Did you know Shirdi Sai Baba and Ram Navami have a connection?

New Delhi: On the auspicious event of Ram Navami, which is being celebrated this yr on April 21, devotees pray for the blessings of the Lord. The day additionally concludes the 9-day Chaitra Navratri pageant which started this yr on April 13 respectively. Much like in every single place else, Lord Rama’s birthday is widely known with a lot gusto in Shirdi. 

This yr, celebrations are low key because of the lethal novel COVID-19 pandemic. With the surge in corona circumstances, a number of non secular locations together with Shirdi Sai Baba temple has been closed for public darshan.  Along with the Sai Baba temple, the ‘Prasadalaya’ and the ‘Bhakta Niwas’ can also be be closed. The Shirdi temple administration took the choice within the first week of April after the Maharashtra authorities introduced a partial lockdown within the state amid rising coronavirus circumstances.

It is believed that Shirdi Sai Baba took Mahasamadhi on the day of Vijayadashami or Dussehra. Therefore, in the course of the Chaitra Navratri which falls in March-April, the Ram Navami day is widely known as Baba’s birthday and Sharad Navratri culminating on Dussehra is the day when Baba went Antardhyan.

Both the times are noticed in a enormous method at Shirdi Sai Baba’s temple the place devotees make a lengthy queue simply to get a glimpse and blessings of the lord.

The title Sai was given to him by Mhalsapati upon his arrival within the temple city of Shirdi as not a lot is thought about Sai’s beginning. According to Sai Satcharita, Baba got here to Shirdi when he was solely 16-year-old. It is believed that he got here together with a man who was coming for a wedding ceremony to the place. Many imagine that Baba’s date of beginning occurs to be September 28, 1835.

There remains to be no definitive date which may declare Baba’s birthday.

THE LEGEND OF RAM NAVAMI CELEBRATIONS:

Baba’s ardent follower named Gopalrao Gund was childless for a very long time and lastly was blessed with a son. To provide his due to Baba, in search of blessings for the new child child too, he took Baba’s permission to organise a thanksgiving honest which coincided with Urus, a pageant of Muslims in honour of a Sufi saint.

As per Sai Charitra e-book, the day for the Urus was fastened on Ram Navami, after having session with Sai Baba. It appears he had some goal behind this, viz. the unification of the 2 festivals, the Urus and the Ram Navami and the unification of the 2 communities – the Hindus and the Mohammedens. As future occasions confirmed, this finish or object was duly achieved.

Gopalrao Gund had a good friend by title Damu Anna Kasar of Ahmednagar. He additionally was equally sad within the matter of progeny, although he had two wives. He too was blessed by Sai Baba with sons and Mr. Gund prevailed upon his good friend to arrange and provide one flag for the procession of the honest. He additionally succeeded in inducing Mr. Nanasaheb Nimonkar to produce one other flag. Both these flags have been taken in procession by the village and lastly, fastened on the two corners of the Masjid, which is named by Sai Baba as ‘Dwarkamai’. This is being finished even now.

SANDAL PROCESSION IN SHIRDI:

An excerpt from Sai Charitra mentions:

There was one other procession which was began on this honest. The thought of ‘Sandal’ procession originated with one Mr. Amir Shakkar Dalal, a Mohammeden Bhakta from Korhla. This procession is held in honour of nice Muslim Saints. Sandal i.e. Chandan paste and scrappings are put within the Thali (flat dishes) with incense burning earlier than them and carried in procession to the accompaniment of band and music by the village and then, after returning to the Masjid, the contents of the
dishes are thrown on the ‘Nimbar’ (area of interest) and partitions of the Masjid. 

This work was managed by Mr. Amir Shakkar for the primary three years and then afterwards, by his spouse. So, on the identical day the 2 processions, the ‘Flags’ by the Hindus and ‘Sandal’ by the Muslims, went on aspect by aspect and are nonetheless occurring with none downside.

Sai Baba made Dwarkamai masjid his abode and on Ram Navami day, flags are modified there. 

With many extra legends and occasions which unfolded submit this, in keeping with Sai Charitra, from 1912, the Ram Navami pageant was thus occurring, the procession of the 2 flags by day and that of the ‘Sandal’ by night time, went off with the standard pomp and present. From this time onwards, the ‘Urus of Baba’ was reworked into the Ram Navami pageant.

Therefore, until date on Ram Navami and Urus, Shirdi sees enormous celebrations in place. 

Sai Baba of Shirdi is a non secular determine worshipped throughout the globe. The saint or fakir of Shirdi has an ocean of devotees scattered in each nook of the world. Baba’s teachings and learnings have travelled over years and folks no matter their faith have proven utmost religion within the Satguru.

God Is One’ was his motto and ‘Sabka Malik Ek’, Allah Malik favorite epigrams related to Sai Baba of Shirdi.

Om Sai Ram and a very Happy Ram Navami to all!