Dussehra in Shirdi

Baba’s Punyathithi coincided with Dussehra, drawing crowds of devotees to Shirdi to honour the day and celebrate the triumph of good over evil. On Saturday, October 12th, 2024, the last day of Ravi ji’s visit to Shirdi, she planned to leave at 11 a.m. and hoped to secure VIP tickets for Baba’s darshan at the Samadhi Mandir. However, the main entrance was packed, with a waiting time of nearly three hours. Determined, Ravi ji sought another way, but a security guard informed her that a timely darshan would be challenging. Undeterred, she followed her guide to a less crowded entrance, and just as she entered, the gates closed behind her.

Inside the mandir, one security guard directed her to step back three paces, and then another did the same. A third guard requested another three steps back to make space for a family performing a ceremony that would soon conclude. Eventually, Ravi ji was guided to a central spot near the donation box, where other devotees began handing her offerings to place in the box on their behalf. Then, a fellow devotee presented her with wheat grains, a deeply symbolic blessing that reminded her of Baba’s own tradition of gifting wheat to His followers.

When the gate reopened, the guard beckoned her forward to take Baba’s darshan. On the busiest day in Shirdi, Ravi ji was unexpectedly blessed with twenty peaceful minutes in Baba’s presence, where she could offer her respects and connect with Him in a quiet, meaningful moment.