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The early life of Sai Baba is still cloaked in mystery as
there isn't any reliable record of the Baba's birth and parentage. It is
believed that Baba was born somewhere between 1838 and 1842 AD in a place
called Pathri in Marathwada in Central India.
Sai Baba arrived at Shirdi as a nameless entity at a young
age tempered by the discipline of penance and austerity. At Shirdi, Baba stayed
on the outskirts of the village in Babul forest and used to mediate under a
neem tree for long hours. Some villagers revered the saintly figure and gave
him the food for sustenance.
After wandering in the thorny woods for a long time, Baba
moved to a dilapidated mosque, which he referred to as "Dwarkarmai"
(named after the abode of Krishna, Dwarka).This mosque became the abode of Sai
Baba till his last day.
Sai Baba would go out for alms every morning and shared what
he got with his devotees who sought his help. The abode of Sai Baba, Dwarkamai,
was open to all, irrespective of religion, caste and creed.
Sai Baba was at ease with both Hindu and Muslim scriptures.
He used to sing the songs of Kabir and dance with ‘fakirs’. Baba was the lord
of the common man and through his simple life, he worked for the spiritual
metamorphosis and liberation of human beings.
Sai Baba's spiritual powers, simplicity and compassion
created an aura of reverence in the villagers around him. He preached
righteousness living in simple terms: "Even the learned are confused. Then
what of us? Listen and be silent."
Initially, Baba dissuaded people to worship him, but
gradually Baba’s divine energy touched the chord of common people far and wide.
The congregational worship of Sai Baba began in 1909, and by 1910 the number of
devotees grew manifold. The ‘shej arati’ (night worship) of Sai Baba began in
February, 1910 and the following year the construction of Dikshitwada temple
was completed.
Sai Baba attained ‘mahasamadhi’ on October 15, 1918. Before
his death, he said, "Do not think I am dead and gone. You will hear me
from my Samadhi and I shall guide you." The millions of devotees who keep
his image in their homes, and the thousands who throng to Shridi every year, is
a testimony to the greatness and continuing popularity of Sai Baba of Shirdi. - By with inputs from Manoj Sadasivan
Rare Collections of Real Photos of Sri SaiBaba of Shirdi:
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Popular Quotes from Baba
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Sai Baba of
Shirdi on the Net
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