Om Sai Ram 🙏🏻
I was yearning to visit Shirdi for about six months and with Sai’s grace the visit came together when I had to travel to India to attend a wedding in February 2023. I planned the visit after the wedding to stay and closely experience Shirdi on my own without any hustle and bustle.
Fortunately, with the intervention of my cousin I was able to secure tickets to Dhoop aarti and Kakad aarti both of which were my first experience. I arrived at Shirdi on Sunday afternoon and after checking-in at a hotel, I freshened up and made my way to Sansthan. Participating in Dhoop aarti was a very reassuring experience. After the aarti I was walking towards Gurusthan and realized an elderly lady was walking alongside. Without any prompt she started talking to me sharing her deeply satisfying experience of Sai Baba’s darshan. I held her two hands to share her joy and she kindly placed one of her hand on my forehead and blessed me saying “Jite raho beta”. I felt this trip was meant to be for me to experience and understand Sai Baba’s life more so than ever. This time I took notice of Baba’s stone stool and cooking oven in Dwarakamai, visited Nandadeep, the garden, and all the temples within the Sansthan, Chavadi, bade Baba’s residence and Khandoba mandir. I felt Baba wanted me to calm down and fully trust in him to do His job rather than me worrying and feeling sorry for myself.
On the second day, I went to Mahasamadhi of Sivanesan Swamiji about 2 km from Shirdi, an apostle of Baba who had lived in Shirdi over forty years. I just wanted a quiet place to meditate and this was a perfect place. I arrived just in time for the Madhyan aarti. After the aarti, I sat down and I started to meditate. It became clear to me that my self-doubts were at the source of my troubles. It is time to wake up and allay my fears and go after a life that I had always longed for. I don’t know the way but I don’t need to know as Baba will guide me. I just must surrender my ego and fully trust in Him, which has been the hardest part but now I feel like I am starting to understand His magnanimity. If he didn’t want me to be in Shirdi I could never have done this visit. On the last day of my planned visit I was about to go to the airport but my flight was cancelled so I had to stay one more day, which was a Thursday. I felt like Baba wanted me to take His darshan on this auspicious day before I was allowed to return home. Before visiting Samadhi on Thursday, I went to Khandoba mandir early in the morning. I was about to leave for Samadhi after my prayers to Khandoba but the priest asked me to stay back and help Him with His duties for morning aarti. This was another Baba’s miracle and reassurance that he is looking after me.
Om Sai Ram🙏
