My Birthday In Shirdi “When Devotion Meets Reality”

My dictionary goes blank when I heard or write this word(Shirdi Sai
Baba).As its a special bond or i can say a pious feeling which can’t be
expressed in words.All credit goes to my grandmaa who bring him in our
life probably in 2004.Since then all members of my family started
believing in his presence.Every now and then he helped,cared,& nourishes
us which make our faith more stronger that whatever happens,he is with us as our guardian.

We all believe that God is everywhere,even though we human have an
eagerness to meet him or to touch the holy place where our divine power
resides.And just like many of us it wasn’t easy for me also,as i was in
9th standard when my dadi  visited shirdi for the first time,and
luckily in my hometown near by my house temple of saibaba got
established.And after a long wait in 2014,my ideal called me to visit his
place.

As separately we all had visited this place,ever since i began asking my
baba to call me at his home with all my family members.And after some
wait,on the day of my birthday 2018 ,half of my family got a chance to
celebrate my birthday with all my beloved in the presence of the divine
power.Celebrating birthday at the lotus feet of baba,nothing could have
ever been better than this.This b’day will be the most memorable moment
of my life.

.

We reached kopergaon village and that was our meeting point also,with god grace we all reach in difference of half an hour.Kopergaon is a small
village which is 15km from shirdi and took hardly 25 minute to reach
there via auto or taxi.And fare is also genuine between 150-200 Rs.There
is also “Kopergaon Sai Tapo Bhumi Mandir”It is the temple where baba use to visit on many occasion.

As summer vacation just started,so there was little rush.So I booked
hotel 1 month before.With the immense grace of baba I have came here
several times and don’t want to count it,as every time it gives the same
feeling which I felt here at very first time in September 2014.There are
various number of hotel near Samadhi Temple,Most of the time I used to
stay in Shradha Saburi Palace.It is walking distance from temple and Sai
Food Court(the best place for tasty and reasonable food).Two different
section are there ground floor is for self service and first floor is
restaurant table service.Food is best in taste and bill amount will give
you a satisfactory feeling.Just for example at Rs 20 you can have soft and fresh idly vada sambhar.

In Evening we started our darshan program as it was peek summer time so the best time to be in queue.Mobile and Camera are not allowed in the
temple premises.So you have to deposit your sandals and shoes in lockers
, there many lockers facilities for gadgets also.A new bio metric based
entry system has been introduced for Sai baba darshans from last year of
dusherra,which has resulted in lesser time required for baba’s blessings
by allotting time slot to enter the temple complex.If its not any festive
day or Thursday then you can finish the darshan in an hour or two else it
would usually take around 3-4 hours.Luckily we had our darshan in 2
hours.

The queue line passes through one big hall which is partitioned to form
8-10 queues. Within the partitioned lines they have several benches to
take rest and a tea and coffee shop within the hall is amazing, few wall
mounted TV telecasting live happenings of Samadhi area.And also there are few paintings of saibaba briefing his great miracles with their
devottees. After 40 min the moment finally arrived when We had first view of Sai Baba

.

The view was breathtaking, Sai idol is made out of shiny
marble (complete white) and is of life size. The facial carve is almost
realistic and would stun you for a moment.And trust me the black eye of
the statue is so lively that you will feel a conversation . The marble
statue is prepared by sculptor Sri Talini of Bombay was installed by the
side of the Samadhi in 1954. The hall is big where the Samadhi is placed
(on side is the life size Idol) and is having 4 lines to form queue two
on each side of the hall, the right/left most queue doesn’t leads you in
front of Sai Idol but to the exit door passing by Samadhi by side. You
can touch and bow to Samadhi and offer your prayers. Samadhi stage is
usually occupied by four priest two on each side of the Idol. If you want
to bow from the front of the Idol then be sure not to opt for left/right
most queue instead chose the inner one. Everytime i try to keep this in my
mind and with deity grace,go the chance to have front view darshan.

it was about to 9 pm hence we go for dinner to our favorite Sai Sagar
Food Court,and asusual the food was awesome,in desert all had ice cream and I am litte particular with my craving so as always i go for hot bournvita milk(the best milk).While returning towards our hotel i was thanking lord for the lovely day (before my birthday day).What else I could ask when after almost 8 years I was celebrating my birthday with my family.But no that was not the end ,when I open the door of my room what I saw ” My room was looking like the universe and candles were the
stars”.

In College days you got surprises at midnight b’day because we new
generation believes in celebrating our day from the very beginning
time,but with family you can’t expect them to do so,Again I got lucky to
have my these love buddies who make this happen at midnight 12 in
Shirdi. My all birthday are special in different ways,being little partial
I have to say that this one is the bestest and lovliest. Any expression
will be not enough to portray the moment which I spent there.

Next morning (My Day) we went to Shani Shingnapur for shani darshan.The journey from Shirdi takes about an hour and a half. The total distance being close to 70 km. The roads are decent and you would see fields on both sides of the road. There are lot of places where sugarcane juice was being sold. Here the old method of extraction is followed where an ox goes around the machine with a stick toes to it. The driver stops at a place and asks all of us to have some juice.The juice will come  in large glasses and is priced at Rs 20 per glass.there we enjoyed alot.

Time flies over us but leaves its shadow behind and we all came back to kopergaon  station for our trains.It was short but have to say the  sweetest  vacation.

Be Blessed:)

PK