Shiwaji Nagar, Pune-5
[Original article
written in Marathi by Shri S. M. Garje and published in Shri Sai Leela magazine
for the month of Jan. 76]
At
present there are three Sai temples in Pune. One of them is at Swar Gate, one
is at Khadkee and the third one is at Shiwaji Nagar, Out of these temples, the
one at Shiwaji Nagar is the oldest and
many people are devoted to it.
Its history also is strange, curious and thrilling. This temple stands on
the bank of the Mutha river in the
Shiwaji Nagar area in the vicinity of Rasane
chawl. Recently one road has been constructed in the rear side of this
temple and because of a big retaining wall constructed by the side of
the river, the flood water of the river does not come near the temple, otherwise
in olden days the flood water of the river, used to come as far
as the temple every year during the monsoon. If we turn left from the new road, we
first come to the Rasane chawl. If we move a little ahead and turn
our face to the right then we at once
get the Darshan of Shri Sai Baba.
This darshan gives
us the satisfaction of having taken the trouble of coming to the temple.
Shri Damodarpant Rasane was a Sai devotee,
who had the good fortune to have lived with Shri Sai Baba during the
latter's life time. The
Rasane chawl belongs
to Shri Damodarpant. Round about 1945 Shri Nanasaheb Rasane, the son ot Damodar. pant converted two of
the rooms in the Rasane chawl
into a temple and started there the worship of Shri Sai Baba. Since that time the worship
of Shri Baba
is going on at this place regularly.
The morning and
evening aarati became
a regular feature and hence devotees started flocking at the site.
Sessions Judge of Pune, Shri Patil, Shri Chougule, a judge from Helgaum, Shri V.
Shankar Mudliar, Shri
P. S Rao, Shri Ranganathan, Shri Bendre, Shri Gaikwad, Shri Takawane guruji
can be mentioned as the illustrious devotees, attending the temple. Shri Nikam, from Khed was a Jamadar in the
Police Deptt. He was known to be a sincere Sai devotee and hence
he was called by Shri Nanasaheb Rasane to join the activities of the
temple. Shri Nikiim accordingly
responded to the call of Shri Nanasaheb Rasane and resigning his job in the Police ^eptt, he dedicated
his entire life to this temple. Shri
Nikam is closely connected with this
temple. He has pie ented to
this temple one Talisman
obtained from Shri Sai Baba due to Shri Nikam's good fortune. The story of how Shri Nikam came to
get this Talisman is also very interesting and noteworthy for
all Sai devotees and hence it would not be out of place to narrate it here.
One girl from Shirdi named Kashibai, was
married to a gentalman staying in Niphad. Due to her ill luck Kashibai’s
husband died within a few years from her marriage. She was pregnant at the time
of her husband’s death. She confined at the proper time and gave birth to a
son, who was named as Madhav. When her son completed one year, Kashibai
returned to Shirdi from Niphad and started stayed with her father. As Kashibai
had no means of livelihood, she used to work on some body’s field fo rthe whole
day and used to earn some money Kashibai’s son was more or less a problem for
her. There was nobody at her house, who could look after him. Hence she found
out a solution for that. She used to leave her son, in the morning in the
Masjid and go away to the field for work.
In the evening when she would return from the work, she used to
pick up her son from the
Masjid and then she used
to go home. In the evening, she used to bow down to Shri Sai Baba before going home. As Kashibai used to leave Madhav in the Masjid for the whole
day, she never had any worry
about him. She used to work in the
field whole day
and return in the evening.
This became a sort of a
routine for Kashibai for four
or five years. After Madhav attained the age of five, Shri Baba started
giving him a rupee every day. In his
turn, Madhav also used to attend to Shri Baba's petty jobs.
Smt.
Kashibai knew that Baba used to give some money to many people. Once she came
to the Masjid and said to Shri
Baba, "Baba, you are dialy giving Rupees fifty to some people, to
some others you are daily giving Rs. 30.
Some people are in
daily receipt of Rs. 25 and Rupees fifteen respectively. My son Madhav is doing so many of your sundry
jobs; but you are
giving only one rupee to him everyday. Why is it so?".
Baba
replied, "Kashibai, 1 know I am giving more money to some
people than what I am giving to your son, but remember that 1 am going to stop
giving this prasad to others;
but your son's donation will
not be stopped. It will
continue for ever, I am the master of widows like you, who have no protector".
Kashibai
did not understand the words of Shri Baba properly and said, "My Master
(ifa) died some five years before and lam a widow since that time".
On
listening to these words, Shri Baba got enraged and started speaking to her in
loud tone. Looking at the wrath of Shri Sai Baba, Kashibai quietly slipped out
of the Masjid and went home. She then stopped going to the Masjid for some
time. After two or three days, however, Shri Baba remembered about her and He
sent for her. Kashibai came to the Masjid along with Madhav. She was quite
afraid to speak to Shri Baba; but Baba spoke to her in mild tone One tooth of
Shri Baba had become loose. Hence he pulled it out and after tying it in a
small rag longwith some Udi, he gave it to Kashibai informing her to keep hat
Talisman with her. Baba told Kashibai further that it would do her good.
