, etc    9:00 p.m.
10.            Shejarati                           10:00 p.m.

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Gurusthan

When Sai Baba first cam to Shirdi, he was in the form of a Bala Yogi or a child ascetic. The people of Shirdi first took a notice of him when he was sitting under a neem tree. This place came to be known as Gurusthan. The seat continued to be in the same way till 1941, when the renovation was started on 30th September. However, the renovation did not include building of a temple. The present temple was built after this period. The Gurusthan has a small shrine in it. Inside the shrine, on a elevated platform, a big portrait of Baba is placed. When you enter the shrine, on the side is a marble statue of Baba. In front of the portrait is a Shivling and the Nandi. Photos of twelve Jyotirlingas are kept in the temple. The neem tree is so old that the branches of the Neem tree have come out through the roof of the temple.

At a short distance lies Baba's CHAVADI or resting place. Baba used to sleep here every alternate day. The Chavadi is divided into two parts. One part of the Chavadi has a large portrait of Baba along with a wooden bed and a white chair belonging to him.

Abdul Baba was an ardent devotee of the Baba. His cottage is situated in front of the Chavadi. The Lendi Baug was looked after by Abdul Baba. There are photos and various things which were handled by Sai Baba and Abdul Baba in the cottage.

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Dwarkamai

As the legend goes, Sai Baba came to Shirdi with a marriage procession. The marriage procession continued, but the Baba stayed at Dwarkamai till the very end of his life. When you enter the Samadhi mandir, Dwarkamai is situated on the right side of the entrance. Here he lived a saintly life, solving people's problems, curing their sickness and resolving their worries. Before Baba came to Shirdi, Dwarkamai was not in its present form. It was a dilapidated mosque. Baba did all the hard work and while living there, turned it into Dwarkamai. This proved to people in Shirdi that God was one and could be found in a mosque, as well as in a temple.

Entire Dwarkamai is a testimony to the simple and frugal life style of the Baba. Dwarkamai is made of two levels. Both these levels are unique in their representation. The biggest asset on the first level is a big stone on which Baba used to sit. By the side of the stone, there is a portrait of Baba. This level has two rooms. One contains the chariot and the second a palanquin. Just in front of the room where the chariot is kept is a small temple. A saffron flag flies over it.

When you reach second level, you realise that this was Baba's bathroom. There is a square stool made of stone, which Baba used for taking a bath. The main attraction of this place is the oil painting of Shri Sai Baba sitting in a carved wooden shrine. This level also has the grinding stone and the wooden vessel called Kolamba in which Baba used to keep the Bhiksha brought from the village.

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Samadhi Mandir

It is said that a millionaire from Nagpur actually owned the temple. He was a famous Sai Baba devotee by the name of Shreemant Gopalrao. He wanted to keep an idol of Muralidhar in the temple. But Sai Baba himself became Muralidhar, and Gopalrao dedicated the temple to Sai Baba. This temple later became the Samadhi of Sai Baba.

The temple is built with stones, however, the Samadhi of Baba in the Sanctum - Sanctorum is built of white marble. The Samadhi is surrounded by various decorations including a marble railing and various ornaments. When the devotees enter the Sanctum Sanctorum, they can see the Samadhi flanked by two pillars made of silver with intricate ornamental designs on them. A statue of Sai Baba made of white Italian marble stands just behind the Samadhi. This statue is said to have been made by Late Balaji Savant on 7th October 1954. The statue is covered by a big silver umbrella. The Sanctum Sanctorum is so designed so as to seat 600 devotees with ease with Sai Baba looking over them.

The temple begins the daily chores with a Bhoopali, a morning song at 5 AM. The temple then remains open for darshan by devotees all day long and is finally closed at 10 Pm after Shejrati has been rendered. This is the year long practice which is changed only thrice a year. On occasions of GuruPoornima, Dassera and Ramanavami, the temple remains open through out the night. In addition, a "Jhanki" of Baba, with Baba's photo in a palanquin, is taken out on every Thursday and on each festival.

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