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OUTER
VIEW OF DWARAKAMAI (MASJID)
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THE
BELL AND OCHRE FLAGS OF SANSTHAN
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The Bell above and to
the left of the entrance of Dwarakamai
pavilion was tied Baba. It rings only
three times a day, at 4.00 AM, 11.30
AM and 8.30 AM. It is rung by
the Pujari of Dwarakamai, calling the
devout people for Arati. If it is rung
untimely, it singals an untoward
incident has taken place in the
village. The people will assemble in
the paviolion, and then go to the
place of the calamity and set is
right. This practice is still going
on; hence its gong is tied to the
grill. |
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BABA
SITTING IN FRONT OF DHUNI MAA
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FLAGS OF DWARAKAMAI |
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By
Rasane Family
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By
Nimonkars Family |
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Gopal
Rao Gund who started the Urs (Ramanavami
celebrations) in Shirdi, asked his
friend Damu Anna to supply a flag for
the ocassion. He also induced Nana Saheb
Nimonkar to supply another embroidered
flag. Both there flags were taken in
procession and fixed atop the roof of
Dwarakamai. This tradition is still
being carried out by their descendants
(Ref SSS Ch.VI)
Even now the flags are
brought by the descendants of Damu Anna
and Nimonkar are first placed on the
Samadhi. Arati is performed, then taken
to the home of Tukaram by the Sansthan.
Again Arati is done, the flags are
hoisted on the staff (pole) preppared by
teh descendants of the three brothers.
Then with great joy and cermony it is
taken in procession throught the village
and hoisted ont eh roof of the
Dwarakamai (SSBS by Pradhan).
The gheru flags on the
southern wall of Dwarakamai are provided
by the Sansthan. |
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RED SMALL PILLAR
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In
front of the Chulli is this sacred pillar. Baba used to sit
in front of
the Chulli while cooking, and rested
His back
against this pillar. Once when Nana Saheb Dengle wanted to do
formal worship to Baba, Baba refused
and asked him to do the ritual to this
pillar. Every morning the Pujari of
Dwarakamai applies Asthagandh to this
pillar.
The unique feature of this pillar is, that if anyone who has pain
in the back or joints, leans against
it, the pain abates
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Whenever Baba went out of the Sanctum Sanctorum of the Dwarakamai
He made Pradakshina of this pillar. So
also when He returned. One can do the
same and utilise the favour of the
pillar.
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PADUKAS IN FRONT OF CHARIOT ROOM
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Every morning Baba stood here leaning against the wall, while He
looked at the sun. In remembrance of
this, two sets of Padukas; (1) small
Padukas are on the southern wall. This
is where Baba placed His hand while
leaning against the wall; and (2) just
below the small Padukas, is a small
shrine enclosing a bigger set of Padukas.
This is the site of Baba's holy charan.
Daily worship is done by the Pujari of Dwarakamai. |
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CHULLI
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Whenever
Baba wanted to do Anna Daan He used this
Chulli for preparing the food, and the
devotees joyfully ate the prasad. There are
two copper Handies, a small one could feed
50 people. The other could feed a hundred
people to satiation with some food
remaining. The hand mill and the handies
used by Baba, are kept in the show room of
the Samadhi Mandir |
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DHUNI
MAA
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The everlasting Dhuni lit by Baba Himself more
than 140 years is still burning. Baba kept
this Dhuni 'ever' burning all day and
night. When Baba slept in the Chavadi,
Radhakrishna Aai cleaned, and whitewashed the
Masjid. She had to take out all the things
including the Dhuni and replace as it was (Ref
SSS Ch.VI)
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SMALL PADUKAS IN
FRONT OF DHUNI MAA
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This padukas are in the NW corner of the Dhuni.
It is the sacred place where Baba sat every
morning before 5.00 AM for about an hour. This
hour Baba spent in solitude. At that time
other devotees were not allowed to approach
Baba, except for the Sevkaries who quietly
came and swept the Dwarakamai. Bhagoji Shinde
was the first Sevak to go to Baba and massage
His burnt hand.
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KOLAMABA
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Baba used to take Biksha from five houses
daily. He called out 'Oh Lassie give me a
piece of bread". The food thus
collected was put in this Kolamba (pot), dogs,
cats and crows freely ate from this and Baba
did not drive them away.
