Roaming in streets of Chennai trying to discover Shirdi Saibaba

Sairam friends,

Only when I reached Chennai, I realized that I have come here almost 3 years back. Its been such a long time. My uncle who ot retired from Metro Waters is the one who introduced me to the Editor whom I assisted during my filmmaking days in Chennai. I like this uncle a lot and hence feel comfortable in this home. Earlier, they lived near Tiruvanmiyur near Marundheeswarar temple and now in K.K Nagar.

I was listening to an Audio book on Branding strategy on the way from Railway station in Taxi. My Mom suddenly said, one of the bag is missing. I asked her not to give me shock like this every now and then and that its safe with me. he he…Now a days, she lost herself due to her health issues. I feel she’s revealing her fear in so many ways. I told her to be free and relaxed and everything is normal.

When I paid the Ola cab driver, he said, there’s extra money. I replied with a smile. As I moved into my uncles home, he found me on whatsapp and asked are you telling someone you reached? I said…No.Its one of the 200 plus times I look at the mobile for reasons unknown. Ha ha..

We spoke few minutes, had break fast and before I said that I am going out, they asked…Are you going to Mylapore Saibaba temple? I replied yes. They told me to get a share auto but none were available. So I took a bus which showed the whole K.K Nagar, Ashok Nagar, T Nagar and finally reached Luz. All this for 7 Rupees. Long live State transport corporation.

In the bus an old man was sitting behind me. A man fell down from his scooter in signal. The old man was telling his friend ..what would have happened if a Bus had come. He would have gone by now!

This is how we run life. Adhaan bus varalaye.Bus did not came right? Aprom enna..What if…what if……that man safely got back to scooter but the old man wanted to tell how badly people drive in the city. He continued …After 100 years population will be half of what it is today. I understood this oldie is truly a messenger of Sai. Lets listen to him curiously. He said ..You see the mobile phone people use..It has lots of radiation. So in 100 years many people will get some strange diseases and hence population will come down. He added staring at an younster listening to song with his microphone on ears ….When these guys get old, they will surely get problem in ears.They can’t listen properly.

I felt may be Baba is warning me for always listening to audio books using microphone? Ha ha..ennoda kaadhu kekaadha Baba…

I like conversation of such ordinary people. I got down the bus walked from Luz corner to Mylapore. It was so hot ya. Dear Chennaiates. Now I know how God has done frame work for your seasons. He decided to simplify.

No 4 seasons

Just one season all through the year – Summar.

12 month summer season accept the day it rains!

In December it will be a bit chill.

Not making fun of Chennai but honestly I worry about how things are going to be in future. I can’t bear this heat. As I walked towards Mylapore Saibaba temple, I found its so crowded. As you all know, even in Coimbatore, if its crowded in Saibaba temple, I prefer to look at Saibaba from distance.

I walked into the temple and looked at Saibaba. I prayed Sai and felt good. I immediately felt like drinking water. I was so thirsty friends. So I asked one of this man who was shouting for organizing devotees. He said…You must go to terrace to have water and there was a huge que to reach there.

So I decided to walk out. I did not see any shops where I can get a Fanta. So I walked out.

Where is Shirdi Saibaba?

I wonder why Saibaba made me walk out of temple so fast? I thought is water so important than Sai himself? I tried to imagine how these streets would have been before 70 years from Narasimha Swamiji took effort to build this beautiful temple for Saibaba. I also asked myself …Why am I going to Saibaba temple. Is Baba in the temple alone? Is he not in my own heart?

Yes Saibaba is in everyone’s heart. So the saint lives in us and we go to temple. I have been to Saibaba temple in Coimbatore all my life. So what did I understood about Sai? Did I discover Sai and his beautiful soul? I have spent thousands of hours in Saibaba temple and still did not know the real greatness of Sai. If I had really understood his heart, then, I will be clear in everything I think and do.

I was surprised there were lots of flats behind Mylapore Saibaba temple. Are these people Sai devotees? Some may not be? This is where the Guru’s grace come’s in. You might live close to a Saibaba temple or you might even live in Shirdi. That doesn’t mean you are attracted to Sai.

