Wonderful Shirdi Trip – Experience Of Anonymous Sai Devotee

Anonymous Devotee from India says: Hi Hetal Ji, thanks for creating such a great site, where all Baba’s family can share their experiences. It is such a pleasure to read the experiences every day. I have shared two posts earlier in your blog: A Couple of Sai Baba Experiences – Part 196 and A Couple of Sai Baba Experiences – Part 199. Please do not disclose my id or name. Sorry for the long post, but the visit to Shirdi can never be explained in short I feel.

I always had a wish to visit Shirdi from the past six months, but nothing was materializing. My sister came to India with my nephew and we all decided to visit Shirdi. Though we tried to book flight tickets for more than two weeks, but nothing was working really and we were confused if we had to take a flight or train and many other confusions were there related to the ways of reaching Shirdi. But as the saying goes, when Baba calls, He arranges for everything. It all got fixed in less than 24 hours on a day and we were all very happy. Reading many experiences in your blog, I had a wish to visit Dwarakamai and Prasadalaya at any cost, when I go to Shirdi this time. This was my third trip to Shirdi, but I never got a chance to visit Dwarakamai before and I used to feel bad and cry many times thinking Baba does not allow me to enter Dwarakamai, since I have done some bad deeds in this life and previous life so the right time has not come.

It was only me, my sister, my nephew, who is five years old, and my mom, who were going to Shirdi. My brother-in-law and dad could not accomanpany us due to some work, but we didn’t want to postpone the trip as we badly wanted to visit Shirdi as soon as possible. To start with the journey, we took a flight to Pune and from there booked a taxi to Shirdi. We were thinking, where we should stop for lunch on way, but Baba planned a wonderful meal for us in some friend’s friend’s house, whom we have never met before. After lunch we started our journey and the road was good so we reached by evening to Shirdi. It was a pleasant drive. I had booked hotel online and was happy that it was not a bad choice. We wanted to have Darshan of Baba at Samadhi Mandir and then visit Dwarakamai and Chavadi, but the timing we reached was during evening aarthi time, so we could not go for darshan. We decided to see Baba from outside near the Mukha Darshan window and proceed to Dwarakamai and Chavadi. Finally my sister’s and my dream came true of stepping foot into Dwarakamai. We had a great darshan.

Unexpectedly my mom fell sick upon reaching Shirdi due to the AC and perfume smell in the car. She was suffering badly from vomittings. After we came out of Dwarakamai, she was not able to control it and we had to run from shop to shop asking for a polythene bag but none of the shop keepers were ready to help us with just a polythene bag and that too for a health reason. I and my sister felt very bad thinking what kind of people are these. They stay so close to Baba’s temple and they don’t want to help people, when we are seeing we need a polythene cover. Since we don’t have time to go in search of restrooms and spoil the environment by puking near the temple. But finally with Baba’s blessings one small boy gave us a polythene cover and my mom was struggling by then to control her vomitting. But I had a strong feeling that my mom will get well soon since we just came out of Dwarakamai and as per my belief, Baba did help my mom. Since after that she was perfectly fine.

I and my sister then dropped mom and nephew at room and went to have our quick dinner at prasadalaya. We had to be back in less than an hour as we had booked for Shej Aarthi and the reporting time was 9.30 PM. Seeing my urge to go to prasadalaya at any cost, my sister and I rushed to the place thinking we shall go late for Aarti, if we have to. But we will have prasad at Baba’s place. We took the tickets for the dinner and the lady in the counter said it would take an hour. We went in rushing and to our luck everything got over in 20 minutes and again Baba made my wish to have food in prasadalaya true. Then we took some medicines for my mom after a great search for medical shops and reached room on time. By then my nephew had finished his dinner and my mom said that she won’t have anything that way and she will be fine.

We then went for Shej Aarti and as always my whole body had goosebumps upon seeing our Baba and my happiness knew no bounds. Aarti went on very well and we had good darshan. After that we came out. Then we did pradakshina to Gurusthan. It was strange to see people trying to pull the neem leaf lying on the pavement with their dupathas and handkerchiefs, but none of them succedded in getting even a single leaf. Since Baba did not wish for it to reach them I felt. Then they were distributing prasad near that Udi distribution counter, so we all took the sweet and enjoyed having it. Our day ended perfectly and we all could sleep peacefully having seen our Baba.

Next day being Wednesday I had booked for a darshan in the morning at 8.30 AM. We went at the described time and had a very good darshan again and came out in half an hour. Again I could see people near Gurusthan trying hard to reach to a leaf on the pavement, but then the poojari there told them that it should not be got this way and the leaf will come to you if Baba wants it to reach you, not otherwise. I felt what a wonderful lesson the poojari said and felt happy to have known that. I badly wanted in my heart to receive a leaf from this neem tree or some money in Dwarakamai as a mark that Baba is listening to me. But none of those happened, so felt a bit bad on my way back home. But then after some thought, I felt Baba is testing me and that I should have Shradda and Saburi, then some day these wishes of mine will come true. I should be happy that I was blessed to even step my foot in Shirdi. I thank our beloved Baba to have blessed me with such a great trip. Thanks Baba.

After the darshan, we did some nice shopping and paid some money for Annadan and started our journey back home. The journey back home through the cab and flight were good. Overall it was a great trip and Baba kept up His word, which He had answered my question a few months back on Baba’s answers site saying that I would visit Shirdi soon. Thanks Baba for the great trip and taking care of everything. I was a little scared before starting for my trip, since it was all ladies, who were going. I prayed to Baba that if everything goes fine during my trip, I would share my wonderful experience with everyone and here I am doing the same. Though I was scared some part of me, I always knew Baba will arrange for everything and indeed He did. I did not know where to start and what to say about my trip since its so good, but again our Baba has helped me write this post.

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