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WATER POT
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Baba Himself used to carry water from the well
behind the Samadhi Mandir and fill this pot.
Devotees used the water as 'Tirth'. This pot
is next to the Kolamba adjacent to the
southern wall of the Dwarakamai. Devotees may
use this 'Tirth' to get relief of their
ailments.
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HOOKS ON CEILING
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Nana Saheb Dengle brought a wooden plant of
about 8' wide and 5' in length and gave it to
Baba for sleeping. Baba tied this plank with
old rags to the hooks on the ceiling like a
swing. After lighting four Panthis He kept
them in each corner of the plank. Baba 'The
Yogi Raj' then slept on this plank. Many
people wondered, and tried to watch Him get up
and down this plank, and so, one day Baba
broke it. (Ref :SSS. Ch.X)
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NIMBAR AND
EVERBURNING LAMPS
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In a Masjid the Nimbar is said to represent
the Darga at Macca. It is next to ever burning
lamps on the western wall. It is garlanded
daily. Mention is made of this Nimbar in
several places in the Sai Satcharitra.
After Noon Arati the devotees went home. Baba
then went inside, and sat behind the curtain,
with His back to this Nimbar for meals.
Baba was very fond of lights. He kept lamps
burning perpetually from the beginning of His
stay in Dwarakamai. The 'Jyoth' has been
burning perpetually since Baba's time, even
when the lamps are cleaned.
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JAATH (HAND MILL)
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Karma is the lower stone, and Bhakti is the upper
stone, and the handle is Gyana. In 1910 cholera broke out in
Shirdi and Baba got a quantity of wheat and started grinding it. Then
four women completed the grinding and then Baba said to
them "Take the flour and throw it on the village border
limits " and thus this Leela stopped cholera from raging in
Shirdi. Besides the philosophical significance and grinding the cholera germs Baba
daily
ground sins, mental and physical afflictions
and miseries of his innumerable devotees and He is
still doing so (Ref. ESS, Ch. I). Devotees can touch this hand mill
entreating Baba to grind their sins. Another hand mill which Baba
used while cooking, is kept in the show room of Samadhi Mandir.
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SACK OF WHEAT
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This
wheat bag is kept in a glass encased almirah
next to the hand mill. Balaji Patil Newaskar
rendered good seva to Baba, by sweeping and cleaning the streets daily,
through which Baba used to walk. Every year when there was a harvest in
his field he would bring the whole quantity of wheat to Baba
and maintain his family on whatever Baba gave him. (Ref .
ESS, Ch. XXXV). After him, his son also did the same. This bag
was replaced on every Ramanavami day by his
family, now the
Sansthan does
it.
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SAI BABAS PORTRAIT IN
FRONT OF DHUNI MAA
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This portrait is an oil painting by the famous
painter Shyamrao Jaykar. Moreshwar Pradhan had
brought Jayakar to Shirdi and requested him to
make two portaits of Baba. After Jaykar met
Baba he on his own accord made more than two
paintings, at Baba's bidding, when Baba said 'Aur
Banao Jyada Banao, main gulli Gulli mein
rahnewalla hoon'. This painting was received
by the Sansthan, and after Baba's Mahasamadhi,
was installed in the very place where Baba
sat.
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SILVER
COVERED PADUKAS IN FRONT OF BABA'S PHOTO
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In front of the portrait
painted by Jaykar, is a pair of silver
covered Padukas. After Baba's Mahasamadhi Shyama was
staying in the Dixit Wada. The Sansthan was
formed and Shyama was asked to pay rent. Shyama
however, left Dixit Wada and took along with him Baba's Padukas and Photo to his house. The Sansthan requested
Shyama to return them but he refused at first. Then S.B. Dhumal went to his house with a big procession and
Shyama handed over
all the articles. These Padukas are daily worshipped by the Pujari of Dwarakamai and decorated by the Pujari of Samadhi Mandir between 11.30 and
12.00 noon. Devotees offer their'Sashtang Namaskar' to these holy
Padukas.