In course
of time, Madhav grew up to be a man.
He was now known as Madhavrao.
After the death of his mother Kashibai, he left Shirdi and settled at
Niphad. Once he fell seriously ill. During
that sickness, he
saw a dream, in which Shri Sai
Baba ordered him, "Very soon a
person will come to you and you should give him the Talisman tied
round your arm". Shri Nikam came
on the same day to Shri
Madhavrao's house at
Niphad. Shri Madhavrao and Shri
Nikam had met each other many times at Shirdi; but just as
Madhavrao got a dream, similar dream was seen by Shri Nikam and hence for fulfilment of the dream he met
Madhavrao. As both the devotees
confirmed their dreams, the Talisman
was handed over by Shri Madhavrao to Shri Nikam. This Talisman was with Shri Nikam for many
years and now he has handed it over to this Mandir, for safe custody. It is now
kept below the Padukas of Shri Sai Baba in this mandir. It is said that the
tooth of Shri Buddha is kept at some
places of worship of the Bauddhas, especially the stupas. It appeares that this temple will have corresponding importance to the Sai
devotees because of this Talisman as the buddhist have for their temples, containing the tooth of Shri Gautam Buddha.
In 1950,
Saidas Mandal was established to take care of this mandir and" it
was also registered. Shri kanganathan was the secretary of the mandal
for many years. After his death Shri S. Kamakrishnaii, who is a petty contractor,
took over the secre-taiyship and he still
continues to hold that
post. Shri Ramkri-shnan has taken lot
of pains for the construction of this
mandir and today even at the age of seventyfive, he is not backward in his duties to the mandir. His enthusiasm
is really wonderful and some young people even cannot show as much "energy
as this old man has. Dasara, Ratnanavmi, Guru Pournima, these three festivals
are celebrated at this temple every year with great devotion and discipline.
Shri Ramkrishnan is paying personal attention to every small or big job
concerning the temple and because of this keen interest shown by him in the
affairs of the temple, it has been possible to show good progress. Because of
this able guidance of Shri Ramkrishnan, the young generation is always
volunteering their services to the temple and are willingly yoking themselves
to work.
Shri
Nanasaheb Awasthi, a veteran Sai devotee of Pune, who was more than eighty
years old was also another source of inspiration of the mandal. He being one of
the lucky persons, who had the good fortune to see Shri Baba while he was
alive, his blessings were considered to be very valuable for the project and it
was hoped that with his guidance, the work of the mandir would progress
swiftly. Shri Awasthikaka used to visit the mandir on every Thursday, in the
evening, for the aarati. Due to his death, this mandal has lost a very strong
supporter and guide, but the enthusiasm of the members of "the mandal has
not become less in any way. They have collected donations to the tune of about
Rupees 40,000 and have reconstructed the old temple and the hall in front of
the temple. This hall is about 800 Sq. feet in area and it will be inaugurated
very soon.
One
miracle about the old temple is worth narrating here. On 12 July 1961, the
Panshet dam gave way and the whole of Pune city was under flood water. A large
part of the city was devastated and many houses crumbled down like bunglows of
playing cards This Sai Mandir at Shiwaji Nagar was at that time actually on the
bank of the river. It was therefore no wonder if this temple was caught in the
flood-water. Because of the breaking of the Panshet dam, the level of water
rose to about twenty to twenty five feet above the dome of this temple.
The
small structures of mud
in the compound of Rasane chawl were drowned in the
flood-water and therefore the members of
the mandal were much worried about the temple. No sooner than the flood- water subsided,
the members of the mandal ran to the site for salvage of the temple. It was really a job to clear the thick
deposit of mud on the
temple and its vicinity. The work went on
continuously for two or
three days and then to the wonder
of everybody, the old temple was found to be quite intact. The
Audumbar tree by the side of
the temple stood as before
and was not
even bent down
a little. The coloured photograph of Shri Sai Baba in the
temple was also intact. Even after
remaining buried in the thick
mud for so long a time it did
not get soiled at all. It is
really a wonder how this
has happened. Now one marble
statue of Shri Sai Baba, which was
ordered from Jaipur, is installed in the temple; but the aforesaid photograph, which survived the flood, is still
hung in the temple on the wall
behind the statue and is worshipped daily. Every Sai
devotee who visits
the temple comes to know of the the spiritual power of
Shri Sai Baba, because of this miracle
and at once bows down his head before
Shri Sai Baba for getting '• his blessings. The Sai devotees in the Shiwaji Nagar area
have great regards for the temple and it is hoped that
other Sai devotees also will make it a point to visit this temple at the time
of their visit to Pune.