Sai devotion is not that easy. It takes several births of relationship with our Guru for us to have interest in Sai in this birth. We might not understand how many births Sai has followed us.

As I took a round in the streets and reaches R.K.Mutt road, I again asked myself ..Is water so important than Sai darshan? It is ..I answered myself. Water and food is most important of all. That’s why Baba cooked food by himself for his children out side Dwarakamai. When I saw the Mylapore Kabaleeswarar tank, I felt that’s why ancient kings too constructed such tanks and built temples near by river. Water is so important.

Once when I had been to Shirdi, we got more than 50 water pockets and went in taxi to a holy temple in Puntanbe. Many devotees from numerous villages came by walk to the temple. We were so happy when we gave water pockets to these sweet devotees of Panduranga.

Finally, I found a shop, got Fanta, drank a little to get rid of my thirst and came back to Mylapore Sai Mandir entrance again. I saw if the very old man who’s been to Shirdi in 1941 is still there in the Sai Sudha shop? He wasn’t there and I don’t want to enquire about him. I can’t hear that he’s no more because he was 91 when I last met him.

I got in the temple and asked how to go to Narasimha swamiji hall? The man there shouted at me saying ..Are you walking here and there to go there. Can’t you see you can reach there if you walk stright. I smiled to him and walked away.

What I did in temple. I just went to first floor, Sat in the meditation hall and was reading Baba’s book for more than an hour.

I felt happy and truly blessed as I kept reading few good incidents during Baba’s life time. I could feel Sai touching me when I was in this temple.

After spending divine moments with Sai, I walked down and took photo of Sai along with Mecca and Jesus. I took this to send to one of my friend who seems to like Sai these days being a christian. Surprisingly, as I walked to get Udi prasad, this friend of mine messaged me about a problem I discussed with him. I told him..Just now, I took a photo for you and sent it to him.

I found a man standing in the hot sun keepin Baba’s books. I was really upset. I angrily asked him why are you standing like this. He wanted to sell Sai books. I bought a book written one of the most important Sai sevak of 20th century. Vinny Chitluri. I will write about her sometime later. The book was so hot. I felt like Sai is observing all the heat that gets into Chennai. I love these people. The summer here is too harsh. Sai must save this city for the centuries to come. Once again, I told this man to use an umbrella and not to stand in hot sun. I told him ..Even Sai can’t bear when you are standing in Sun light when its so hot.

I walked out of temple still messaging some of my friends. I hit the wheel shop of a man standing in road selling Soan papdi. I felt bad that I shook his little shop. So went back to him and asked him for Soan papdi.

Then, I saw a man selling lots of fancy items and numerous sticker pottu ( Bindi as they call it in Hindi) I thought girls don’t keep sticker pottu any more but seems its there existing on Earth as of circa 2016. Probably, by 2018, we will have IoT enabled sticker pottu which can act as a GPS for parents worried where their little daughter is. May be our girls don’t want their parents to know where they are going. Technology for sure will both contribute for a safer world and also hinder our privacy.

I don’t wanted to take an ola. So I walked back to Luz and took a share auto.

I reached my uncles home. A devotee wanted to meet me as I am in Chennai. Let’s see. My parents and aunt wanted me to join me to Vada palani Murugan temple. I wish to go to the Saibaba temple in West Mambalam too.

When I was roaming in streets around Saibaba temple, I wondered who am I and why am I like this? Why I call myself as Sai servant. Do I really serve him. I write about my personal life and not much about Sai but still some where in the line, people do get connected with Sai through me.

Because I write from heart.

A writer may not have to be professional

A writer must live his words.

What ever I write comes from Sai even if its not about him.

Its expression of an ordinary Indian.

While I was walking to Sai mandir, I watched a Man’s T shirt printed with this words

My life is based on a true story…

Ha ha..

How funny…

I will be starting from Chennai on Sunday afternoon ..That’s 4th. I am sorry that I did not wrote this earlier that I wish to meet my Sai children in Chennai but even by looking at couple of sentence in previous artcile that I will be traveling to Chennai, some of you had mailed me. So sweet of you.

Sai, It will take life time of journey to discover you. I just know that you are following me birth after birth.

I live for you and you are my life.

You can reach me at