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UDI
STAND AND KATHADA (RAILING)
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The
railing is attached to a pillar on which the
Udi stand is fixed. The literal meaning of Udi is 'to go'. Baba gave Udi to His devotees with blessings that they should go to a higher plane in their spiritual endeavour.
This
is the railing on which Baba rested His left
hand. Baba sat near the wall of the Masjid
facing sount (towards Dhuni). Baba usually sat
on a piece of sack cloth but His Bhaktas
lovingly placed a Gaadi over it and bolsters
for Him to rest. Baba usually stat with His
legs outstretched and His left hand rested on
this railing. This railing has been painted
over and over again but if one lovingly rests
one's forehead on the railing, one can feel a
depression where Baba probably rested His
hand.
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BABA'S
BATHING STONE
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This stone was prepared by Rambaji of
Nasik. Hearing of Baba's Leelas he came to
Shirdi in a mentally disordered condition. He
used to drink Baba's bath water and used it on
his body. By doing so he got rid of his mental
disorder. As a reminiscence of this he
gratefully prepared this stone and offered it
to Baba to sit and have bath on it. This
practice of using Baba's Abhishek Tirth to
cure mental and physical ailments is still
going on today. Devotees carry this Tirth to
their homes not only in India but also far
away countries.
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AGARBATTI
STAND
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This
small red Agarbatti stand is on the platform,
on the right side of the main entrance of
Dwarakamai. It was there since Baba's time.
This was used to fix Agarbattis. Baba often
sat on this platform and distributed Udi after
the Noon Arati.
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TORTISE
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This marble tortoise is in
the center of a well, the black tiles
surrounding it represent the four flights of
steps leading to the bottom of the well. This tortoise is
worshipped
with 'asthagandh'
before 'Kakad Arati' and after 11.30 AM before 'Noon
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TULASI
BRINDAVAN
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Baba planted this Tulasi Brindavan outside His
Masjid. After the outer pavilion was
constructed, the devotees brought this Tulasi
Brindavan inside and tended it. It now stands
in the North East corner. Every year Tulasi
Vivah is done on the twelfth day of Deewali.
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SHYAM
KARAN
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Kasam, a horse merchant, was distraught
because his mare had no issue for a very long
time. He vowed to Baba that if his mare had a
foal, he would offer the first born to Baba.
By Baba's grace the mare did have a series of
issues. So he came and presented Baba with the
first born. Baba called the horse 'Shyam Karan"
as his body was brown while his ears were
black. The horse loved Baba and Baba
reciprocrated. This horse was housed in teh
room situated on the eastern side of
Dwarakamai; now called 'Shyamsunder' hall.
This beloved horse of Baba died in 1945 and
his samadhi is built in Lendi Bagh. Bala Saheb
Sulthe of Shirdi presented this idol. It was
installed on the left side of the stone on
which Baba sat. This statue is in remembrance
of the deep love that Shyam Karam had for Baba
and Baba reciprocated.
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STONE
ON WHICH BABA SAT AND PORTRAIT ABOVE THE STONE
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This stone is placed in the center of the
eastern wall of Dwarakamai in a small Mandap.
Baba used to sit on this stone facing the
west. Marble Padukas were installed on this
stone. The legend has it, that this stone was
in Lendibagh, Abdullah like the other
villagers, used to wash clothes on it. Then
they saw Baba sitting on it. So they brought
it to Dwarakamai and venerated it as Baba's
Asan.
D.D.Neroy of Bombay was a great devotee of
Baba who made many photo prints of Baba with
one of the eleven sayings. Usually he would
write 'If you look to Me, I look to you'. He
was a photo merchant and made this beautiful
photo. It took him three months to frame it.
On the advice of Kamu Baba, he presented it to
the Sansthan to be kept in the Sabha Mandap.
Baba has given Sakshatkar (darshan) from this
photo with blessings and healings.
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STATUE
OF TIGER
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Installed on 12.11.1969 by Triambkarao of Ozar
Village. Seven days before Baba took
Mahasamadhi the Leela of giving a sick tiger
Sadgati is vividly described (SSS Ch.XXXI).
Baba not only gave Sadgati to men but also to
beasts alike. The Samadhi of this tiger is in
front of Mahadev temple in the old Shanti
Niwas premises.
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