Eight things you can do on Guru Purnima Festival for Sri Shirdi Sai Baba

sairam friends,

Gurupurnima 2011 is on 14th and 15th july 2011.

I wrote this article in 2o10 but it will be a simple guidance to what sai devotees can do on every Guru purnima day.

It was Guru Purnima 2010  on July 25th , Sunday.

Very few sai devotees are gifted to visit holy places like shirdi , Akalkot, Thiruvannamalai and Ganagapur. For those who are living abroad and who are busy with work can spend few minutes on Holy Guru purnima day to offer our Love to Guru Sri Shirdi Sai baba.

I hope to serve Annadhan in temple this year Gurupurnima :

Few sai devotees personally asked me how you celebrate Guru Purnima ? When it comes to me i will join my friends in Nagasai mandhir and serve food to sai devotees as they have arranged Annadhaan and i will light lamps etc.

I really ask myself how to tell my sai friends what exactly can be done on Guru Purnima festival ?

I personally feel its the day for remembering Guru,

Praising our Sadhguru

and

Taking all efforts to realize that our Guru Sai lives in ourself and we must involve in any good deeds and take way to show devotion like chanting Gods name,Make sure you listen to atleast One Aarti of shirdi Sai baba and also do any offerings you like and surrender mentally in the holy feets of shirdi sai baba.

Note : I agree you can do what ever you wish to do for sai on Guru Purnima or you know a better way of celebrating GuruPurnima but this is only a small effort to inspire sai devotees who might find it useful.

1. Chanting the holy Name “Sai Ram .. Sai Ram…Sai Ram ” :

Lets all chant Sai Ram , Sai Ram , Sai Ram or any simple mantra of any Gods , Guru we love or any chantings of shirdi sai baba atleast few minutes

ShirdiSaiChant.com

While you are chanting mentally remember saibaba is living in yourself , At times my habit is to imagine as if i am in late 18th century and feel a shirdi village with our sai in his dwarakamai and that i am offering Red , White and yellow roses in the holy feets of sai baba along with a white lotus garland. Try to feel the sai in you…

2. Light lamps in your house , Shirdi Sai baba temples or any temples you can visit :

Those who have comfortable SAFE space in house and temple to light lamps, please light lamps as many as you wish. Make sure you remain in house when lamps are burning for safty reasons. You can use ghee or Gingelly oil to light lamps. Take care of your kids when lamps are glowing.

Only if you live abroad and if you really think lamps can never be arranged, you are allowed to light candles . Its my humble request, the beauty and sacredness in our indian lamps can’t be matched with candles. Keep a steel tray to light lamps , candles or a eversilver plate so that its clean and safe.

ShirdiSaiLight.com

3. Sing, Recite or Listen to Shirdi Sai Baba Aarti :

Of the four shirdi sai baba aarti, Morning, afternoon, evening and Night Aarti, when ever you get time, please play the respective shirdi sai baba aarti and listen to them with love on sai baba. Try to learn the meaning of the Aarti . Its truly a blissful feeling. Try to get shirdi sai baba aarti DVD from shirdi sai baba sansthan when you visit shirdi and as of now download it here.

Shirdi Sai Baba Aarti Mp3 download link

Beautiful Meanings of Shirdi Sai baba aarti in english

4. Visit Shirdi Sai baba temples , Dattatreya temples or any temples near by :

Friends, those who are comfortable travelling to near by temples be it shirdi sai baba temple or any temple for that matter, please go there, offer flowers and make sure you have copy of sri sai satcharitra book so that you can read while you are in temple few minutes if nots crowded. Even if you only have a Lord Ganesha temple near by , do visit and pray remembering your Guru. ( Its ok if you cannot visit temple…I just suggested for those who can )

5. Parayan of Holy Life of Shirdi Saibaba – Sri Sai Satcharitra by Hamadpant :

GuruPurnima is the best day to do reading – Parayan of holy books like Sri Sai Satcharitra written by Hamadpant and also Guru Charitra.

You can download pdf file and take print out or you can listen to sai satcharitra in below link

Sri Sai Satcharitra – Life of Shirdi Sai baba

6. Invite Shirdi Sai baba to live in your house :

Sai devotees in who’s house everyone are really devoted to shirdi sai baba can do this . You can offer a coconut, any fruit if coconut is not available , beetle nuts, bannana etc in the shirdi sai baba temple or any ganesha temple and request mentally to sai to come and live in your house for 2-4 months. Sai devotees who has followed this ritual has clearly felt the presence of sai .

Note – i agree sai is always present everywhere but traditionally this is followed and recommonded only for sai devotees who can do daily pooja to sai in their house.

Inviting Guru shirdi sai baba to live in your house

Before you can proceed please read above link i wrote in last year GuruPurnima festival

7. Offerings to Guru – Guru alone is truth :

Offerings are made convey indirectly to the guru that you are giving all that you think is worthy in the holy feets of Guru – Non- Attachment. Infact, what we are really offering is our “Body , Mind and Soul ” in the holy feets of sadguru .So remembering this and accepting Guru himself as only precious person in your life, Offer coconuts, any edible fruits, milk and especially if you live in india try to offer lemon and Beetle nuts.

8. Pooja in your house doing holy bath to Shirdi Sai Baba statue :

You can also do simple pooja if you have granite or Marble shirdi sai baba statue in your house. Keep a tub to keep the sai statue in it, then a vessel of water , a glass of milk etc. You can offer water, then milk and also some honey on the statue, then pour water very clean. Then apply viboothi, kumkum to the sai murti .

Offer flowers, light 2 lamps or as many as you wish and sing any sloka you like , shirdi sai baba bhajans, mantra , and especially shirdi sai baba aarti.

Offer any Naivaidya, Any good vegetarian food , sweets and distribute to friends and family members as prasad.

Share what you do for Holy GuruPurnima pooja :

There is more to write and if a ordinary shirdi sai baba devotee can say 8 ways, i am sure who ever reads can also share what you do on holy Guru Purnima day . Please send photos also of shirdi sai baba in your house or temples and when i have time, i shall post.

May our Sadhguru Shirdi SaiBaba bless you and your family with Good health, Peace and Prosperity.

Om Sri Sainathaya namaha

C.Venkatraman

Please remember this when you buy shirdi sai baba Statues

First let me say that i regret that many shirdi sai baba statues now a days are sold in a material with which we cannot do abishekam – Holy bath for sai baba. Friends, its ok to buy shirdi saibaba statues you like in any material but consider this, A marble or granite statue can help you do abishekam to sai.

2 kinds of shirdi sai baba marble statues are available in shirdi shops and many places. One is expensive , made of real marble and even a 6 inch statue will cost you more than 6000 RS. What most sai devotees can afford is the one made with Powdered Marble which will cost from 300 to 1000 RS . Just make sure its well made and you can happily do Abishekam everyday. ..

I want to spread this message that doing abishekam – holy bath to statues in house everyday and atleast once a week or once a month when ever you get time is very sacred. Let this be the message for this holy GuruPurnima festival.

More information about Datta parampara and ancient saints of india at

Dattatreyalotus.com

About Gurupurnima : Gurupurnima is celebrated by devotees who follow ancient Gurus of India. Especially in north india, devotees of Dattatreya and shirdi sai baba, Akalkot maharaj – swami samartha, Saint Narasimha Saraswati and Shree Paadha Shree Vallabha celebrate Gurupurnima to offer their respect and love for Guru.

Guru Purnima is the auspicious Full moon day which comes every year sometime during july-august . Its also spelt as Guru Poornima , Guru pornima etc